------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre Ph:2252660 Website: www.goadesc.org Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Press Clippings on the web: http://www.goadesc.org/mem/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------ Rise in suicide cases, the ominous indicator -------------------------------------------------------------------- If increase in suicide is the indicator of growing frustration and alienation, then certainly the people, particularly the youth of Goa have become the victim of this malaise. The number of suicide cases is on rise and Goa ranks ninth in the Union of Indian states.
The number suicide cases has been consistently on rise every year, but some of the cases have even baffled the police investigating the cases as they are complicated and do not conform to the usual factors. Even police personnel have been placed in tight corner with some of the suicide incidents that have shaken the city people in the recent past. Even this year's figure, around 150 cases is shocking as most of the suicide cases had taken place in the urban areas and the age of the victims is between 17 to 30 as per the record available with the police authorities.
The police think tank is though tight-lipped and not too eager to jump to any conclusion about the factors which compelled these young people to take this extreme step, there is however a general feeling that this is indicative of the declining tolerance factor.
This year while Ponda toped the list with 26 cases, other towns did not lag behind with Vasco (16), Margao (20) and Mapusa (21). In other urban areas over 72 cases were reported during 2003.
In most of the cases the victims have either taken the help of the bridge, rope or Rattol, the things which are easily available in the market. However the people who tried to end their lives by consuming Rattol have survived but it had left recrosed impact on their liver.
The alleged suspect of Angana murder from Shiroda had consumed the Rattol but survived. There is however no move from the government to ban the Rattol. It is surprising that rats do not touch it as it emanates a unique smell, as the shop-keepers reveal, and alerts the rat of its dangers.
These are the few suicide cases in which the youth have sought freedom from tension, depression, stress and mental torture. A bright student from Homeopathic College in Shiroda committed suicide because her results were held up by the management for no reason.
A home guard committed suicide by jumping from the Mandovi bridge into the water due incurable disease she was facing for a long time.
A dismissed cop preferred to die by hanging himself after killing his sister in law in Merces rather than facing the law. A daughter of a banker ended her life, due to frustration in love, in a building located at St Inez, in the city.
Very recently, in a heart touching suicide pact, wherein three young girls from remote village found dead in the river Mandovi behind Campal Stadium. Senior police officials however say that by and large young people have started seeking refuge in the suicide from all their nagging ailments and frustrations in unemployment, love, stress, mental torture, dowry harassment, business and others. ----------------------------------------------------------- THE NAVHIND TIMES 19/1/04 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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