Violence among youth has become the most horrifying social evil that seems to have gripped the world by the throat! In a recent incident, two young boys gunned down their school principals in Haryana, India and Charsadda, Pakistan a story which has sent shock waves in both the countries.
There have been many stories and instances of young boys and girls, across the world, resorting to violence and aggression, over minuscule matters. Why is violence among youth on such a rise? Most importantly, how are we addressing this issue?
Here are 2 ghastly instances that took place recently, and have put another nail in the coffin of violence among youth.
Violence Among Youth in India
An 18-year-old Class XII student in Haryana allegedly shot dead the principal of his school using his father’s licensed revolver. The incident took place in Haryana’s Yamunanagar where the teenager was nabbed and handed over to the police on the spot.
A spokesperson for the police department said that the incident took place on Saturday, between 11:30 AM and 12 noon, during the parent-teacher meeting, at the Swami Vivekananda School. The principal Ms Ritu Chhabra, 47, was shot four times by the young Commerce student. She was rushed to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
Yamunanagar City SHO, Om Prakash, revealed that the student, during the interrogation, said that the principal, also his economics teacher, used to torture him and scold him. The spokesperson said the student stole a .32 bore revolver registered under his father’s name. He added that upon being unable to submit his papers, the boy went to the principal’s office and fired shots at her. He then reportedly tried to escape but was nabbed by the people present in the area. While a case has been registered against the boy for murdering the principal, his father too has been booked under Arms Act.
Violence Among Youth in Pakistan
Meanwhile, a student in Pakistan’s Charsadda area also killed his principal after being rebuked for skipping classes. The student had apparently missed school to be a part of a religio-political sit-in, in November 2017, in Faizabad, Islamabad. In a video captured during his arrest, the student can be seen saying that the principal had committed blasphemy and thus deserved what he got. The Class XII student added that he has been taught to not be afraid of disrespecting the person who commits blasphemy. His further told the officers that they can kill him.
Pakistan is known to have the most regressive laws when it comes to committing blasphemy. Anyone insulting Islam or the Prophet can be sentenced to death.
Read: Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan: Worlds Most Regressive & Draconian Law to Brutalize People
Addressing The Issue: Violence Among Youth
It’s high time that we stop seeing these as mere instances of aggression and address the larger issue: the growing violence among youth. The youth, also called the ‘future of the world’ are soon going to take over the reins of running their nations, their people and the world at large. Are we ready to hand on the responsibility to a generation that is exhibiting and supporting violence? Violence among youth needs to be addressed and uprooted.
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