Creative Student with Bollywood Aspirations Ends Life at Delhi Metro
A vibrant 16-year-old student from St. Columba's School in Delhi, who dreamed of making it big in Bollywood and could write complete movie scripts within hours, died by suicide at Rajendra Place Metro Station on November 18, sending shockwaves through the school community and sparking protests.
The Class 10 student, remembered by friends as exceptionally creative and humorous, had planned to pursue acting in Mumbai after completing his education. His tragic death has raised serious questions about academic pressure and how schools treat students performing poorly in examinations.
"His Imagination Was Almost Unreal": Friend Remembers Creative Genius
Speaking to The Indian Express on Thursday, a close friend and classmate described the deceased boy as someone with extraordinary creative abilities. "He was very funny, too. The whole class was friends with him. He loved to dance and write movie scripts for enjoyment," the friend revealed.
The young boy's talent for storytelling was particularly remarkable. "His imagination was so good it was almost unreal. He could write whole movies in a span of a few hours," the friend added, emphasizing that acting was his greatest passion.
Both friends had made concrete plans for their future in the film industry. "We had planned to go to Mumbai together and try to make it in Bollywood after college," the friend shared, highlighting the devastating loss of potential.
Friend's Heartbreaking Regret and Revelation About Teacher Treatment
The friend acknowledged being aware that the boy faced targeting from teachers due to his academic performance but never realized the depth of its impact. "I knew that the boy was being targeted by their teachers due to his low marks, but I was not aware that it had affected him so deeply," he confessed.
Expressing profound regret, the friend revealed he wasn't present at school on the fateful day. "I did not go to school on Tuesday, the day he died. I think if I was there, I may have succeeded in talking him out of it. I so regret having been absent that day," he stated emotionally.
Divided Opinions Emerge During School Protests
As protests continued outside St. Columba's School on Thursday, former students expressed conflicting views about the teachers' conduct. Umar, from the class of 2024, expressed shock at the incident but questioned blaming the teachers.
"The teachers here were strict but they would at most threaten us with calling our parents. Or they would ask us to get a note signed by them. We were more scared of our parents than of the teachers," Umar said, suggesting that disciplinary actions were typically behavior-related rather than academic.
However, another former student, 19-year-old Christian Robert, who left the school in Class 11 and completed his education through open schooling, presented a contrasting perspective. "These boys don't have any complaints [against the teachers] because they were good performers. Those of us who fared poorly in examinations know how we were treated," Robert asserted.
Robert alleged significant differential treatment between high-performing and struggling students. "They would make us sit away from other students and would constantly compare us unfavourably with them," he claimed, revealing one particularly harsh instance where "a teacher once told me that she pitied my parents for having a son like me."
The tragedy has ignited crucial conversations about mental health support in educational institutions and the need for more compassionate approaches to students facing academic challenges, particularly in India's highly competitive education system.
