Trigger Warning: LSR Student Dies By Suicide Due To Financial Pressures As Per Note
Soumyaseema
Sun 8 November 2020, 12:02 PM IST
Nowadays, it is not at all rare to see students stressed, anxious, or perplexed about their future. The ongoing pandemic has added to those concerns in every possible way. But it is indeed disheartening to see the students failing to cope with the pressure and ultimately ending their lives.
A similar incident was witnessed by one of the premier higher education institutes in Delhi, Lady Shri Ram College for Women. A second-year student of Mathematics honors committed suicide on the night of the 2nd of November at her house in Rangareddy district, Telangana.
The incident came into light when the message of her death was circulated by one of her close friends in an informal WhatsApp group of LSR college hostel.
A 2019 state topper, she was selected for the INSPIRE scholarship provided by the Ministry of Science and Technology for her outstanding performance in class 12th. But unfortunately, she could not lay hands on the fellowship grant, the first installment of which she was supposed to receive by March 2020.
Belonging to a working-class family, she was in dire need of the scholarship money. In fact, her family had confirmed that they had to mortgage their house to ensure their daughter’s further studies at Delhi University.
In a meeting with the SFI Ranga Reddy District Committee, her family even disclosed the fact their younger daughter had to discontinue her studies after her 7th grade as they could not afford to educate both their daughters.
The coronavirus pandemic did exacerbate the existing complications. In an online form circulated by the Committee for Inclusive Education under LSR SU, she had expressed her inability to attend all the classes and complete her assignments due to mobile and connectivity issues.
The suicide note recovered from her home was handed over to the President of SFI Ranga Reddy District Committee by her family members. This note was then circulated with SFI Delhi.
The suicide note seemed to have revealed financial pressures to be the prima facie motive behind her death. She admitted that her family had to incur cumbersome expenses due to her higher education and that she did not want to be a burden on her family.
But then she could not have lived without studying as well. Therefore she had no choice left than to welcome her own death.
Her family has not lodged any police complaint yet, as they do validate the concerns raised by their daughter. There is also no information on any possible postmortem.
In the meantime, the college had already held an obituary ceremony on the 3rd of November. However, no official statement regarding the alleged suicide has been released by the college administration.
It is immensely shattering to see the loss of such bright and young lives, particularly at times like this when the regressive divisions of caste, class, gender, and geography become more prominent than ever.
Sources: College Students, SFI Delhi
Find the blogger: @soumyaseema
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@FlashGordon @prashantazazel, something that should be a minor everyday affair as getting education becomes a big thing in India. An unnecessary and very avoidable loss of life here. Education should be a free human right of every citizen to whatever point they want to pursue. What's the problem of the Indian government not funding such a simple thing as education when there are real bigger things like Elon Musk building up the system to transport people between Earth and Mars ? I don't understand this artificial system called scholarship money that is made available to only a few students when the entire education system can be made free and for all.