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Amid Tamil Nadu suicide cases, Stalin urges for ‘positive attitude’ in students
Several incidents of suicides among school and college students, mostly involving girls, have been reported from Tamil Nadu over the past few days.
Students must develop a positive attitude, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin said Tuesday, while voicing his concern over the recent incidents of student suicides in the state. Terming the reports ‘painful’, he asked educational institutes to put their service of education before the business.
“Educational institutes must perceive education as service and not as business. Students should be taught to deal with any situation. They shouldn't have suicidal thoughts and must think about achieving more,” Stalin said, addressing an event in a city college. Asserting that the government would not be a mute spectator to incidents of harassment of any kind of girl students, he said the such people “will be brought to book, they will get appropriate punishment”.
Under no circumstances girls should be pushed to entertain suicidal thoughts. “Determined action will be taken,” he warned.
Urging for constructive thought process aimed at positive mental health, he urged teachers and parents to talk freely with students about their problems, goals and dreams.
"Students are not in colleges only to get degrees. You (educators) must give them self-confidence, courage and determination. Students, especially, girls must bravely face troubles, insults and obstacles...It is my desire that Tamil Nadu students (boys and girls) should not only be intellectually sharp, but they need to grow as physically and mentally strong persons," Stalin said at the event.
The comments come against the background of several incidents of suicide, two among which, involving girl students, sparked concerns across the country.
On Monday, a 17-year-old Class 12 girl student of a government-aided school in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district was found dead on the premises of the institution’s hostel. On the same day, a first year girl student of B Pharmacy at Vikravandi in Villupuram district fell from the first floor of her college. Police said it was suspected case of suicide.
On July 13, another Class 12 girl student was found dead in the hostel of a private school in Kallakurichi district. Protests broke out over the next few days and even turned violent in some areas of Kallakurichi district following the incident.
(With agency inputs)
