*NEW DELHI: According to a reportlink,there has been a 55 percent increase in the number of suicides among theCentral Reserve Police Force (CRPF) over the past five years.*
In 2020 alone, as of the 17th of November, there have been *45 suicidecases* in the CRPF, and according to the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs,this figure has been steadily increasing since 2016, with the governmentofficially citing “personal and domestic problems” as the main cause behindthis deeply entrenched issue.
The report shows that of the 45 suicides this year, 13 took place inOccupied Jammu & Kashmir, 7 in the North-East, 10 in territories impactedby *left-wing extremism*(including the country’s ongoing Maoistinsurgency), and 15 scattered around the rest of the country – indicativeof the fact that these suicides are more prevalent in high-intensity combatregions.
While government officials have repeatedly stated that this prevailingissue can be attributed to “personal and domestic problems, like maritaldiscord, personal enmity, mental illness, depression etc.” which areallegedly exacerbated due to social media; yet CRPF veterans have told adifferent story about tough working conditions and the lack of attentiontowards the mental health of the troops.
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According to S.S. Sandhu, a retired Inspector General of the CRPF, “Thestress levels in the CRPF are much higher than those in the Army. Yet,while the Army has a full-fledged directorate that analyses causes ofmental health issues, conducts research and offers counselling to jawans,there is nothing of this sort in the CRPF”.
He added that “when I was at the helm of the training division, I hadproposed an Army-like institution for the CRPF, but the proposal did notsee the light of the day”, stating that CRPF troops often move across thecountry to their deployments with little to no training or preparation.Sandhu mentioned that “the dramatic changes in weather conditions, securityconditions, etc, coupled with the lack of basic facilities like properaccommodation, few leaves, etc result in debilitating stress for theseofficers”.
