When inability to pay back loans, crop failure and addiction to liqour drove some farmers in Sri Lanka to suicide some NGOs and missionaries found fault with our culture and blamed the political and religious leadership of the country.

Now we hear of misery, broken families and despair causing two suicides a week among British farmers. Those who ridiculed our culture for its failure to deal with farmer suicides will have to commit suicide now. Frustration among farmers leading to suicide appears to have broken political, cultural and religious barriers. If the British farmer finds life miserable, the life of the Sri Lankan farmer could easily be horrible.

Suicide is everywhere and among all. The difference is that the method of suicide could vary from community to community and the reasons for suicide could change from person to person. For instance, jumping into a cage to be a meal to animals could be suicide. If one smokes or drinks knowing that it could lead to death may be suicide. If one engages in religious (Holy) war and dies, that too is suicide. But, sacrifice of life with an altruistic motive is greater, because it is done with hatred to none and compassion to all.

If one drives at excessive speed and dies, it is suicide. When the Pakistani soldiers invaded the girls hostels in Dhaka some girls jumped out of the window to death, out of fear. That was suicide. If somebody wants to commit suicide nobody can stop it. Even religion cannot totally eliminate it, as there are instances of religious endorsement of suicide such as offering oneself as food to a hungry being, to commit oneself to fight a Holy war, fasting unto death, offer of sathi pooja etc.

However, if people whatever religion they believe in, make an effort to lead a moderate life, avoiding all extreme they will not be troubled by suidical thoughts. If everyone of us treads the middle path, there will be neither homicide nor suicide.
E. M. G. Edirisinghe,
Dehiwala.