Tehreem Tahir |
This article is written by an eye-witness who was present in Centaurus when this sad incident took place. GVS is publishing this piece without much changes in order for the readers to grasp the message she is trying to get across the way she intended.
This article isn’t to blame anyone, it’s intended to spread awareness. A few days ago I was at Centaurus, where a young man jumped from the fourth floor and passed away. There were so many stories as to what exactly happened. I talked to his neighbor and teacher to find out the real story.
This incident took place on Thursday 31st may around 6:30, when a young man Ammar ran to the escalator and jumped from the fourth floor breaking open his skull and fracturing his shoulder. Ammar was taken to PIMS, he was in a critical condition and passed away at 8 pm. A CCTV footage of the incident has surfaced on social media where Ammar can be seen clearly deliberately jumping off the 4th floor at Centaurus. (The video has not been shared to respect the privacy of the family)
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Ammar was in Centaurus with his sister, brother and a family friend. He was going through a very tough time for the past 1.5 years. Presently he was going through a treatment as well. Before that, he acted in a way that the family thought he was under an influence of jin. In this time period, he tried committing suicide twice.
One of the reasons why he was like this was that he was bullied by the college fellows who made fun of his voice called him ‘kalay’. He was a science student as his mother wished, but he wanted to study arts. He changed many schools but it didn’t help.
Let them cry, talk about what makes them upset even just listening will help.
Mental illness is as serious as physical illness and its time we understand that. We are moving towards a time where the family structure is getting weak. With the new technology in hand, we are connected to so many people yet we are alone and isolated. It is said that the best therapy is a deep honest conversation. Everyone needs someone in his/her life with whom they can share every tiny bit.
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In the end, I would like to say that be there for everyone around you, it’s time you understand what bullying can do to someone. You don’t know what battles they are fighting inside. If someone ever talks about suicide, take it seriously and help them seek a psychologist as there is nothing wrong with seeing one. If a normal person can go to a doctor for a physical illness, he can go to a psychologist for mental illness too. Every single human being has a great role in this world. We are here not to live in isolation but with the people around us. Make honest conversations and help people by literally just listening to what they feel. It will help them a lot.
Boys have the same emotions as girls, let’s just stop telling them to man up and not cry. They have emotions and they also feel weak. The percentage of men getting a heart attack is higher than women and it’s for a reason. Let them cry, talk about what makes them upset and just listening to them will help.
The unfortunate incident points out the lack of social support in our society, where there is no serious action taken against bullying. Bullying and suicide have a strong relationship. In recent years, a series of bullying-related suicides in the US and across the globe have drawn attention to the connection between bullying and suicide. Though too many adults still see bullying as “just part of being a kid,” it is a serious problem that leads to many negative effects for victims, including suicide. It’s high time the school systems in Pakistan introduce strict regulations against bullying and social isolation.
Tehreem Tahir is a graduate of Business Administration, an entrepreneur and runs her business”T.T’s cakery”. The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.