The recent case of a woman who allegedly dismembered her mother at their residence in a Parel chawl has sent shockwaves through the metropolis. Questions are being asked as to what could have triggered such a level of brutality by a young woman with no criminal background. To get a better perspective, S Balakrishnan spoke to Dr Harish Shetty, one of the foremost psychiatrists of Mumbai, who has counselled thousands of school and college students over the past few years. Excerpts from an interview:
What do you make of the alleged recent murder of a woman by her own daughter in Parel?
There is a sense of alienation and helplessness across the country, thanks to reckless globalisation and rapid (lifestyle) pace, which have consequently led to sociological crisis. There is a major sense of disconnection in people as neighbours living in high-rises or slums are oblivious of what's happening next door. Alienation and rage as a consequence of radical disconnection are murderous cocktails. One learns of the demise of a neighbour via e-mail and obituary columns. The funerals today have hardly any attendance and that's a powerful metaphor depicting the adverse effects of rapid (social) change. Besides, latent antisocial traits are having a field day in a sea of anonymity where social safeguards are missing.
A mother's body was chopped into pieces. Is violence of this kind the result of a deeper social malaise?
Yes it is! Empathy, compassion, altruism in day-to-day life are casualties in a world where the human race is involved in a mindless sprint. The mother, father or the lover are then just ordinary disconnected faces and not viewed as soulmates of love. There is a visible blindness and hijacking in emotional terms, making people unreasonable and impulsive. These events are not exceptions as we see rage on the roads, in families, schools and educational institutes. Increased violence at the bottom and heinous acts at the top constitute the pyramid of violence.
The neighbours claimed they never suspected anything even though the body parts were rotting for two months at the house. Why is there so much insularity in society?
Shejar dharma or the sense of belonging among neighbours has evaporated and vanished. Time and sleep are scarce commodities as a CEO and a security guard now work for more than 12 hours and spend a long time commuting. Self-centred communities are a consequence of a cruel world where generating profits are more important than generating love and joy. My argument is when, for example, a bank boasts of 30 % profits every year...why don't they hire more people and earn less so that families can have an early dinner and enjoy good health.
What needs to be done to prevent such brutal crimes in future?
Reconnection is the antidote for disconnection. Mohallas and housing colonies need to initiate coming together with any excuse such as festivals, sports, health, etc often. Building community camaraderie for healthy activities is a must. Increased violence and suicide are the consequence of disconnection. High risk individuals who are prone for violence or suicide then can be identified early and assisted. The sense of isolation and loneliness can be thwarted. Programmes to promote mental health are a must and they should be run vigorously across communities. Care should be taken that reconnection programmes should never be allowed to be hijacked by evangelists of any denominator for increasing their flock. Copycat suicides are a reality and there is some speculative evidence that copycat murders can happen when they are reported with gory details. Workplaces should not focus on their masculinity alone but their femininity, too. Compassion, vision and mission have to be actionable issues and not just buried in the company's manifesto. India needs to have a program as big as the Jal Jeevan Mission to prevent increased violence and suicides.
