Srinagar: It might come as a surprise, considering the amount of psychological stress there is, but Jammu and Kashmir recorded one of the lowest suicide rates in India in 2019, sharply down from previous years, says the new report published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
Only 2.1 persons per one lakh population committed suicide in J&K during 2019, according to NCRB data. The entire region was under a communication blackout and severe restrictions after August 4, when the Government of India scrapped the state’s special status. The months of lockdown led to a loss of over Rs 15,000 crore to the Kashmir economy.
J&K is at the fifth place, as per the report, in the list of regions with the lowest suicide rates. Lakshadweep recorded no suicide in 2019. It is followed by Bihar at .5, Manipur and Nagaland at 1.9 suicides per lakh population. These figures are almost eight notches down the national average of above ten.
Sikkim and Tipura have the highest suicide rates, Sikkim at 33.1 per lakh and Tripura at 18.2.
In terms of numbers, JK only recorded 284 cases of suicide during the year.
A sum total of 1,39,123 suicides were reported in 2019 in India, which is more than 3 percent of the number recorded in 2018. The report found professional/career problems, sense of isolation, abuse, violence, family problems, mental disorders, addiction to alcohol, financial loss, chronic pain reasons for committing the suicide. Drug addiction, bankruptcy, failure in examinations, unemployment, property dispute, professional problems, illness, marriage-related problems as the reasons for suicides.
“The states and UTs which have reported significant percentage increase in suicides in 2019 were Bihar, Punjab, Daman and Diu, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Andra Prades, while highest percentage decrease was reported in Lakshdweep, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Arunchal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir,” reads the report.

Junaid Nabi Bazaz