Alongside fraud, corruption, drug trafficking and road accidents, Mauritius can add two more phenomena to its black list - suicide and homicide. Not a day goes without those words appearing in our newspapers. Those who commit suicide or homicide do so on instant provocation or intentioned miscarriage of one’s freedom to take away one’s life or another’s.

Whatever the course, this is now a curse in our society and culture. Over the past few months, there have been so many instances of suicide by people of ages varying from fifteen to eighty-five years old. The reason is one which the offender thinks worthy of taking a life. Fortunately, the majority know that living one’s life is far more worthy than destroying it.

Sometimes excuses, such as depression, lack of love and care, poverty, or social ills, are put forward. But we fail to go into the core issues of upbringing, lack of self-control, overselfishness or possessiveness, patience, strength of character to face life or learn by mistakes.

Cases of reported suicide lead up to how and why a tender teenager takes the course of action that nips his/her life before it has fully blossomed. Often it is a love affair started too young, before one knows the real meaning of life. Emotions run high. Abuse and parental illtreatment prompts them to look at their parents as enemies. Here it is the saner counsel of the adults – be it parents, relatives or teachers that would definitely help. Lack of affection or step-parents’ unfair treatment may be another.

Again adults or parents should understand the young and shield them from depression or dejection. Love and comfort are essential balms for a growing child, who deserves care, protection and mutual trust. Such a child would not desire to hurt the ones he/she loves. A girl friend or boy friend is a new addition to the circle one cares about – but not the sole person. When he/she is the sole person, there is no other strength, or caring person the victim can look up to. And Danger looms high in such a situation.

At times a person’s frustration goes undetected; his/her smile may cover up evil thoughts in his/her mind. In order to fight such evil thoughts, the individual must take the challenge and get out from that desperate situation. Suicide is not the right solution to frustrations. History shows that frustrated people have found reasons for ‘life’ in music, art, writing etc…

Parents should be understanding

It is the duty of parents and adults to chaperone the young - particularly the female child, who could seek opportunities to leave home and family for harmful adventures, ending sometimes in disaster. Helping and guiding them to self-awareness, rewarding and praising them when such is due. Friendly communication would create an essential ingredient in seeking understanding and maintaining relationship between parents and their children.

There were days when a person who committed suicide was not given a decent burial, amounting to social disapproval of that manner of ending one’s life. But today it is only another form of death for those who refuse to face life. No religion tolerates such cowardice. Although attempting suicide used to be a criminal offence in the past, but not now, still aiding and abetting others or a third party to commit suicide is a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment.

In the case of homicide, a graver crime, it is universally accepted that one cannot take another’s life for whatever reason. Homicide is manslaughter as well as murder depending on the circumstances of the killing. But we continue to hear of and see instances of homicide. In the case of suicide, it only affects the person committing suicide (self-inflicted injury) and no harm is done to others. Many do-gooder organizations are doing their best to combat this emotional problem but whether or not they will succeed in their attempts is another matter.

The crime is more serious in homicide when the offender uses all his influence – money, power and connections, in addition to lying, denying, planting or eradicating of witnesses or wiping out circumstantial evidence to get away from the penalty. The court itself is sometimes bewildered, in the case of an influential or powerful person and the attitudes of some defence lawyers are causing great concern to society.

Homicides stem from many foundations – marriage and partners, business competition and rivalry, power and fame, politics and leadership, religious intoxication, jealousy, challenges, ambition, poverty and land disputes, revenge, robbery, rape and alcohol. Legal arguments under cover of insanity pose serious obstacles to meting out justice and the victim is reduced to being a victim of circumstances. If proved without doubt that an accused person has committed a cold-blooded homicide, he can be punished by life imprisonment. In cases of other types of homicide due to a fight or provocation, long-term imprisonment is the usual verdict of the court.

The terrorist threat

Besides cases of homicide prompted by individual reasons, there is loss of life caused through threats followed by terrorist acts. This is now a world phenomenon. Such acts of terrorism end up in individual or mass murder. Traces of evidence may be little or lie underground. All forms of criminal mania today envelope society. Minds set to roll on new devices and strategies – all aimed at destroying human life. The value of a human life is reduced to naught either through one’s own attitudes or those of others.

With multiple media innovations at our command, aren’t we compelled to go back to the good old days when values played an important role in our lives? We sought to safeguard values rather than be bullied into aping anything and everything deculturising young minds into insensitive social animals. On the other hand, the media can play a powerful role in educating the public about suicide prevention. Stories about suicide can inform readers and viewers about the likely causes of suicide, its warning signs, trends in suicide rates and recent treatment advances. They can also highlight opportunities to prevent suicide. Media stories about homicide are newsworthy and need to be covered as it affects society as a whole and therefore it is a social problem.