In the wide field of literature of all languages there have been great writers who gave such guide lines in their books either in prose or poetry that have become so popular that almost all writers quote them. Iqbal is quoted in Urdu and Persian, Saadi is quoted for his didactic parables and so is Shakespeare whose phrases are so pithy and sharp that bewitch many and once learnt are never forgotten. They leave permanent impacts and remain in a corner of the memory that surface from time to time and give some energy to a tired mind or sometimes boost one’s intellectual scope. Shakespeare is known to be a versatile writer of his time and all his 37 plays plus his lyrics spread social message for every walk of life. He was not a degree holder of any university but all his books carry wisdom that is unsurpassed. He had a thorough sense of human psychology and he interpreted it differently in different contexts. That is why he attracts many critics for his deep insight into male, female, child, business and para psychology of all kind of animals and men of different skills of his time. It was he who construed woe+man into a single word woman, dropping the e, he restructured the word as woman – woe means grief and woman is a cause of grief for man ever since she was created.
There should be some investigation into girl psychology to find the secrets of pro suicidal trend that has become widespread, a challenge for our society and woe for parents. And this effort would explore or indicate something about the suicidal cases of girls in our society that was not unusual in the past but beyond rational approach at present as it has become everyday news item. The parents, members of the family and relatives – all of them must be vigilant about this turn in adolescent trend that is a blemish for all of us.
Why the girl suicidal cases are increasing is still a riddle but psychologist might suggest the causes behind the veil. These are not forced ones. Why should a girl on a piece of advice or admonition opt to drown herself or use other method to end her life. Is this so easy? Are they so stupid? Is inhuman treatment meted out to them by their family members? These cases used to happen in the past by drowning, by hanging oneself, by eating poison etc. but they were not so high. There must be some investigation from the Social Welfare Department or the Women Division or a department of Psychology of any University to detect the causes. The child marriage factor is no more in practice but arranged marriages are still common and they need be reconsidered. This is a stigma and a society that is known for its peaceful behavior is now in the media again and again for this negative picture that is deplorable and parents must be very careful about the early child rearing methods and child psychology as well as peer pressure that is one of the factors. Raising kids is not so easy as it is now considered and a community level measure is to be considered to minimize this curse. All parents must be responsible parents and parenting is not an easy task. Matters relating to this aspect should be considered by elders and parents meetings should be arranged to discuss this issue. The factors be identified and addressed. Just saying sorry after the accident is not a solution.
Prof. Rahmat Karim Baig
Chitral
