Guwahati tops the statistics for suicide cases in Assam as numbers of suicide sees a sharp rise in the State

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jul 17, 2022 | Kabir Chakraborty

According to Dr. Dutta, there are three main causes for the rise in suicides. One has to do with psychological problems like anxiety and sadness. Substance misuse and conditions like schizophrenia may also be to blame.

Digital
Desk: A 32-year-old restaurant owner and well-known animal campaigner committed
suicide at his house in the upper Assamese town of Dibrugarh on the evening of
July 7. The businessman identified three people as being accountable for it in
a video that was shot before the deed.

The
businessman's family had rented a residence to the three, who were allegedly
threatening them for requesting the trio to leave. The passing garnered media
attention, and even the chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, paid the family a
visit to express his condolences.

On
May 23, a week before that event, a well-known businessman-turned-actor in his
early 70s committed suicide at his resort in Sonapur, a town outside of
Guwahati. The businessman accused the vice-chancellor of a private university
with a campus near to the resort of mental harassment by filing fictitious
trespass cases in a suicide note that was discovered by the police.

Even though
these two cases received a lot of media attention and resulted in numerous
people being arrested on suspicion of aiding in suicide, they only represent a
small portion of the suicide cases in Assam, which according to government data
have increased significantly over the previous few years.

According to
police records, Assam saw 2,310 suicide cases in 2018. According to data from
the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the state had 2,370 suicide cases in
2019, and 3,243 cases in 2020- an increase of 36.8%. Assam police reported
3,302 suicide fatalities last year, of which 2,391 were men and 911 were women.
The NCRB has not yet released figures for 2021.

The
majority of suicide deaths occurred in Guwahati, the largest city in the state.
The numbers have risen significantly from 222 such deaths in 2013 to 414
suicides in the city last year. In just the first six months of this year, more
than 400 such deaths have already been reported.

"Suicides
have increased significantly, which is worrying. Partha Sarathi Mahanta, the
joint police commissioner of Guwahati, stated last week, "We have been
trying to identify means of bringing down such deaths as certain settings and
mental conditions compel such people to die by suicide.

The police in
Guwahati have established two helplines, 6026900574 and 6026900552, where
anyone can call and receive assistance and guidance from professionals in order
to provide counselling to those who are dealing with mental disorders.

According
to experts, a number of causes have contributed to an increase in suicides in
Assam and most other parts of the country over the past few years, but the
numbers can be reduced with appropriate education and counselling.

They believe
that since the decriminalisation of suicide attempts in 2018 there has been an
upsurge in the reporting of suicide cases, which many people had previously
tried to conceal.

"These
days, people are more conscious of the fact that suicide attempts and actual
suicides are not crimes but rather a sign of a person's mental health problems.
As a result, we observe an upsurge in the reporting of such cases, according to
Guwahati-based psychiatrist Dr. Sangeeta Dutta.

According to
Dr. Dutta, there are three main causes for the rise in suicides. One has to do
with psychological problems like anxiety and sadness. Substance misuse and
conditions like schizophrenia may also be to blame.

.

The
second may result from personality-related illnesses, improper grooming as a
youngster, the disintegration of the united family unit, and parents who do not
spend enough quality time with their kids.

"Students
are increasingly egocentric and interested with electronics. What they see
online or while playing video games has an impact on their susceptible minds.
They lack the abilities to solve problems, communicate, resolve conflicts, and
be forceful. This can result in impulsive suicides in a society that is
competitive and focused on results, according to Dr. Dutta.

Social
factors, such as a lack of social support, are the third factor in suicides.
According to Dr. Dutta, the Covid-19 shutdown may have contributed to a spike
in suicides by disrupting typical patterns, increasing spousal violence, and
causing financial and professional challenges for many families.

The Assamese
community used to be more spiritually oriented, with people congregating and
interacting in locations like 'naam ghars' (prayer houses) in the evenings.
That has changed recently, particularly in urban areas, and the absence of such
opportunities may contribute to suicides, she said.

If you need
support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental
health specialist.

Helplines:
Aasra: 022 2754 6669;

Sneha
India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918,

Roshni
Foundation (Secunderabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000,

ONE
LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290