NARA'S NOTEPAD: May 2019

NARA'S NOTEPAD

VOLUME 15

MAY 2019

NUMBER 5

IS SUPPORTED BY READERS LIKE YOU...

EVERYTHING

CAN BE SAID IN A SILENCE

SUICIDE - A GLOBAL PROBLEM

Committing suicide is a world-wide problem. Men and women, young and old irrespective of race, caste, religion or nationality commit suicide. It was in 1952 or so when I was a student in Intermediate (now class 12), I used to read in newspaper about students who failed in final examinations committed suicide by either consuming poison or by hanging from ceiling fans. To my young mind it appeared something unusual and unwarranted. So I wrote a letter to the newspaper – Dinamalar – about the ill-effects of suicides. Shockingly I found my letter got published in the ‘Letter to the Editor’ column. Still I remember that. So the suicide by people remained in my mind as a stain forever.

There are obvious reasons for people taking this drastic step in their life. What are those reasons? As I mentioned, failing in examination is one of the reasons. Helplessness in life, like poverty, lack of job, torture by spouses, failure in business, unable to pay back loans, loss of dear ones, anxiety and depression, incurable diseases are some of the reasons one can think for committing suicide. The methods of suicide are many. Consumption of poisons, over-doze of sleeping pills, jumping in front of running trains, jumping from tall buildings, hanging, jumping into the well, shooting with gun – are some of them. All of these are the means by which one decides to kill oneself.

In India, some years ago we were shocked to hear about farmers’ suicide. Everyone including the media talked about it, but no one came forward to find a solution to this vulnerable problem. State governments and the Central government tried their best by appointing committees to find out the causes of farmers’ suicide. The report submitted remained as reports rather than actions taken.

The reports concluded that the causes of farmers’ suicides were bankruptcy or indebtedness, family problems or farming related issues. All of us know that farming is a gamble with monsoon. If there is no rain there is no agriculture in India. Thus farmers depend on rain; if rain fails they are distressed and take the extreme step of suicide. Waiving of bank loans, compensation for crop loss, crop insurance are some of the measures various governments introduced over time. But the implementation of these schemes did not work effectively. A recent report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showed in 2014 as many as 5650 farmers committed suicide.

It is interesting to note that some of the States like Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and the North-East showed no suicides of farmers, whereas Maharashtra, Telengana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Chattisgarh showed higher number of suicides. Male farmers were more who committed suicides than the women farmers. According to NCRB the farmers are defined as those who own and work on field (cultivators) as well as those who employ or hire workers for field work or farming activities and exclude agricultural laborers. The statistics provided for 2014 did not include the agricultural laborers as NCRB says. If those suicides are also included the number will be more than 5650 as reported!

In order to prevent farmers’ suicides, it is better to organize the farming and farmers. Organized farming with scientific cropping pattern linking markets and crop insurance will help the poor farmers not to think of suicide. Educating farmers about the ways and means to come out of their distress is one another methods to avoid suicides. Nowadays, there are experts to coach farmers about will power to get over their difficult times. Such coachings have to be arranged by the Departments of Agriculture at village level. I do not know how far we are able to change the individualistic decision of committing suicide in our human population. – NARA

YOU MATTER

Your thoughts matter

Your feelings matter

Your problems matter

Your opinions matter

Your happiness matters

Your voice matters

Your life matters

You matter

WANT TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE?

1. Don’t keep doing things you hate.

2. Stop terrorizing yourself with your negative thoughts.

3. Choose to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

4. Watch what you say; don’t put yourself or others down.

5. Take care of your body and love and care for it.

6. Develop a life-style that helps develop self-esteem.

7. Don’t compare yourself with others; note where you have grown and changed.

8. Stop trying to change others; keep the focus on yourself.

9. Laugh a lot; enjoy yourself; and don’t take life too seriously.

10. Accept compliments, and value everything you are.

IMPROVE YOUR CONFIDENCE

1. Be willing to fail more often - as that means you’re taking on more challenges, and being prepared to try, learn and grow.

2. Keep track of improvements, positive changes, successes, growth and accomplishments.

3. Don’t compare yourself to other people. The only person you’re competing against is yourself. Also, we have an unhelpful tendency to compare our struggles with other peoples’ successes and high points.

4. Work on your posture and your fitness levels as they affect our appearance, and how we feel about ourselves.

5. Don’t just hang out with people you are comfortable with. Also, gravitate towards those who are new or different.

6. We’re influenced by those that we spend time with. So, make friends with people who seem warm and confident.

7. Be a true friend to yourself – and shut off the commentary that is negative, attacking and lacking in compassion.

8. Commit to practicing these different skills – as they’ll take root in time, and change the way you act and feel.

LAUGHTER

Laughter increases the blood flow throughout your circulatory system and smiling releases endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine in your brain. These endorphin hormones and serotonin and dopamine neuro-transmitters act like natural painkillers and antidepressants respectively, providing you with a sense of relief and general well-being.

At a traffic court, the judge asked the motorist: “Tell me why did you park your car here?” The man said: “Well, there was a sign that said FINE for parking”

Call from a bank to a girl. Bank: “Hello Madam, we’re offering credit card with best deals, no annual charge, no interest on balance for 3 months, big credit limit, no penalty for over spending”. Girl: “No thanks, I have a husband with lifetime zero fees, unlimited limit, no interest for ever”.