Kolkata: Over 50 percent of suicide cases are reported from five major states: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Karnataka, in India's total figures that stood at 1,64,033 self-killings in 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The statistics are alarming, showing a disconcerting 7.2 percent rise in reported suicides in India in 2021, reaching a total of 1,64,033 cases. The NCRB report revealed this alarming data in August 2022, with a non-profit NGO called "SOLACE" quoting the Indian government data during a media conference here.
The significant portion of these distressing incidents were mainly reported in five states, namely Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Karnataka.
" Together, these five states contributed to 50.4 percent of all reported suicides in the nation," the report said.
According to New Delhi-based NCRB statistics, suicides can result from a range of factors, such as issues related to one's profession or career, feelings of isolation, abuse, violence, family conflicts, mental health disorders, alcohol addiction, financial setbacks, chronic pain, and more.
The NCRB gathers information only on suicides from cases reported to the police, the SOLACE, which is making efforts to combat self-killing by counselling distressed people, said.
The NGOs and experts working to combat suicide cases believe that individuals with suicidal thoughts seek relief from their pain rather than a desire to end their lives.
Renowned psychiatrist Jai Ranjan Ram unveiled the Lifeline Foundation's SOLACE, a new support group initiative for suicide survivors and their families, here to mark the annual observance of World Suicide Prevention Day here on Sunday.
The unveiling programme here at the Press Club, Kolkata, also featured a panel discussion focusing on the role of support groups in helping individuals cope with the trauma resulting from the suicide of a loved one.
Eminent panellists included Esha Dutta, joint convenor of PRONAM (a collaboration between Kolkata Police and The Bengal Initiative); Sreemoyee Piu Kundu, accomplished author and journalist; Jayanto N. Choudhury, IPS officer (retd.); and Mittra Sinha Roy, principal of Adamas International School, GD Birla Centre of Education.
Lifeline Foundation, a registered voluntary non-profit organisation headquartered in Kolkata, has been working since 1996 in the fields of suicide prevention and mental health. "Their fundamental belief is that individuals with suicidal thoughts seek relief from their pain rather than a desire to end their lives," a volunteer pointed out.
Speaking on behalf of the Lifeline Foundation, Suksham Singh, founder and director, stated that individuals struggling with suicidal tendencies can openly share their feelings with the organisation's experienced volunteers.
'The organisation firmly believes in the efficacy of an anonymous listener, ensuring callers receive the help they need, which is just a phone call away," he said. (UNI)
