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More than enough has already been said about Viveka Babajee's suicide...
frankly wild guesses and vague interviews with a few ppl were the only sources the media had ...but with what authority do they air/print this news?? What she did right or wrong during her lifetime or whom she met was none of the media's business... but they printed reams and reams of glossy news about her past...! its downright condescending - to be doing this to someone who's not even there to defend herself...
SAD.
What the media could have done instead is to portray this unfortunate instance in a wiser way...in a more responsible way...They could have focussed on the following:
1. Unbiased trend analysis of cases of suicides reported - any studies on urban vs rural trends, gender, age trends...domestic n globally...
2. Genuine expert opinions, thoughts, on causes, symptoms, forms, diagnosis, prevention, treatment of depression and related tendencies....
3. Role to be played by immediate support systems - family/friends in cases where a particular trend / set of symptoms is observed.. sort of a "how-to" guide for all people concerned...
4. Focussing on larger societal / economic / lifestyle / stress issues ... and mitigants for depressionary tendencies in such situations.. addressing issues across the large societal gap that India has come to attain...
5. Increasing awareness about emotional stress from childhood - (counsellors in school / college), accessible counselling centres/help care centres & most importantly, SoS facilities for immediate addressal of panic attacks or suicidal thoughts / behaviour...
frankly wild guesses and vague interviews with a few ppl were the only sources the media had ...but with what authority do they air/print this news?? What she did right or wrong during her lifetime or whom she met was none of the media's business... but they printed reams and reams of glossy news about her past...! its downright condescending - to be doing this to someone who's not even there to defend herself...
SAD.
What the media could have done instead is to portray this unfortunate instance in a wiser way...in a more responsible way...They could have focussed on the following:
1. Unbiased trend analysis of cases of suicides reported - any studies on urban vs rural trends, gender, age trends...domestic n globally...
2. Genuine expert opinions, thoughts, on causes, symptoms, forms, diagnosis, prevention, treatment of depression and related tendencies....
3. Role to be played by immediate support systems - family/friends in cases where a particular trend / set of symptoms is observed.. sort of a "how-to" guide for all people concerned...
4. Focussing on larger societal / economic / lifestyle / stress issues ... and mitigants for depressionary tendencies in such situations.. addressing issues across the large societal gap that India has come to attain...
5. Increasing awareness about emotional stress from childhood - (counsellors in school / college), accessible counselling centres/help care centres & most importantly, SoS facilities for immediate addressal of panic attacks or suicidal thoughts / behaviour...
The World Health Organization warns that by 2020 depression will be the second most common disease in the world after cardiac health problems. It is becoming a fast-spreading endemic...with innumerable cases that dont even get reported; nay, not even recognised / diagnosed.... We should start taking action no doubt...but then we should know what actions to take as preventives, in the first place...
Giving this issue due media coverage with the right insights would have been the media's humble contribution to responsible reportage!
Giving this issue due media coverage with the right insights would have been the media's humble contribution to responsible reportage!
