Suicide Mystery
Scene I:
Ayush: Hello and welcome to the brand new episode of “Moment of truth”. I am Ayush Bhatia and today on this very exclusive episode of “Moment of Truth”, I am going to expose the naked and the most shocking truth behind the suicide racket. Yes, you have heard it correctly! Suicide racket! Have you any time heard people buying out suicides? What’s the mystery behind this? We will soon reveal it. It’s the most horrifying and the most insensitive incidence you will ever hear in your life. Believe me, there is a racket of suicide which is now exposed by the “xyz” news channel and only and only “xyz” news channel has the information of what we are going to show you now. It is going to be shown exclusively to our viewers. So all the viewers; grab your seats and be ready to face the horrendous truth of your life.
Do you remember this interview shown in “Making of Difference” on “abc” channel? (The interview footage is shown in the right side of the screen). Yes, we are talking about the same interview where Arun Pathak had committed a suicide in front of all the people and unfortunately no one was able to save him. On the same show, the anchor of the show Mrs. Smriti Nair also had fainted after hearing the news of her son’s suicide. Let me tell to all of our viewers that it was an interview arranged to comment on the increasing suicides of children and the teenagers of India. On such show, we saw the actual suicide of the young boy and also heard the suicide news of a kid. What’s the obscurity behind this? We will soon make it public, but before that please have a look at the interview. I would like re iterate that only our channel has the actual footage of this show and we are proud to be the first to show it on the national television. We have also got the pre interview footage and for our viewers, which we are going to show it exclusively. Please have a look. (On the screen, the pre interview footage starts)
Scene II:
(Interview is not yet started because Education Minister of Maharashtra has not yet arrived. Smriti, Kavita, Aparna, Arun are sitting on the chairs. Smriti, Kavita and Aparna are chatting with each other about the same topic. Arun is sitting very nervous and quiet.)
Smriti: Frankly speaking, I found today’s topic very interesting. What is your opinion Dr. Kavita?
Kavita: Yes, off course. But rather than interesting, I found it an alarming. It’s an alarm for the parents and the teachers. It is the high time for them to think how much they need to pressurize their child for good grades, high marks and all.
Smriti: Oh, you mean to say the parents’ pressure is behind these suicides? I disagree to your view. On the contrary, if there is a constant pressure from the parents, the child performs well and always strives for better grades or marks. It’s the pressure, which keeps the child up to the mark. Isn’t it Mrs. Aparna?
Aparna: No, to certain extent, I would agree with Dr. Kavita. But yes, some kind of pressure is also necessary on the child. That keeps the child under control.
(Kavita shakes the head with disagreement).
Kavita: Some kind of pressure? What kind of and till what level? Mrs. Aparna, we are forgetting the child’s psychology here. Child and teenagers are not ready to handle so much of pressure from various elements of society. There is as such pressure of the study. On top of that, if we start putting pressure, if teachers start putting pressure, where that poor child will go? In that case, one simple failure will break him; break his faith on the life. Why don’t you understand it?
(Smriti nods with an expression of incongruity.)
Smriti: I still go with my belief. In simple terms if I have to tell you, take an example of my son. He is in 7th standard and consistently getting above 90%. I have told him clearly that he has to get more than 90%. Because that’s the key for a success. So because of pressure, he is consistently performing well. Today he got his result and he has scored 92% in the semesters. So, what will you say for this Dr. Kavita?
(Kavita is about to say, but Education Minister comes.)
Dadasaheb: Sorry Ms...?
Smriti: Mrs. Smriti...
Dadasaheb: yes, Mrs. Smriti, I am little late. But I can’t help it. Being a minister is a tough job. Hope you understand.
Smriti: Yes sir. It’s perfectly fine. As such it’s not too late. Please read this interview question copy. We have 3-4 more minutes to start an interview. So I hope it’s enough time for you to go through the questions.
Dadasaheb: Yes, 3 minutes are more than sufficient. We are ministers madam. We are used to talk on the spot. Not an issue. (Dadasaheb starts reading the copy).
