TODAY IS WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY
Before I begin to wish you Happy Ganesh Chaturthi allow me to share some heart wrenching facts
Depression is a common mental disorder affecting more than 264 mn people worldwide
During lockdown there’s a threefold increase in the number of people reporting depression and anxiety
Every 40 second someone is committing suicide on this planet, meaning while you will finish reading this 4 minute read, 6 people would have chosen to discontinue their life, which also means that for him/her there is no more hope left in life
Furthermore, for each suicide, there are more than 20 more suicide attempts
You will be surprised to learn that in India, suicide is the number 1 cause of death for both genders between age 15 to 39. This signifies the developments related to career, relations and work are becoming difficult to handle
While in the rest of the world the suicide rate among the older generation has come down, in India it is growing sharply (70 and above age) strongly indicating the loneliness and socio cultural differences among generations
Disheartening to know that India has the highest suicide rate. While around 2160 people commit suicide everyday on this planet, 380 are from India accounting it to 17% of global death every day by suicide
Though nations are making efforts by putting in ministries for Suicide prevention, though there are budgets allotted and researches funded to understand the mind of a person committing suicide; though there are days like today - 10th September, being marked as World Suicide Prevention Day; but the biggest shift can come when we all take the onus on us; The onus of ensuring that we will be spreading happiness in this painful world, the onus of becoming a medium to bring hope and enthusiasm in the life of others and ourselves.
Today the Hindu calendar is celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival that demarcates worshipping wisdom. Lord Ganesha is considered as the deity of intelligence. It has been observed in studies across the globe that most of the suicides are happening in moments of helplessness, financial or emotional crunch. Wisdom (Gyan) is the only tool that can help one to eliminate the possibility of suicidal thoughts by understanding the true nature of life and the deeper meaning of it. It is pretty certain that if we get the wisdom to understand the value of life, its meaning and its purpose we will focus on that deeper essence and will be able to overcome these mental blocks and obstacles which in turn forces one to think of committing suicide. Lord Ganesha is also worshipped as 'Mangalmoorti'. Only Gyan (wisdom) can bring Magal (wellbeing)
While we wish each other Ganesh chaturthi let us remember the duty of spreading happiness, spreading wisdom, love and kindness with each other. The same wisdom is required to create a new world order where competition, greed, selfishness and ego doesn't prevail, where efforts are praised over results, where evaluation criteria for a human is not his/ her success or status, but it is the intrinsic humanitarian values that s/he practices.
Allow me to end my submission with a very powerful wish that I received in a forward today-
THE LORD NEITHER ARRIVES NOR LEAVES. HE HAS EXISTED BEFORE TIME AND WILL EXIST BEYOND. GANESH UTSAV IS SYMBOLIC OF OUR LIFE. WE ARRIVE, WE CELEBRATE, WE MERGE.
Let us help people merge in happiness, peace, ecstacy and love.
HAPPY GANESH CHATURTHI - 10, SEP 2021