Recently, Hindustan Times, a daily newspaper in India, reported that a man in this country committed suicide. The initial cause of the incident is believed to be that the victim’s daughter, who is in 10th grade, asked her father to buy her a smartphone. This device is considered essential for participating in online classes in the country amidst the complex developments of the Covid-19 pandemic in India.
This tragedy occurred in a village in Sepahijala, India, and the victim was a 50-year-old man who was found dead in his private room. The initial cause is believed to be suicide. Specifically, Hindustan Times reported that the victim’s daughter, a 10th-grade student, had asked her father to buy her a smartphone to participate in online classes in India.
The father complied with his daughter’s request by purchasing a basic smartphone suitable for attending these classes. However, sadly, this was not the smartphone his daughter had hoped for. An argument ensued, and the daughter smashed the phone. Meanwhile, the father, angry, returned to his room. That was the last time the family saw him. A day later (on July 1, 2020), he was found dead in his room: he had hanged himself.
Police officers conducted an investigation. After an autopsy, they closed the case and handed the deceased’s body to relatives. According to Tapas Das, an officer from Madhupur Police Station, they questioned both the victim’s family and neighbors about the incident. The investigation revealed a argument related to the victim’s inability to buy a smartphone for his daughter.
Due to Covid-19, many schools in India had no choice but to shift to online teaching, resulting in many students in rural India facing significant challenges. This is an incredibly heartbreaking incident and will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on the daughter. If she had thought about her family’s situation at that moment, this tragedy would never have happened.
Earlier in June, a student in Kerala, India, committed suicide because she could not participate in online classes. There were no TVs or smartphones in her house. Due to poverty, she feared she would not be able to continue her education, and as a result, she decided to take her own life.