Bolt From The Blue

Bolt From The Blue

Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time - SIXTY NINE

Palash Biswas

http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/

Please read my Hindi Poem published in AKSHARPARV, Dec, 2006 on:


http://www.aksharparv.com/issues/issue7/page%2018.pdf

In this poem titled E Abhimanyu I tried to catch the mood and mind of Generation next.

I have a son. Only one. He is twenty two years old. We have transformed in a nucleas family. My father died in 2001 and mother also expired in 2006. rest of the family resides in my native village in uttarakahnd or migrated to places like New delhi, Jodhpur and small places in UP. I have ta cusin in sodepur and another in Kankinara. I have no relations with family roots scattered all over the subcontinent.

My son is a student and trying so many things without settling the issue what he wants after all.
He has no dialogue with us and we never do understand his mood and mind.

This is a constant cause of tention for my wife who has undergone open heart surgery in 1995.

I never knew that the poem is going to be meant in an unexpected way until last Tuesday. We visited the home of our ex domestic help, Jayanti and came to know that shantu a 23 year old boy succmbed in an attempt to pressurise her mother enacting suicide which turned to be fatal.

We knew Shantu for last eight years as she happens to be the only son of Tumpa`s sister in law. Tumpa replaced her mother and settled with us as LIKe a Daughter with us. She stayed with us until she was married off.

Her sister in law is the first wife of a policeman who married twice. Shantu as an infant landed in his maternal house as the marriage did not last long.

Shantu was a very gentle boy and well reputed in the neighbourhood. Actullay, a few days before the fatal day he returned a purse full of money who came in the neighbourhood to consult Doctor with a sick old lady. He used to speak very little and was good in his studies until the school final exams. Passing class ten , he opted for IT and left it very soon.

Very soon Shantu alienated himself from the rest of the family which is a typical lower income joint family having their own home.

Sooner he became a drug addict and his moods were changed. every family attempt to rehabilate the young man failed.

He hardly ate anything all the day. It became routine. He turned into an angry young man and wheneever angered he strted to break anything he liked.

His mother told us the next day when we visited the mourning family that he went to his father and wanted to stay with his father.
His father never replied.
It seemed that shantu was suffering from identity crisis. He was very tense and would irritate at anything anytime.He would smoke round the clock and be awake round the clock.

Tumpa has no issue and he adopted the child when she entered the family. Only she could try to appease him and feed him. He would not take bath for weeks.

But out of the family he was very gentle and very popular.

He did not take food in the night and was on sleeping pills. While in the morning , he went to the roof and got the light pesticide meant for roses. He drank it. he made known the family and was immediately shifted to nearby hospital. from where he was shifted ion RG Kar Hospitol. Within Seventy Two hours he succumbed.

We read so many things and we see so many things witness the transition in urban and semi urban youths. but it was a case related to us directly.

My wife has lost her mental tranquility and never has had a sound sleep after coming to know the incident. She sees the face of Shantu whenever she encounters his own son.

It is Bolt from the Blue.


L.O.V.E. is a worldwide Psycho-Economical Movement formed by an independent wing of Mira Mission (a mass organization to promote human virtues), because we believe any economical structure depends upon the human psychology associated with it. It was established on 1st November 2001 in Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal, Bharat (India). Founder and President of L.O.V.E. is Shri. Rupak Manush