Smriti: Everyone else has gone through the questions? Any question on them?
(Everyone shakes the head. Smriti glances again through the questions and asks to start the show. Arun’s face is not shown during an interview.)
Smriti: Good evening and welcome to the first of its own kind of people awareness show “Making the difference”. I am Smriti and today’s sensitive topic is “Child and Teenager suicides”. Today we have with us Dr. Kavita, a famous psychiatrist, Mrs. Aparna Kamble, chairman of parents’ association, Mr. Dadasaheb Patil, Maharashtra education Minister and for the very first time on any television show, Deepak, a teenager who has tried committing suicide but got saved by his neighbour. Let me tell you, the name Deepak is used to hide the real identity of the boy.
Let’s start an Interview with a first question to you Dr. Kavita. Now days, we have been seeing the increased number of suicide cases in the children and teenagers. Daily, we hear at least 5-6 suicide or attempted suicide cases. The most shocking statistics are the age of the children who are committing suicides. The average age is between 9 and 15, which is very young age. According to you, what is the basic reason of these suicides?
Dr. Kavita: First of all, let me congratulate this show and channel for bringing up this very important issue in front of all the viewers. To answer to your question, yes, we are seeing lot of suicide cases among the teenagers and also in children who are younger than teen age. The first and foremost important reason is the environment around the kid. Today, everyone is running behind the marks, higher grades. Anyone who comes starts running behind the high percentages like 90%, 95%. If one is not getting that many percentages, one is useless. That kid is not going to do anything in the life. That’s the mentality around us. Everyone is trying to hammer down that kid to get the higher percentages. Parents come first in pressurizing, directly or indirectly, but yes, each parent does it with his or her child. Teachers also get involved in this pressuring game. If the kid is not performing well in exams, consider him or her as a waste, make him or her backbencher, and don’t pay any attention towards him or her. On the contrary, a special attention is always given to the high marks scoring kid and he or she is always pressurized to keep the marks high always. This is the attitude. Every school wants the bright child in the school. Who’s going to take care of the average scoring kids then? Why this discrimination? You are neither improving the life of high scoring kids nor the life of average scoring kids. So, sometimes this pressure becomes too much for a kid or even teenager to handle and if they score fewer marks which they consider as a failure, they simply end their life. This is because of a fear of parents and the society. Failing to score high percentage or actually failing in exams is not the end of the world. But have we told them in this way ever? No. The ultimate result is “Suicide”. This is about the high scoring children. But what about the low or average scoring ones? They are as such considered as waste in the society. But no one considers that not scoring high on exams does not mean that you are not of any use. These children may be good in some arts like painting, music or dance. But do we consider these arts as a manifestation of a successful life? Do we consider a job other than Engineer, Doctor or an MBA? No. We do not and we have not evolved that much yet. That’s the reason; these children can’t handle this negligence, hate rayed and may end their life too. So in my opinion, the pressure from each and every element of the society is the prime reason for these suicides. We should somewhere stop it and seriously think over this issue. The second reason I would like to point out is again the parents.
Smriti (smiling): Oh! So parents are your prime target, is it?
Kavita (smiling): No, nothing personal. But yes, lot of things can be improved from our side, parents’ side to make the things lot better. I understand that to live a better and respectful life, a mother and a father, both have to work. But has anybody considered the major impact of it on a child? Today, how many parents can give sufficient time to their child? To answer this, hardly 5 to 10%. It’s a fact. Believe me; it completely demolishes the family system. A child, if has to communicate about his or her issues, to whom will that child go? We blame today’s children and teenagers that they are becoming more and more impatient and short tempered. But have we ever wondered why it is so? Just because they belong to today’s age? Certainly not. It’s a cyclic process. As such, these children and teenagers are under tremendous pressure. On top of this, if they are not finding their parents to share their problems, issues, but rather if getting only additional pressure from them, who will not become aggressive, short tempered or impatient? You need not be a psychiatrist to understand this. It’s a plain human tendency. In my all the campaigns of “Wake up parents”, I have been telling this repeatedly. It’s the high time for all of us to act fast.
