A suicide case. really?

 

 

This refers to Arindam Chaudhuri's editorial (TSI, July 19-25). Many of us might have been punished or caned in school, but that did not make us contemplate suicide. There could be more to Rouvanjit Rawla's death than just punishment given to him in school. In dealing with the suicide of the young boy allegedly induced by corporal punishment, newspaper and television reports have apportioned blame in a curiously facile way. This is disturbing, since psychiatrists always say that the causes of suicide are never simple or easy to diagnose. It devolves on the police and others to ascertain whether caning can indeed be blamed for a boy's suspected suicide. And whether caning is reason enough to defame the school. Certain facts need to be considered. The boy's death was reported by the parents in early February. It was then described as an accident in the house; the boy fell off by sliding down the stairway banister while trying to re-enact a television sequence. Why was the cause of death shown as an accident? No FIR was filed by the parents for the past four months. Why?

JS Acharya

Hyderabad