Teen Suicides

S. Srinivasan (18) was found hanging inside his house on Saturday. On Sunday, his parents found a seven-page letter in his school bag reportedly written by the student. The letter, according to his parents, accused four school teachers of harassing him ever since he and his friends complained to the headmaster about the poor quality of teaching.

Source: www.thehindu.com, June 21, 2011

A 15-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison on Tuesday night. Police said Sathya, a student of Government High School in Jayapuram and resident of Getapayanur village in Natrampalli police station limit, failed in Class IX examination.

Source: www.thehindu.com, June 23, 2011

A 16-year-old girl today allegedly committed suicide after being snubbed by her father in Sirsaganj area, near here, police said today. Sarita''s father snubbed her over a petty issue following which she consumed some poisonous substance, they said, adding that the body has been sent for postmortem.

Source: www.siasat.com, July 3, 2011

More adolescents die of suicide than physical disease. This is because of depression, which is increasingly be-devilling both children and adolescents.

Technology has changed the way humans interact, and the information age has come in with its own positive and negative consequences. Unlimited access to television and the internet makes children more socially reclusive. They are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and social phobias. They are also more likely to perform badly at school and have worse relationships with their parents.

Academic performance in the Indian education systems is competitive. The focus is on getting a job, rather than enriching life. Hence, parents push children to perform, not taking into account their abilities and inclinations. This pressure often takes its toll. In fact, newspapers are filled with suicide news during the examination seasons.

Adolescents, with their raging hormones, are in constant state of mental turmoil and confusion about issues. They need an outlet for their emotions. Familial support, which was available in the joint family system in the past, considerably alleviated environmental stress. Teens would always have some sympathetic adult to talk to and to sort out their situation. Today, parents are incredibly busy and quite often do not have the time to empathise. When a friendship or a relationship fails, teens easily lose confidence in life. An unrealistic sense of hopelessness brings in the suicidal urge. With no one to talk to, they are unable to analyze things in the right perspective, and jump to the conclusion that their problems are insoluble.

Being a teenager has never been easy. But in the new millennium, amidst unprecedented prosperity, growing up seems to have become more trying than ever for Indian teens.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Change

“Change is inevitable. Change is constant.” Benjamin Disraeli.

Continual innovations in technology have ensured that the environment around us changes very fast- ways of doing business, means of communication, lifestyle trends, people’s expectations- and hence, opportunities and threats are continuously changing. Considering this, remaining on top of the knowledge curve in ones chosen vocation is of paramount importance.

Here is a story.

A boy, particularly good at chopping trees, went looking for work, axe on his shoulder. Chancing upon a logging site, he asked the supervisor if there was any work available.

“Well”, said the supervisor, “Chop down that tree, and we shall see.”

The boy completed his task with dexterity and was immediately hired. It was Monday.

At the end of the week, the supervisor called him and told him his services were no longer needed.

The boy was shocked! “I am your most productive worker. You can’t sack me.”

“Well, you were the most productive worker on Monday, but by Thursday you had sunk to the least productive. And you’re doing even less well today.”

“But, I spend all my time chopping down your trees. I start early and finish last. I work through lunch.”

“I agree”, replied the supervisor, “but how much time do you spend sharpening your axe?”

Just the awareness of change and the intent to adapt are not enough for consistent success. In order to adopt new strategies and be more creative, you must keep your mind tools sharpened at all times.

How do you keep your mind tools sharpened? Just three simple tasks!

• Listen: Keep your ears to the ground. Understand feedback objectively .
• Read: Keep abreast of new theories, new laws, new research and new ideas, both specific (to your vocation) and general. The more you read, the more things you will know. There is a saying that goes, "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader."
• Write: Capture in writing the insights you have gained through your experience, feedback and your reading. Writing clarifies your thoughts and ideas. It also helps you analyse your learning needs.

At all times, do not lose sight of your goals. Learning can be said to have occured only when you put to use the new insights gained in following your goals. Hence, you must take the time to reflect and fit new knowledge with your strategies so as to enhance achievement.

Remember, mental faculties must always be “Work In Progress”. Being proactive is the only way to stay on top of change, or, in this fast-changing environment, we will quickly be extinct.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Ambanis' Fortunes Plummet

The share prices have been tumbling in recent past for both the Reliance groups, led by the billionaire brothers Mukesh and Anil Ambani, and the analysts put the blame on a string of controversies surrounding them for many months now. On the other hand, a host of Tata group firms have grown stronger, in terms of stock market valuation, while shrugging off overall bearish sentiments in the broader market and even some controversies related to them.

As per the latest market value of individual groups,the Tata group ranks on the top with Rs 4,40,000 crore, and bigger than the combined figure of the two Ambani groups together at about Rs 3,67,000 crore. It is followed by Mukesh-led Reliance group at second position with about Rs 2,85,000 crore. The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (R-ADAG), which ranked third after the Mukesh-led RIL group and Tatas a year ago, does not figure even among the top 10 groups now.

Source: www.business-standard.com, June 19, 2011

The reason for the downswing in the fortunes of the Ambani brothers is largely because of continual spats between the two, leading to reduced investor confidence in their companies.

After Dhirubhai Ambani’s demise, the long drawn ugly fight for control saw the credibility of the Ambani’s slip in the market. End result, the Reliance group, which always had the interests of ordinary shareholders as its primary focus, took a beating. Not just that, in the years that followed, the two brothers bitterly competed with each other and tried to sully each others images.

Having significant presence in the stock markets, any whisper about the activity between the Ambani brothers or change in their relationship moves markets.

We can only hope that at some point both Mukesh and Anil realise the harm they are causing to the Indian economy. If they could work towards a cordial relationship and have at least a loose working association, they could forge a formidable partnership.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.