During a fine chilling winter , one news was floated in various newspaper , news channels and sites with surprising data from National Crime Records Bureau ( NCRB ) in 2023 which revealed that Sikkim state tops in suicidal rate with average rate of 43.1 percent , followed by 42.8 per cent in Andaman and Nicobar Islands with national average being just 12.4 percentage but this news was ignored by everyone of us like we always do. Various research are being done by researchers and various agencies record the data for the same but all those data and research’s findings never reach to the local public and are just limited to research paper or government’s annual report, even if it reached ,it is always ignored. This article attempts to highlight some of the factual data from various news articles and research paper about the status of suicide in Sikkim.
Recent trend
We all have ignored news reports but will we ignore this news as well? An elderly man’s body was found near Bhaichung Stadium in Namchi recently. A 3rd year girl student from Burtuk reportedly committed suicide in rented room in 2018; prisoner commits suicide inside district prison Namchi in 2022; 16 year young girl of class eleven committed suicide under Pakyong district in 2022; a truck driver committed suicide by hanging in his own vehicle in same year; SBI staff commits suicide in Pelling in the same year; 60 year old man undergoing kidney treatment committed suicide at STNM hospital. These are few of the news from news channels, there are many. We often neglect suicide and take it in a lighter note but what if our closed one became the victim of the same? Not all suicide reports are reported, or even if it is done, it is fabricated, that means suicide cases are more than what we hear in news or report.
What NCRB ADSI report reflect?
There can be many reasons for a person to take the hardest decision, that is to give up on life. NCRB in its Accidental Death and Suicides in India (ADSI) report had classified reasons into various group like family issue, illness (including mental health issue), marriage and relationship related ( including dowry) , alcohol and substance use , and lastly debt , poverty and unemployment. Family-related problems and distress caused due to physical and mental health conditions accounted for a little over 50% of all causes of suicide. India witnessed 54,127 suicide in year 2022 due to family issue, 31,484 death due to illness (including mental health), 15,793 due to relationship and marriage issue ( including dowry).
It is self explanatory from the data that major reason of suicide is due to family issue which is very concerning and surprising and second being mental health which we always tend to ignore. Now let’s look at the scenario of suicidal capital ( as per NCRB ADSI report) , Sikkim witnessed 239 case of suicides in 2022, only data till 2022 is available so I am referring to the same for this article , present number can be much more. Precisely in 2022, 11 suicidal case was due to marriage issue 3 due to extra marital affair, 4 due to failure in exam, 7 due to family problems, 60 cases due to mental illness, 4 (death of dear person) , 68 ( drug abuse/alcoholic addiction), 11 ( love affairs ), 3 (professional/career problem) and surprisingly 38 of the suicides was done by housewives and 70 cases of suicides is committed by the students who are of primary level. It is miserable to know all these, but again no one cares.
Mental Illness, family issue and drug abuse
As discussed above, majority of the suicide case in Sikkim is due to mental illness, family problems and drug abuse/alcoholic addiction. Sikkim is top in suicide rate all because of increasing stress amongst youngsters and their capacity to tolerate the stress level. Substance abuse in Sikkim has significantly increased in recent days that resulted in high suicide cases and crime rates. Researchers believe that some people who end their own lives do not actually want to die, but there is no other option to relieve them from pain. Some experience the sense of hopelessness and feels that things cannot get better. Those who do take their own life may feel overwhelmed, seeking release from their distress where suicide becomes only option for them. Sikkim is famous for being a peaceful state but why always top in suicidal rate? It’s high time to critically analysis this. Next time when your friends, family or someone stranger try to share their problems with you, spare a little time, listen to them, try to console them, before it’s too late. Hope Sikkim doesn’t top again in suicide rate this year.
(Views are personal. Email: yooglesaps@gmail.com)