Smriti: Thanks Dr. Kavita, that was very insightful. I would like to ask the question to Mrs. Aparna that do you agree to what Dr. Kavita said just now.
Aparna: Yes, to certain extent. I agree that we are not able to give sufficient time to our children, but we can’t blame only parents for this. Just to add up to what Dr. Kavita mentioned about an excessive pressure of performing well in studies on today’s children and teenagers. But my question is why so much pressure is on them? It is an education system which puts burden on our child, not we. If he has to sustain in this education system, he has to get high marks to get good colleges, universities and good job in future. For this, the child has to study hard from the 1st standard and get good results. So rather than parents and teachers, I would blame an education system for these suicides.
Smriti: Oh, that brings my next question to Dadasaheb Patil. But before that, I would like to ask Dr. Kavita that do you agree with Aparna? Can education system be culprit?
Kavita: Yes, off course. But I would still stick to my opinion that the pressure from parents and the teachers play the most important role in the suicides and next comes an education system. If we see the syllabus of right from 1st standard till graduation, what do we see? It is totally based on mugging up the topics. Nowhere an understanding comes in the picture. Schools teach to mug up the topics, get good marks and achieve the success. On the contrary, I would say, understand the topic, never mug up, achieve the excellence and success will come to you automatically.
Smriti: Sorry to interrupt you, but do you agree Dadasaheb with this? Is education system responsible for these suicides?
Dadasaheb (smiling): I do not agree to Dr Kavita or Mrs. Aparna’s statement. Statistics say that the Indian education system is the toughest in the world and it tests various aspects and never relies on sheer mug up. In fact, if you have seen, we have included a topic as “computers” in school syllabus. We have brought CET which is a multi choice exam which helps students to think rationally rather than mugging up and also we have made CAT online from this year though it had some problems initially. So, we have been advancing always and we have been trying to provide the best education to all the students right from nursery till the graduation. That’s how our students are always on par with the current technology.
Smriti: Dadasaheb, I have some information with me about all the topics that you just spoke. The computers subject is introduced, but it is optional. Not all schools implement it. Also, only some percent of schools actually have the computers where the students can practise. But if you have seen the topic, there is no scope for practise. All topics are theoretical and needs mugging up. Same is the case with other topics. In fact, in the 10th standard, it is taught to the students that mug up as much as possible and try to put exact words and phrases for the answers. Unfortunately, that is the key to get the high marks. So it is a tradition for our education system that whenever any new topic or subject is being introduced, the care is taken that the topic will not be taught, but will be mugged up by the students. If we speak about the CET after 12th exam, then that is the big fiasco and the government is planning to call it off from next year. For CAT online entrance, it will be better if we do not talk about it. So somewhere Mrs Aparna and Dr. Kavita look correct, don’t they? Anyways, I will now turn to Deepak. Let’s hear something from him. He had actually tried committing suicide. Let’s hear that experience from him. Yes Deepak.
Deepak looks very uncomfortable by his body language. He starts speaking with uncertain, scared and with very disturbed voice.
Deepak: I tried committing suicide about 3 months ago, when my final year college exam result got out. I scored second class in my BA final year exam. With these marks, I am not going to get job anywhere, not even of a teacher in my own school or college. I belong to very poor family and have to take responsibility of them. But with these marks, I was actually a burden on them. So I tried to end this frustration forever and jumped into the river in our village. But it was my unfortunate that my neighbour saw me drowning into the water and he saved me. I am still jobless, being a burden on my parents.
(Deepak start crying)
Smriti: Please do not cry. We assure you that from our channel, we will help you as much as possible. This show is all about the people like you, so do not worry. But let me ask you a question. Committing suicide is a crime. As per my information, under IPC 309, attempt of suicide is punishable for maximum of 1 year of imprisonment or fine or both. So weren’t you arrested or fined by the police?
Deepak: No. In fact, police inspector is a friend of my father. He consoled me and promised to help me. I am yet to receive any help from him but.