S N A P S H O T S
SUICIDES
1 Suicide was reported in every 5 minutes.
More than one lakh persons (1,13,697) in the country lost their lives by committing
suicide during the year 2004.
Maharashtra (13.0 %), Andhra Pradesh (11.9 %), West Bengal (11.8 %), Tamil Nadu
(11.3 %) and Karnataka (10.5 %) constitute 58.4% of total suicide victims.
Maharashtra has reported the highest number of suicidal deaths during the last 3
years (2002-2004), accounting for 13.2%, 13.3% & 13.0% of total such deaths in
the country.
Southern States viz. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have
accounted for 41.7 % of total suicides reported in the country.
Pondicherry has reported 53.6 suicidal deaths per one lakh of population as against
the National average of 10.6.
There was not a single case of Suicidal deaths in Lakshadweep.
Suicide because of fIllnessf (22.4 %) and eFamily Problemsf (22.5 %) combined
accounted for 44.9% of total Suicides.
The number of suicides due to ePovertyf showed a significant increase of 27.4 per
cent as compared to previous year.
1 each in every 3 suicide victims was a youth (15-29 years) and middle aged (30-44
years)
The overall male : female ratio of suicide victims for the year 2004 was 64 : 36,
however, the proportion of Boys : Girls suicide victims (upto 14 years of age) was 50
: 50 i.e. equal number of young girls have committed suicide as their male
counterparts.
1 suicide out of 5 is committed by a Housewife.
40.6% of suicide victims were self employed while only 8.4% were un-employed.
It is observed that social and economic causes have led most of the males to
commit suicides whereas emotional and personal causes have mainly driven
females to end their lives.
Nearly 45.4% of the suicide victims were married males while only 24.7% were
married females.
23.7 % of the suicide victims were uneducated and 23.5% were middle educated.
Cont...
SUICIDES
37.5% of the suicide victims consumed poison; 31.2% of the victims died by hanging,
7.6% by Self-Immolation and 6.3% by Drowning.
It is observed that 19.7 per cent (573 out of 2,913) of children (upto 14 years) who
committed suicides belonged to West Bengal.
Nearly one-fifth of the senior citizens being suicide victims (19.0%) belonged to
Kerala. Nearly half (44.9%) suicide victims were senior citizens in Sikkim state. Onesixth
senior citizen suicide victims were from Bangalore alone (16.6%) among 34
cities.
Self employed category accounted for 40.6% of victims. It comprised of 16.0 per
cent engaged in Farming / Agriculture activities, 5.1 per cent engaged in Business
and 2.4 per cent Professionals.
It was observed that 70.1 per cent of the suicide victims were married while 21.6 per
cent were un-married.
Illiterate and middle educated suicide victims accounted for 23.7 per cent suicide
victims and 23.5 per cent respectively.
Bangalore (1,528), Chennai (1,196), Mumbai (1106) and Delhi (967), the four cities
together have reported 41% of the total suicides reported from 34 mega cities.
Jabalpur and Rajkot city have reported the highest rate of 39.1 and 30.6 respectively
and Patna city, the lowest rate at 0.8% only among 34 cities.
The pattern of suicides reported from 34 cities showed that eHangingf (41.6%),
ePoisoningf (25.1%) and eSelf Immolationf (14.4%) were the prominent means
adopted by the suicide victims in the cities.

Exam phobia ends in suicide
[ 18 Mar, 2004 0314hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]


KOLKATA: Two teenagers, appearing for their Board examinations, committed suicide on Wednesday.

Eighteen-year-old Sabyasachi Das, a student of Hare School, hanged himself at his Cossipore residence in north Kolkata, unable to bear the pressure of the impending higher secondary examinations.

Investigations revealed that Sabyasachi had done very well in his Madhyamik examinations, two years ago, and there was high expectations from him this time too.

But in the past one month, he had been telling his parents how difficult it was to meet the tremendous expectation level. According to reports, Sabyasachi used to say that the science stream of the higher secondary examination were proving to be tough for him.

Son of a WBIDC officer Masudhan Das, Sabysachi was said to be very introvert. His cousin was apparently his only close friend.

In another incident, 17-year-old Sutapa Thakur, a Madhyamik examinee, committed suicide by hanging herself in Suri on Wednesday morning.

Police retrieved a suicide note where she held four local youths responsible for driving her to suicide, additional SP (Birbhum) S K Maity said. Sutapa was supposed to get married soon after her exams. According to her note, four youths of her village broke into her house when her father was away on Tuesday night. Sutapa and her mother were assaulted.

In a complaint with Panrui police station her father Tirthankar alleged that she could not bear the humiliation.

College student sets herself on fire

Express News Service

Kolkata, December 11: A college student set herself on fire and committed suicide allegedly after two local youths molested her on Sunday evening at Habra.

“The investigation is on and we are probing the matter,” said Pravin Kumar, superintendent of police, North 24-Parganas.



According to police, Rumpa Saha was a first-year student of Botany honours in Chaitanya College. When her family members went to sleep at night, she crept into the kitchen, doused herself with kerosene and set fire. Her shrieks alerted her family members who rescued her. But it was too late and she succumbed to her injuries, before she could be taken to a local hospital. Later, Ashok Saha, the victim’s father called in the police. The body has been sent for post-mortem.

Ashok Saha, victim’s father later lodged a FIR with the police, that on Sunday evening two youths barged in their house when she was alone and molested her. She was traumatised and reported the incident at night to her parents. Her parents decided to lodge a complaint with the police in the morning, but meanwhile she decided to commit suicide.


