Behind suicides

I wonder why the mainstream media has now started this trend of mixing sensationalism with the dissemination of their own version of theories behind the occurrence of unfortunate incidents such as cases of suicide (“Pratyusha was ‘normal’ at party a day before suicide: boyfriend”, April 4). The coverage of a string of incidents that have involved high-profile individuals will support my point. The media needs to understand the sensitivity involved and not report a story on the basis of hearsay or uncorroborated facts. It has the potential to affect the investigation process, apart from creating an element of societal pressure on a court of law. The media must not supplant the due process of law.

Hemant Kumar,Ambala, Haryana

The case of suicide involving a celebrity mirrors the state of society — essentially an individual’s state of total isolation, depression and helplessness despite the ‘perky state’ of his or her ‘virtual life’. Whether it is a promising actor, a student unable to cope with pressure or a farmer unable to pay a loan, we seem to be losing people on account of issues which can be addressed. Loneliness, leave alone mental illness, is hardly talked about. There is hardly anything heard about the National Mental Health Policy. It is sad that it took Gajendra Singh, a farmer who committed suicide in public, to cause us to introspect on our detached, self-absorbed and narcissistic society.

Swasti Pachauri,

New Delhi