woman jumps to death at Gemini........ increasing the parapet wall....... !!

For Chennaites, it is no longer a wonder……… but part of their life…. Anna Salai, formerly known as Mount Road,  is the major arterial road in Chennai, India. It starts at the Cooum Creek, south of Fort St George and ends at the Kathipara Junction in Guindy.  Anna Flyover  also known as Gemini Flyover, is a dual-armed built by East Coast Construction and Industries in 1973 ~  the first flyover in Chennai.  Decades ago, there was the  Gemini Studios, after which the bridge was known as Gemini Flyover before renamed after the former CM of the State.  The flyover is in news for wrong reasons ~ for no fault of it… remember sometime back a bus crashed out and fell from the bridge – making it a sensational news…

We read of so many deaths and bad incidents that slowly makes the mind so hard that people do not care or sympathise…  in some ways it was shocking to read of the suicide of young people – it is not only the age  but the manner chosen to end their lives that saddens one………… 

Months ago, there was this  23 year old who plunging  to his death from the 3rd floor of EA Mall in Royapettah ; followed by another jump to death at Spencers Mall ~ there were some critics who immediately started the Mall authorities for not protecting them properly !!!

Life could difficult and full of impediments but still you have a choice.  Every minute, every breath provides everyone with a choice to be or not to be.  Suicide is never a solution.  Those who end their lives add commotion and trouble to most of their beloved ~ and if some claim to be solitary, they do not obtain the proper solution.  Many do not realize that crisis is temporary, they often perceive that their troubles are inescapable and feel an utter loss of control. Contrary to popular belief the incidence of suicide is not high in poor – poverty or debt does not drive all to death… there are many among the rich too who resort to suicide. Many people die by suicide because depression is triggered by several negative life experiences. There could be innumerable reasons that one could cite, still there would be strong reason for them to continue to live the life in its normal course.

Away from farmers who hit the headlines for suicides arising out of poverty, Tamil Nadu has recorded the highest number of suicides by accounting for 12.5 per cent of the total cases reported in 2012. When it comes to specific issues like ‘love affairs’ and ‘failure in examination’ that led to suicides, the State has again topped in the south. Among the metropolitan cities, Chennai topped others ~ this  negative trend certainly does not augur well for the Nation.

Copycat suicides are haunting the city…. as the news of jumping to death keeps flashing, perhaps in a fit of depression, some thinks that to be the end of their turmoil.  It is reported in the Hindu today that a 26-year-old girl ended her life by jumping from Gemini Flyover in Chennai on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Anjali Das from Kolkata was working in a beauty parlour. She has been living in the city for the past eight years and is the eldest of eight children.  Around 4 p.m., police noticed her walking along the Gemini flyover and repeatedly asked her to move away from the edge. Police said that she was on the phone when she jumped. There are lot of unwanted personal details of that person too…….. which I feel do not deserve any place in any newspaper at all.  

Now, can anybody – be it Govt or any administrator prevent it – not preventing suicide itself – preventing it occurring in any scheduled place – you cannot keep police at every 50 meter on Gemini bridge to stop recurrence of such an accident – you may still fail…… to prevent that fatal jump……. Then why blame malls and other places… !!!!

It may make an interesting and equally sad read to know few months back, Chennai Corporation in a bid to curb the drastic rise in suicides by jumping off bridges in 2013, bgan increasing the height of parapet walls of these facilities.  Here is something on that…. Read my earlier post here  : chennai parapet wall             But how high is high enough is everybody’s know.

Social behavior is one which can provide people lot of strength and feel that they are not alone and neglected. Talk to people, be with people and ensure that none falls a victim  of their mental depression.  According to a sociologist, “Graphic representation of suicides, pictures of spots and the method adopted are often the trigger.” It’s important to talk about it, but rather than suicide details media reports could mention how to reach for help.   It is stated that any depressed person could be provoked by such reports.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

19^th Sept. 2013.