The Burari deaths in 2018 resurfaced due to Netlfix’s new Docu-series House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths directed by Leena Yadav and Anubhav Chopra.
The series follows the Burari incident that caught the nation’s attention in 2018. An entire family of 11 was found dead at their home in Burari, New Delhi.
The story portrays the viewpoint of various people who worked closely in the case through interviews and attempts to answer the questions that this bizarre incident raised. The main focus of the series is on Lalit Bhatia, the younger son of Narayani and Gopal Bhatia.
As the series progresses, it becomes clear that Lalit had involvement in the events. Some may actually believe in the paranormal theories but looking from a psychological perspective, the explanations are more concrete and reasonable.
However, the discussion for today is not about what was wrong with Lalit but about what was wrong with the mindset of the people around him as well as society as a whole.
What came to be the most shocking part for me was when Lalit suffered a near-death murder attack, he was given the required medical attention to treat the physical injuries, and yet his mental impact assessment was either completely ignored or downplayed.
The incident was so traumatic that it would only be common sense to assume that a person would be heavily impacted on a psychological level. The fact that this incident and its severity on Lalit’s mental health is brushed aside as if it doesn’t exist is an eye-opener for us to understand the urgency of educating ourselves about mental health and wellness and trauma-related treatment options.
For how long will we keep ignoring the multiplicity of psychology and life experiences as well as physical health. It’s time to be more educated and wise in treating and understanding health and wellbeing.
Mental illness is already a very distant phenomenon for Indian families. The basic assumption is that only a certain type of person can have such issues. However, the ground reality is shocking as more and more people are falling sick mentally because of a lack of proper attention arising out of stigma and shame.
Not only is psychology not given enough importance, but the discussion has a narrow focus on just a few mental ailments like depression and anxiety. The sheer ignorance of the various other complex mental health disorders in India has resulted in life-threatening events such as this.
Just like physical diseases, psychological disorders are diverse and require equal attention. People may not be aware of the causes of various health diseases. However, at least they know they exist and take effect. For instance, people know what a heart attack or cancer is. Unfortunately, when it comes to mental health, people are not even aware that things like schizophrenia, anorexia, obsessive-compulsive disorders, etc., exist.
The outcome of this is that people do not even recognise the existence of an illness and it is bound to take the form of superstitions or false beliefs.
The movies like Tare Zameen Par showcased how ADHD is an actual problem in children of developmental age. The lack of awareness only amplifies the difficulties of the child as they suffer from attention disorder, for instance. And on top of that, they are put under pressure to perform well by family and teachers. This is exactly what happens when mental health is not given attention.
The core of the discussion about mental health has to be holistic and must include raising awareness about serious health concerns in psychiatry like schizophrenia, addiction, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, psychosis, etc.
The only reason that they are not treated is that it is not seen as a medical issue for most people in our society. Instead, it is made the fault of the patient suffering and they are blamed for things that are not even related to the illness.
The shame attached to the words like mental health, illness and psychiatrist in our society reflects our development as a social community.
If people become aware of such mental health issues, there is hope that they will seek the right treatment. However, to really walk on the path of our overall growth, we have to learn to unlearn the toxic cultural beliefs that have built a home in our minds.
Psychiatry and psychology are well-developed sciences and have sophisticated medical treatments. The only thing we need to do is start seeking real help from professionals.