Meme video of Class 9 Kerala boy’s suicide sparks outrage, mother asks ‘how can children become so cruel’
The video features a graphical character jumping off a cliff, accompanied by the caption,"Mihir on his way to jump off the 26th floor after getting called a poopyhead."
Representative Image
CHENNAI: An insensitive meme video mocking the death by suicide of 15-year-old Mihir Ahammed from Kerala’s Ernakulam has sparked outrage on social media, with the boy’s mother, Rajna PM, questioning the lack of compassion and humanity among the present generation of children and teens.
The video features a graphical character jumping off a cliff, accompanied by the caption,"Mihir on his way to jump off the 26th floor after getting called a poopyhead." The Class 9 student of Global Public School in Thiruvaniyoor, Ernakulam, died by suicide on January 15 by jumping from the 26th floor of his apartment building in Thripunithara, Kochi. His parents, through conversations with his friends and social media messages, discovered that he was allegedly taken to the washroom in his school, made to lick a toilet seat, and had his head pushed down while the toilet was flushed.
Reacting to the 'poopyhead' reference in the video, Rajna in a letter on Instagram wrote, "A name given to someone whose head was flushed in the toilet after being brutally ragged."
She condemned the cruelty behind the bullying and the meme video, saying “The minds of those who are spreading such things related to my son's death, with such captions, must be extremely cruel. They must be devoid of humanity,” Rajna expressed.
Sharing the video, which is set to a popular meme template and music, Mihir’s mother wondered how children could become so cruel. “Is this a generation completely alien to love, compassion, mercy and humanity? Amidst which, my son’s decision to end his life now feels like a natural conclusion,” she wrote.
In another letter shared earlier this week, Rajna had detailed various instances of ragging and harassment her son allegedly faced at the hands of his schoolmates. She had claimed that Mihir was being bullied for his skin colour and shared a screenshot of an accused student's Instagram story, which showed him talking about the teen's death using insensitive language
The mother of the deceased child had also alleged that the school was attempting to cover up the incident to protect its reputation, adding that an Instagram page titled 'Justice for Mihir' made by his friends was deleted. Subsequently, she lodged a complaint with the chief minister and the state police chief.
Meanwhile, Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Friday directed the Director of General Education (DGE) to carry out a comprehensive inquiry into Mihir’s death.
In a strong statement against bullying, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said those responsible -- both bullies and those who failed to act -- must be held accountable. Terming Mihir’s death as ‘heartbreaking’ Gandhi in a post on X said, "Bullying isn't harmless; it destroys lives. Parents must teach kindness, love, empathy, and the courage to speak up. Believe your child if they say they're being bullied, and intervene if they are the bully,” he wrote.
(Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. In case you feel distressed by the content or know someone in distress, call --- Sneha, Chennai: 91-44-2464 0050, 91-44-2464 0060; Maithri, Cochin: +91 239 6272; Sumaitri, New Delhi: 2338 9090; Aasra, Mumbai: 9820466726; Fortis MentalHealth: 8376804102; Tele MANAS: 14416, or download Tele MANAS mobile app)
