The Punjab Agricultural University today launched an awareness drive for suicide prevention in the state. The drive has been initiated under the project on farmer suicide prevention named ‘UTSHAH’, in connection with World Suicide Prevention Day observed every year on September 10.
Launching the awareness drive, Dr. Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice Chancellor, PAU, shed light on the theme, ‘Working Together to Prevent Suicides’. While calling upon all sections of the society to come forward for the sake of the state farmers, Dr Dhillon emphasized that talking about suicide does not induce suicidal thoughts in a depressed person; rather it can dissuade the person from taking the extreme step.
Also present at the occasion were Director of Research, Dr. N.S. Bains, Director of Extension Education, Dr. Jaskarn Singh Mahal, Additional Director of Communication, Dr. Jagdish Kaur, Dean, College of Agriculture Dr. S.S. Kukal, Dean College of Home Science Dr. Jatinder Kaur Gulati, and progressive farmers.
Dr. Sarabjeet Singh, Principal Investigator, National Agricultural Science Fund (ICAR) project on suicide prevention informed that as a part of the awareness drive, volunteers will visit various colleges and organize talks, group and panel discussions, seminars, etc. in connection with the World Suicide Prevention Day.
Slogans displaying themes like, ‘Working together to prevent suicides’, ‘Suicides! report but don’t publicize’, ‘Let us save precious lives’, ‘Karoge gal milega hal’ etc. will be displayed on notice boards of colleges/public places/banks etc. in rural areas to create awareness about the suicide menace.
Source:http://web.pau.edu/
