I Quit!
Rising Suicides in Kashmir
News Kashmir Analysis
Suicides once thought very strange to the valley of Kashmir, since some years are now happening on regular instances.
According to prominent Knowledge source Wikipedia, suicide is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and substance abuse (including alcoholism and the use of and withdrawal from benzodiazepines) are risk factors. Some suicides are impulsive acts due to stress (such as from financial or academic difficulties), relationship problems (such as breakups or divorces), or harassment and bullying.Those who have previously attempted suicide are at a higher risk for future attempts. Effective suicide prevention efforts include limiting access to methods of suicide such as firearms, drugs, and poisons; treating mental disorders and substance abuse; careful media reporting about suicide; and improving economic conditions.
The recent suicide of a young girl due to tough conditions in life at Sopore has caused valley wide pain.
On Monday (12 December), a 9th standard girl in north Kashmir’s Sopore area ended her life by jumping into river Jhelum and the body still remains unrecovered. Her relatives and friends are eagerly waiting for her remains on Jhelum embankments, even as people continue praying for early recovery.
Social media is abuzz with anguish and agony .
Skinder Gulzar, a social media user wrote, “An orphan girl from Sopore have allegedly commit suicide after feeling helpless of family financial problems. As a society how shameful we shall fell.”
Just few days after it in same Sopore, 23-year-old youth was prevented from committing suicide in Sopore area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, officials said here on Thursday evening.
Quoting an official the news agency KNO reported that the youth during evening hours was spotted by locals attempting to jump into the river Jhelum at Chankhan bridge in Sopore.
Following this, the locals rushed towards him and foiled his suicide attempt,” he said.
The statistics with reference to suicide rare in Kashmir are worrying to say the least.
According to the Crime Gazette 2021 recently released by Jammu and Kashmir Police, the valley is witnessing an increase in attempted suicide cases with Central Kashmir district Budgam and North Kashmir’s Baramulla toping the tally with 73 cases each with crime rate 4.36 per lakh population.
The Valley witnessed 586 attempted suicide cases in 2021 while the number was at 472 in 2020. At the same time, the winter capital Jammu witnessed only 20 cases of suicide attempts.
The data in 2021 clearly shows that there has been noticeable increase in the attempt to suicide cases as compared to the year 2020.
The rising mental depression is said to be one of the main reasons behind spurt in suicides.
The need of the hour is to work on knowing our society and understanding it better.
