Suicide on webcam | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Suicide on webcam

None | ByHT Bureaus, Thiruvananthapuram/bangalore/hyderabad/chennai
Mar 18, 2008 04:35 AM IST

The latest instance of a bizarre suicide by Karthik has once again drawn attention to the excessively high suicide rate in four southern states.

The latest instance of a bizarre suicide by Karthik has once again drawn attention to the excessively high suicide rate in the four southern states.

HT Image
HT Image

Statistics for 2006, the latest available, show that 38.6 per cent of all suicides in India were committed in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Against an all India figure of 10.5 suicides per 1 lakh population, Kerala recorded 26.8 — the highest among states — Karnataka 21.7, Tamil Nadu 18 and Andhra 16.4. The British medical journal The Lancet noted three years ago that the suicide rate in South India — the country’s IT hub and economic powerhouse — was the highest in the world.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Individual southern cities have a still grimmer record. The total number of suicides in Chennai — arguably India’s suicide capital — was 2427 in 2006, followed by Bangalore at 2008. (Delhi, with a much larger population, recorded barely half of Chennai’s, 1296.) In urban areas, against an average figure of 12 suicides per 1 lakh population in India, Chennai stands at 37.8, with Bangalore just a step behind at 35.3.

Some instances, specially from Kerala, strain credulity. MP Prasad of Kochi, who consumed potassium cyanide, actually began writing down how it felt, before the chemical had its effect and stopped him midway. “Cyanide is acrid. It burns the tongue badly,” he recorded. An eight-year-old again from Kochi, killed himself a few months ago because his parents did not allow him to play cricket!

No convincing explanation for the high rate has as yet been put forward, barring the suggestion that suicides are probably more faithfully recorded in the South than elsewhere in the country. Psychologists suggest the usual reasons, noting that the 15-25 age group is the most vulnerable.

“The causes could be illness, social causes, family problems, failure in examination, use of drugs and alcohol, poverty, love affairs, work pressure and pressure to succeed,” said Dr G Gururaj, professor and head, Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans), Bangalore.

Parents are often not even conscious that their children are emotionally on another plant. “Most parents are physically there and even make it a point to talk to their children. The problem is they don’t listen,” says Anthony Swami, a counselor at Sneha, a Chennai-based suicide counselling centre.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On