Bhopal: The recent mass suicide in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal has highlighted the emergency to tackle with the burning issue of suicides in the state ranked at the 12th spot among states in terms of suicides. The MP government has formed a SIT to probe the case even as Home Minister Narottam Mishra has urged the Centre to ban the online loan apps being blamed for the Bhoapl mass suicide.
The couple and their two children ended their life allegedly due to the harassment caused due to the online loans. Suicides have emerged as a major challenge for the Madhya Pradesh government with the state ranked 12 among states in reporting suicides. According to the survey, the incidence of suicides in MP is 6 percent more than the national average. While the average of suicide cases in MP is 17.8 percent, it is 12 percent at the national level.
The survey has blamed various factors responsible for the suicides inclding illness and family discord. Out of all the suicide cases reported in Madhya Pradesh, the number of those who commit suicide due to illness or family discord is about 21 percent, the survey has said. MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra has formed a SIT to probe the Bhopal mass suicide case.
Mishra also urged the Centre to ban the online loan apps which are being blamed for the mass suicide. The Centre has already issued an advisory to states to take effective measures to prevent suicides. The union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has set a target to reduce the suicide death rate by 10 percent by the year 2030.
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For this, the Central Government implemented the National Suicide Prevention Strategy on 21 Nov. 2022. Like other states, the MP government has also constituted a coordination committee to prevent suicides under MP State Mental Health Authority. A total of 20 members have been nominated in the committee including Director General of Police, Madhya Pradesh, Principal Secretary Law and Legislative Affairs Department and Principal Secretary Jail Department.
Chief Executive Officer, State Mental Health Authority, Madhya Pradesh has been made the member secretary. However people have raised questions over the alleged knee-jerk reaction of the government towards the issue. In 2022, the MP government constituted a task force to tackle the issue of suicides touted to be the first in the country.
In 2016, CM Shivraj Singh announced a suicide prevention committee on the floor of the assembly in which the country's top psychiatrists, legal experts, distinguished citizens working in different aspects of the society were included. However, the committee members who toured various states have failed to submit a report till date.
Besides overall suicides, suicides among children is also a cause of concern with a recent NCRB report claiming that MP tops the states in this regard. The NCRB report has blamed mobile phone addiction for the suicides among children. The Madhya Pradesh Child Rights Protection Commission is mulling running an awareness program at schools involving parents to tackle the issue.
