By Our Staff reporter
Delhi: Legislators in the Lower House of Indian Parliament were shocked to know that a record number of Indians, mostly youth, had committed suicide in 2020. What is more alarming is that more and more Indians were committing suicide still.
Dropping bombshell on the floor of one of the biggest parliament on planet earth, India’s Junior Minister of Home Affairs Mr. Nityanand Rai said as many as 9000 people, mostly youth, had committed suicide in 2020 following lockdown prompted by the Pandemic of Covid-19.
“ As per government’s estimates, 8761 people had ended their life in 2020. Unemployment and the financial burden of families were among the main causes behind these suicides. Investigation revealed that most of them were youth who had lost jobs amid the sudden lockdown that the country imposed during the first wave of the coronavirus,” India’s junior Home Minister told parliamentarians.
“ Unemployment, bankruptcy, or indebtedness were among the biggest causes behind these suicides in the year 2020. No doubt, these are huge numbers and the incumbent government in India needs to take it very seriously, ” he said addressing the parliamentarians.
Quoting government documents prepared by the Indian government departments, the Minister revealed that as many as 25,251 people across India between 2018 and 2020 because of the financial crisis. More than 17,000 farmers ended their lives between 2018 and 2020, the minister added.
“ These are huge numbers. The government had launched several great steps to increase employment across the country. We had provided relief packages to the masses during the lockdown. Still, a large number of suicides is something the Indian government must be worried about,” said the Minister.
International NGOs and human rights groups operating across India have said the government figures about the number of people who had ended their lives following financial burden and unemployment were far less than the actual figure.
“ Unemployment, inflation, lawlessness, and racism are the biggest factors behind increasing numbers of suicide in India. Hundreds and thousands of people, mostly youth, have committed suicide during the last decade. It is happening in a country that is making progress even during the Pandemic of covid-19. It is ironical,” Jagdesh Mukh, Delhi-based human rights activist told Islamabad Telegraph.
“ There is no doubt that India is one of the biggest economies in the world. Yet, an increasing suicide rate is truly alarming,” Jagdesh said.
It is worth mentioning that the International Monetary Fund in its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) growth projections released on 25 January 2022, projected India’s real GDP to grow at 9 percent in both 2021-22 and 2022-23 and 7.1 percent in 2023-24. As per this report, India is the fastest-growing major economy in the world in all these three years.
Analysts have appreciated the Indian government for putting the country’s economy on right track but said Modi’s government needs to do something to make the lives of children of lesser God better.
“India is no doubt, doing great when it comes to discussing the economy. However, isn’t it alarming that these suicides are happening in one of the biggest economies in the world? Is this normal? Questioned Chaudhary Kumar, a financial expert based in Mumbai.
Responding to queries raised by the legislators, India’s Home Ministry said it has launched several mega projects which included domestic production, digitalization, cleanliness, smart cities, housing, infrastructure, and industry to boost employment opportunities.
Despite tall claims made by the government, another report compiled by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) revealed last year that as many as 11,716 businesspersons had committed suicide, a 29% jump from 2019 when 9,052 businesspersons had taken their own lives.
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