Smriti: You mean to say, no FIR was lodged or no case was filed against you?
Deepak: No.
Smriti: That’s strange, isn’t it Dr. Kavita? As a psychiatrist, let me ask you this question that should people who attempt to commit suicide, should be put behind the bars or not?
(By this time, Arun gets very annoyed and restless.)
Kavita: In my opinion, though the suicide is a crime, I would suggest that these people should be put in a rehabilitation centre rather than behind the bars. They require some special metal care to be taken, so putting behind the bars will make it worse.
(Arun gets even worse and started shouting)
Deepak: It’s you all because of whom I committed suicide. You should be put behind the bars, not me. You all bloody people... damn with you and damn with your show... I don’t care about you... it is very easy to sit here and talk rubbish in front of the camera. Come to the schools, colleges; come to the real world of jobs, recruitments. Face the reality. Promising for a help is very easy, but no one provides it. Have you ever experienced the hunger? When you do not get proper two times food to eat and you don’t have a job in your hands to feed your family, do you have any idea how it feels? No. That’s why I chose to come on your show. Sitting here and talking on suicide is very easy, I will show what the suicide is.
(Suddenly, Arun chews the cyanide capsule and falls on the ground dead. People start shouting and the situation becomes panicky. In this panicky situation, spot boy comes to Smriti and says that her son has committed suicide and has left a note saying the reason of suicide was less marks in the semester, less than 80% and he had lied to Smriti about the same. Smriti falls unconscious on the set.)
Scene III:
Focus comes back to Ayush.
Ayush: Just now you saw the drama that had happened some days back on the show “Making the difference”. But what is the truth behind these tragic incidences? Yes, we are here to reveal it. Can anyone even think that this drama could have been scripted? Can anyone think of a new definition of a murder, a Paid Suicide? Yes, this is the mystery behind the so called suicide. A truth that has ashamed all of us! It is a Paid Suicide, a new concept where a person makes the other person to commit a suicide and in return of it, pays some money to his or her family. In simple terms, it is a scripted, cold blooded murder. On the show of “Making the difference”, it was a farce created by an editor of “Making the difference”, Mr. Karan Kumar. I am regretful to say that the anchor Mrs. Smriti was also involved in this planned murder in spite of being a mother of a kid. That is a real shame. But unfortunately she also had to face the bitterest moment of her life, her son’s suicide.
To understand how all the so called suicide was planned and executed, we have to know the background of Arun. As he said on an Interview, he belonged to poor family. He even was jobless. So he had tried suicide but failed to do it because his neighbour saved him. Mr. Karan spotted the poor boy and took advantage of his financial condition. Right from that instance, India’s first ever paid Suicide plan started to flourish. Mr. Karan agreed to Arun that he will pay handsome money to Arun’s family in return of Arun’s suicide. Arun’s family was completely unaware of this. They didn’t know that the person who used to come to their house with the intensions of a help is, in reality, a devil. A rascal who was going to take away everything from their life. So, the target was decided, means was decided, De Day was decided. What was the reason? Just to get higher TRP and higher profit. For such a small profit, Mr. Karan not only handled the most sensitive issue in the most insensitive way but also took a disadvantage of the poor financial condition of a poor guy and planned a paid suicide. He did not stop at this. He even included Mrs. Smriti in this so called murder and the most shocking thing is she agreed to paid suicide concept in spite of being a mother of a child. Such a shame for humanity!
I would like to say that we have all the proofs for the first ever paid suicide and have handed over to the Police. Very soon we will get our next breaking news and we will see Karan and Smriti behind the bars. We hope that the Indian law will treat this matter very seriously and will punish the culprits without any mercy. Our channel was the first and will be the first to stand behind any truth and reveal the real face of such death hoppers. That’s it on this show, “Moment of Truth”. But before saying goodbye, let me ask the question, “Who is the real culprit of the child and teenagers’ suicides?” This is Ayush and good bye from all of us here. Take care, bye.
