Four years after his death, Nhaveen's mother calls for anti-bullying day

 

"Four years have passed, yet the pain doesn't end. The grief of losing Nhaveen hasn't lessened. It has been surreal, something seen only in movies.

"Sweet memories of growing up yet all that lingers is the suffering he endured. The stark reality of a world capable of such brutality right here. The anger and rage and confusion of unanswered questions."

With those powerful words, Shanti Durairaj, the mother of murdered teen Nhaveen, commemorated the fourth anniversary of his tragic death on June 15, 2017.

As the court case over his murder drags on, Shanti is pleading with the government to recognise this dangerous social ill and confront it head-on by declaring June 15 as National Anti-Bullying Day in honour of Nhaveen, another victim Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain and all the others who have lost their lives.

Shanti called for them to be remembered to make the nation sit up and take note.

"Let this day be a constant reminder of the changes needed in the system. The voices are louder and stronger now. All the love and tears shouldn't be meaningless.

"Please declare June 15 as National Anti-Bullying Day, a small step in building hope and making a firm stand against cowards who choose to hide in the shadows of deceit and lies.

"To ensure that each and every individual understands and is emphatically aware of this dreaded disease called bullying," she said.

Nhaveen was harassed and attacked by a group of teenagers, including a former schoolmate, on his way home with his friend T Previin on the night of June 9, 2017.

Nhaveen was abducted, while Previin escaped and went to Nhaveen's home for help. Nhaveen was found with serious injuries the next morning. After being sent to the hospital for emergency treatment, he passed away on June 15, 2017.

Four were charged with murder, two of whom were minors at the time of the crime. The Penang High Court started the trial on May 5 this year, and the trial is scheduled to continue on June 29 and 30, and Aug 5 and 6.

Last month, Previin, Shanti, and Shanti's brother Karunagaran lodged four police reports, pointing out that more than four people were involved in the crime.

Zulfarhan, 21, a third-year electrical engineering student, also died in June 2017 after suffering bruises and burns on his body, allegedly due to torture by his university mates at the Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia.

Shanti's support group the Nhaveen Action & Investigation League (Nail) called for anti-bullying legislation to be passed, suggesting the Nhaveen-Zulfarhan Anti-Bullying Act as its name.

"Statistics show that another 14,000 cases of bullying would have been reported and thousands of victims would have been further assaulted and tortured.

"Many more millions of cries in dark rooms, some sexually violated, some physically hurt.

"Many would have refused to go to school, more live in fear whilst others just accept it as fate," said Nail.

The group cited a study by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysian General Studies Department showing that 82.9 percent of students in our schools would have faced a bully at some point.

"Why has our school system failed to shield our kids from bullies?

"Perhaps if we had enough awareness and policies at schools, Nhaveen’s or Zulfarhan’s life might have been spared, or if we only had a holistic Anti-Bullying Act in place, the bullies would have been deterred from such a crime," said Nail, adding that it has sent a letter on June 10 to de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan on the matter.

Shanti urged the government to make the effort that every June 15 is remembered not as a day that evil reigned supreme.

"We will not go silently into the dark. Our voices and actions will resonate loud and clear, and justice will be served no matter who.

"The change will happen. Love conquers all," she added. - Mkini