Belagavi event calls for empathy in suicide prevention efforts

BELAGAVI — The conversation around suicide prevention took center stage here last week as health officials and community leaders gathered to address what they called one of society's most pressing—and misunderstood—public health challenges.

Beyond personal tragedy

Geetha Kamble, district Mental Health Programme director, framed the issue with striking clarity: suicide isn't merely a personal crisis but a societal one that ripples through families and communities. Her words landed heavily in the K.L.S. Gogte College auditorium, where students, teachers, and civil society members had gathered for the September 10 awareness program.

Changing the narrative

This year's theme—"Changing the Narrative on Suicide"—resonated through multiple speeches. Jagadish Jinge, District Vector-Borne Disease Control Officer, urged vigilance and encouragement for those facing mental stress. The goal isn't just prevention, he suggested, but helping people embrace life's challenges fully.

"The society should dispel misconceptions and the stigma surrounding mental health issues and instead foster an environment of empathy and support," said K.N. Shivakumar, Senior Civil Judge and Member Secretary of the Belagavi District Legal Services Authority.

A collective responsibility

R.S. Mutalik, Chairman of K.L.S. Gogte College of Commerce governing council, offered a perspective grounded in lived experience. "Everyone faces ups and downs and failures and success," he noted. "We should learn to take them in our stride."

The event's diverse organizing partners—spanning education, health, legal services, and community foundations—highlighted how many hands must join to address this complex issue. Their presence signaled that preventing suicide requires more than clinical interventions; it demands a cultural shift toward openness and mutual support.