A precious life has been lost and the career of another is at stake.
After Ankurita Tripathi, a second-year bachelor in dental surgery student of Panjab University, committed suicide and left behind a note, in which she held her professor of Bio-Chemistry, Savita Parashar, a debate is on over the veracity of the incident and implication of a teacher in a case purely academic in nature.
The suicide has raised many questions, as usual, but most of them remains unanswered in the due course of time, as the matter settles down, says a city based psychologist on conditions of anonymity. At the time of suicide a person is disturbed and depressed beyond reason, and hence person held responsible for abetment should not judged guilty at once, especially in academia, as there could be myriad reasons behind it.
AC Tripathi, father of the deceased said, “Ankurita was a brilliant student and a creative child. She was always cheerful and full of enthusiasm. Never in my dreams could I have visualized that a jolly person as her would take such a drastic step.”
The 22-year old hanged herself from a rod in the window at her residence. The same day, around morning 6:30 am she had a chat with her parents over phone, as they were away attending a funeral in lucknow. According to sources the girl committed suicide around 12 o’ clock after returning from her college where she fared badly in her examination.
She failed in Bio-Chemistry which is the subject taught by Savita Prashar. Following her death, PU students protested and lodged their protest against the dictatorial attitude of the teachers. Many students were of the view that teachers try to tighten the noose around the students as they have internal marks at their discretion.
However, official spokesperson of PU said that while issuing such statement, many people are treading a thin line. It is true that internal assessments are marked by the teachers but to avoid any kind of partiality, there is a coding system in place to guarantee anonymity. Hence student should refrain from protesting on such grounds.
However, the parents who have lost their child and classmates who have lost a worthy friend had been blaming Savita Prashar outright, the reason being that many a times the deceased had told her parents that “she is a very shrewd and a scheming lady.”
Friends have been vouching for Ankurita, her good nature and the hard working self she was. They all sided with the parents of the deceased and raised their doubt on the assistant professor and many of them are of the view that as there is smoke, there must be fire somewhere and hence there must be a reason as to why only her name was mentioned.
“It is up to the law to decide whether a person is guilty or not,” said a psychiatrist. “No one is above law and it will take it own course. But sometimes there are certain conditions created where a hated relationship sprouts. There might not be direct co-relation but given to human nature, one or two bad encounters can embitter a relationship which can stay that way for ever, and at the time of agony this bad relationships return back to haunt an individual.”
On the other hand, Savita Prashar who is in the line of fire said, “I don’t know why I am being made the scapegoat. It is a blot on my 23 years of teaching career and never ever I have witnessed such an incident.” However she agrees that for everything there is a first time. Performance of the student which has been at the core of this suicide from the very beginning is also lurking in ambivalence. Anyone who would visit the resident of the deceased would be taken aback by the things that might welcome a person in a humble abode of a medical officer.
It goes without saying that creativity wreaks out from the walls and doors of this house in sector-32. At a first look through the drawing room one would encounter a painting of a bird, with eggs in its nest on the door, whereas the television set is adorned with a paper cutting resting above it depicting the success of another sibling of the deceased, which also speak loud about the parents and their supporting nature.
Meanwhile, the report card of the BDS student as provided by the Panjab University narrates a different story. At a first glance at this report card one would know that performance of the BDS student was not up to the mark. But she was promoted to second year, says Ashish Jain, Principal of Dr Harvansh Singh Judge Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital.
Jain, when confronted with the claim that parents are directly blaming the concerned teacher of bio-chemistry, whose name is there on the suicide note, said that a committee has been constituted to look into the matter and refrained from commenting further. However, a member of the teaching staff of the dental college said that the student was faring badly from the first year itself. But she was promoted to second year. This was a grace promotion, which was given on the condition that she would clear her compartmental, as laid in the rule books.
“Sometimes it is very difficult to judge a person by their external attitude. Only proper counseling can reveal the truth,” said the psychiatrist. “Talents differ from person to person. It might be true, as the parents and friends claim, that the girl was creative but it should be noted that she may be facing some problems in her academics.”
“It is pointless to argue on her merits and demerits now but as a professional and a psychotherapist, I think both the institute and the parents should have sat together and discussed the matter beforehand, which could have averted the mishap,” added the psychiatrist. Savita is on leave, parents are mourning and police is investigating the matter. But a life has been lost and a career is under scanner, which has shaken many. Academic suicide in India is a big issue, and a lot of hue and cry has been raised. Few resolved and most forgotten, has with time only has a negative impact on performance of various institutions.