From despair to dialogue: Reclaiming the will to live

Irfan Shaikh

"ख़ुद-कुशी क़त्ल-ए-अना तर्क-ए-तमन्ना बैराग ज़िंदगी तेरे नज़र आने लगे हल कितने."

These haunting lines echo the anguish that drives many to end their lives. Across India suicide has become a silent epidemic. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is no exception. Students, farmers, and middle-aged individuals are succumbing to despair at an alarming pace. The National Crime Records Bureau reveals that one student dies by suicide every hour a statistic that demands our urgent attention. The causes are complex but tragically familiar. Academic pressure, crop failures, mounting debt, family strife, and social isolation are pushing people beyond endurance. In the Marathwada region, the combination of financial uncertainty and psychological distress has deepened the crisis. The World Health Organization recognizes suicide as a preventable public health issue provided interventions are timely, evidence-based, and compassionate.

India’s first National Suicide Prevention Strategy, launched in 2022, aims to reduce suicide mortality by 10% by 2030. Some states, such as Madhya Pradesh, have begun drafting their own policies. But policies alone are not enough. Implementation must reach the local level, where the pain is most acute. The first step must be to strengthen mental health infrastructure. Every district needs accessible counselling centres both online and offline staffed with trained professionals. Helplines like KIRAN, India’s 24/7 mental health support service, should be expanded and better publicised. Rapid-response teams that unite hospitals, NGOs, and law enforcement can save lives when someone is in crisis.

Education systems must also evolve. Emotional resilience and life-skill programmes should become part of school curricula, while teachers must be trained to recognise early signs of distress. Regular peer support groups and counselling for students can prevent many tragedies before they unfold. Farmers, too, require targeted support like financial literacy programmes to help them navigate loans and schemes, timely insurance payouts, and debt-relief mechanisms to restore hope. Ultimately, the fight against suicide must begin at home. Families and communities must foster open, stigma-free discussions on mental health. Influencers, artists, and public figures can help spread messages of courage and renewal.

"ख़ुद-कुशी का फ़ैसला ये सोच कर हम ने किया कौन करता ज़िंदगी का मौत से अच्छा इलाज."

These lines remind us that while some see death as a cure, the true remedy lies in empathy, awareness, and shared responsibility. Saving lives is not only the duty of the state it is the collective moral call of society itself.

(The writer is Principal, International Indian Public School, Riyadh).