The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : ‘Roshni' shows way to life

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Friday, Sep 10, 2010
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

‘Roshni' shows way to life

Staff Reporter

The desire for suicide is not a wish to die, but a desperate cry for help
“Villagers rarely call the NGO as they can't afford long conversation”

HYDERABAD: On the World Suicide Prevention Day on Friday, distress pervading the rural pockets and the corporate colleges is the most worrisome aspect for ‘Roshni', the voluntary organisation that offers support to the depressed and those with suicidal tendency.

The organisation's helpline (040-66202000 or 27848584) is rarely dialled by people from the rural areas as there is not enough publicity about it. Even for those who dial, it is rather too expensive.

“Rural people can't afford long hours of conversation required to wean them away from suicidal thoughts. Some of them hang up saying that they have exhausted their balance. Having a toll-free number will help and we are trying for it,” says Ranjana Haladker, Director of Roshni.

She also narrates a case when a pesticide dealer called and asked if he could get trained as Roshni volunteer. Many approach him for pesticides, and through their body language, he can often make out the intended use of the killer chemical.

But he can't really help them, because as a merchant, his contact with the buyer ends with selling the merchandise. He called Roshni for the required guidance.

Lending a ear

Set up as a member of international organisation ‘Befrienders Worldwide', Roshni's role in preventing suicides is limited to lending a compassionate ear with a promise to keep the caller's identity confidential.

It functions on the premise that if a person with suicidal tendency is supported for 36 to 48 hours, the urge will go away. The expressed desire for suicide is not a wish to die, it is a desperate cry for help, believe the volunteers of Roshni.

The helpline gets over 6,500 calls in a year, most of them from youngsters below the age of 30. Over 30 per cent of them are high-risk callers who have the thought and also the means.

Pressure of exams

Calls before examination season are mostly from the corporate college students, who are under tremendous pressure both from parents and the college.

“Parents from rural areas mortgage property for their children's education, which becomes a burden on the student's mind. Our efforts towards organising outreach programmes are always thwarted by the college managements,” says Ms. Haladker.

Senior citizens with children staying abroad too call some times to express their need for emotional support.

“Our method, described as ‘pressure-cooker effect' is only to let them talk about the problem, so that the burden is off the mind enabling a clearer thought process,” says Ms. Haladker.

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