Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre Ph:2252660
Website: www.goadesc.org Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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------------------------------------------ The Story of Rising Suicides ------------------------------------------ by Sukumar Shastri
It was just like any other Monday for Hargobind Singh's colleagues when they entered office on September 29. But for Hargobind Singh, a sepoy of the Defense Security Corporation, working for the Indian Navy, it was a 'decisive' day. He shoots himself in the chin with a SLR rifle, at INS Hansa check-post, Goa.
Such news reports leap out of the pages of local press almost every alternate day, announcing that it's another addition to the blooming suicides cases in Goa. This though, was not the situation about a decade ago. However now the state is witness to a relentless suicide spell.
What is alarming is the shift in the high-risk introduction age group, which is now 15-35. The state is well-known as holiday destinations and its latest attraction as a potential BPO address is grappling with the situation of rising incidents of suicides in the State. Moreover, suicides by tourists in Goa are common.
In 1992, just 70 cases of suicide were registered and there wasn't significant rise untill 1997. However, since 1998 onwards suicide incidences have risen.
The NGO's and some researchers believe that the official statistics do not portray the right picture of suicide scenerio in Goa. They claim that a lot of cases go unreported as families avoid disclosure because of stigma attached. Sometimes cause of death is hidden to avail of insurance money. Misclassification of suicide cases as unnatural deaths due to misleading inputs, have also adds to this unrealistic figure.
What makes the story even sad is the fact that Goa has no agency to investigate in an analytical manner suicide cases happening here. However, some effort in this direction has been made by Sangath, an NGO based in Porvorim.
There are three government run hospitals in Goa, which cater to the treatment of the mentally ill and those who need psychological treatment. The apex body, the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behavior (IPHB), has just five consultants and a medical superintendent,seven senior resident doctors (either MD (Psych) or (DPM) or at leastthree years experience as a junior resident) 15 junior residents (out of these six are psychiatry trainees, undergoing either the MD or DPM course. Whereas, the consultants and senior residents are psychiatrists, the junior residents are not psychiatrists by law since they possess neither a psychiatry degree/diploma nor have three years experience of working in a psychiatric set-up. But it needs to be noted that they deliver psychiatric services to people under guidance of their seniors and so are a valuable resource to a state, which is facing a shortage of psychiatrists.
The Directorate of Health Services has two senior psychiatrists -- deputed at Hospicio, in Margao and the drug de-addiction center in Asilo in Mapusa respectively.
In addition there are a few private clinics that help in community and clinical examination and treatment. However, when patients need to be admitted they have just one government establishment that is IPHB to look for.
There has been a prolonged debate on the issue whether an attempt to commit suicide should be retained in the penal code or taken out of it. Most countries have depenalised such attempts. In India, however, an attempt to commit suicide is an offence under section 309 of the IPC.
Nearly three decades ago, the law commission recommended the repel of section 309. Thereafter the issue became adjudication in various high courts. Hence, there was no settled law on the point until the Supreme Court judgment in the P Rathinam Nagabhushan Patnaik case (April 26, 1994). The Supreme Court virtually knocked off section 309 of the lPC. However, just four months after this judgement declaring section 309 of the Penal Code as ultra vires, the apex court upheld a conviction for attempted suicide (Vijay & Gianchand Jain v/s State of Madhya Pradesh, September 2, 1994).
A school of thought believe laws make no much difference to help the situation and that a long-term program is necessary to chalk out a plan to identify, assist and rehabilitate victims of attempted suicides and those who harbour suicidal ideations.
However, for now, it's going to take time till the efforts by the Government and NGO's take a concrete shape and a prudent strategy chalked out. Until then the State will be a witness to many more suicides contributing to the rising graph of suicidal deaths.
(The writer is Porvorim based Green activist). ------------------------------------- HERALD 1/11/03 page 6 ------------------------------------- ======================================= GOA DESC RESOURCE CENTRE Documentation + Education + Solidarity 11 Liberty Apts., Feira Alta, Mapusa, Goa 403 507 Tel: 2252660 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] website: www.goadesc.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Working On Issues Of Development & Democracy =======================================
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