As the Times of India reported that a cop blew his brains out in front of the Mantralay in Mumbai today, there came with it a full blown report on depression amongst the lower rungs of the police force leading often to suicide. Please look at my blog of a few days ago ‘The Depressed Mumbai Constable’, where I describe some of my conversations with young constables and their immediate officers.
Yes Shekhar bhai depression is really a silent killer…
As far as my thinking goes a few years back one cop? held passangers as captives at airport and I wrote a fictional story about it (am still writing)
As I devloped the screenplay, (or it told me so) I realise that on face of it, the character is in worry because of money problems but underneth lies a great deal of supressed feelings.
Depression is not caused by one factor alone. A person who intends to commit suicide (in this case a cop) will not only be having problem with money but very intimate personal life too. It may be sharing of time, or not giving time to loved ones, betryal, problems with supriors and one of the main problem which goes unnoticed is
they (cops) do not get restful sleep!
now if a cop commits suicide, by blowing his own head, what does that mean? in 2003 I made a documentary on suicide where I was with councellors and they said suicide is an emotional cry for help. If a cop has blown his own brain, it is also a sign that he cant take anything more in his brain and wants to blow up. To others it may look dramatic but at deeper level I feel that cop was not able to take things and wanted to end.
The police department no matter how much people find fault with them by telling that they are for our protection and they do nothing, I feel sincerely that their salaries must be increased and their working hours must be defined if it means more cops on job be it…at least they need sleep.
There are many people out there deprived of basic salary and sleep. This is very much a cause which drives their self esteem to zero level in society and lead to depression.
depression has become universal phenominal and gets attention only when such a tragedy occurs.how many more lives it will take before government or society will do something about it.
Sir ,
This is there in Armed forces too.Govt is doing something about improving morale among all such uniformed forces .
uma
Shame!! Shame!!
India ….
Grow in the glory of the trodden….
thats what history has taught us!!!
#Ha ! Ha!!