A pall of silence hangs over the Refugee Colony in the Madhubani police station area of Purnia district, Bihar. The colony is steeped in grief, with the cries of a family breaking the stillness. The family has lost their only son, Shivam Dey. Shivam was studying B.Tech at Sharda University, Greater Noida. On August 15th, the day India celebrated Independence Day, Shivam ended his life by hanging himself in his hostel room. The incident has deeply shaken his family.
Shivam’s early education was in Purnia. From childhood, he excelled in his studies. According to his family, Shivam consistently scored good marks in every examination. He secured first division in his matriculation exams. His father, Kartik Dey, who works as a modest salesman in a private tire company, worked hard for his son’s education. Despite the family’s ordinary financial situation, he dreamt of making his son an engineer. He funded his son’s education with an educational loan obtained through a student credit card.
The family says Shivam was their only son, and all their hopes were pinned on him. His mother recalls that Shivam had a calm nature since childhood and never expressed any troubles.