Death on wedding anniversary, a Report published in The Telegraph, Kolkata, 19th FEB, 2007
- Family, police clueless about suicide by youth in bathroom
A STAFF REPORTER

Sanjit Das: Mystery death
20B Motilal Basak Lane was to host a party to celebrate the second marriage anniversary of Sanjit Das, 32, and his wife Sathi, 28.

But, instead of bouquets and gifts, friends and kin of the Das family turned up at the three-storeyed building, in the Phoolbagan area, with wreaths to mourn the death of Sanjit, who was found hanging from his bathroom shower on Sunday morning.

Sathi woke up around 7 in the morning to get ready for a planned visit to the Dakshineswar temple. The toilet was bolted from within, so she thought Sanjit was inside.

Sathi knocked on the door when she found Sanjit taking longer than usual. But there was no response. After another five minutes, she went to the verandah to peep though the ventilator.

She saw her husband hanging from the shower, a towel around his neck.

Sathi’s screams alerted the family, and the bathroom door was broken open. Sanjit was rushed to a nearby clinic, where he was declared dead.

“We have not recovered any suicide note… But it looks like a case of suicide,” said Pradip Chatterjee, deputy commissioner of police (headquarters).

But both police and the Das family are clueless about what prompted the young man to end his life on his wedding anniversary.

Sanjit and Sathi, a BSNL employee, lived on the second floor of the well-furnished building; his parents and elder brother lived on the first floor.

“He was good at painting and used to run a painting school in the house. He had no fixed income, as he was a little disorganised, but recently, he landed himself a job with a construction firm in Salt Lake,” said Kallol Saha, Sanjit’s cousin.

Sanjit’s elderly parents — Ajit and Chhabirani — were inconsolable. Surrounded by some family members, Sathi lay in another room on the second floor.

“He was fine last night. He enjoyed a meal of ghugni and told his mother to add some mince meat when she prepared the dish the next time. Then, he played a video game with his nephew till well past midnight and the television was on in his room till 1 am… I don’t know what happened,” murmured Ajit, a retired government employee.

“We could not interrogate Sathi because she was not in a position to speak. Our officers will talk to her in a couple of days,” said deputy commissioner Chatterjee.

HELPLINES

A link with life, available on Hinduonnet

Chennai-based Sneha, Tamil Nadu's sole suicide prevention centre, has helped over one lakh callers contemplating suicide to court life once again.

ASHA KRISHNAKUMAR


THE telephone rings, and one senses great urgency in the call, as if it is to convey the desperation of the caller. Indeed, it is a matter of life and death for the caller, who is mentally so distressed as to contemplate suicide. Perhaps that compulsive human urge to live or the fear of death prompted the person to make this call.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1819/18190870.htm

At Chennai-based Sneha, such calls often come every 20-25 minutes. Sneha's suicide-prevention hotline (8115050) has received over one lakh calls since its inception in 1986.

There has been a rapid escalation in the suicide rate in the country, particularly among people of the 15-29 age group, which is considered one of the most productive periods in one's life. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), one in three suicides committed in India is by a youth. While a suicide was attempted every 7.6 minutes in 1989, today it occurs every five minutes. Although more women than men attempt suicide, more men than women actually succumb. In India, men account for 58 per cent of the suicides. Data published recently by Befrienders International, a group involved in suicide-prevention work the world over, provide an alarming picture. According to them, when the annual rate of population increase is around 2 per cent, suicides rise by 6 per cent.

Of the one million cases of suicides reported the world over last year, one lakh were in India. With a suicide being committed every fifth minute and about 15 attempts being made for every suicide committed, India faces a major crisis. According to the NCRB, the number of cases of suicide has been rising steadily. From 40,245 cases in 1981, the number more than doubled to 84,244 in 1993, and reached one lakh by the end of 1999. While Kerala has the highest suicide rate, West Bengal, followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has reported the highest numbers.

Dr. Lakshmi Vijayakumar, vice-president, International Association of Suicide Prevention, says: "Suicide is a multi-dimensional malaise with social, economic, biological, environmental, emotional, psychological, philosophical, cultural and medical roots. Any attempt at suicide prevention has to address these complex issues in a systematic, structured and sustained manner." Psychologists believe that extreme emotional pain due to pent-up frustrations drives people to suicide. Of the reasons for attempting suicide, the NCRB cites bankruptcy, sudden change in economic status, poverty, unemployment, illness, family problems, and failure in relationships and examinations as the major ones.

The central question in all research on the subject is: Do people attempt suicide because of problems within themselves or with society? There is an argument that society cannot be blamed if depressed people commit suicide. But studies show that less than a third of the depressed people commit suicide. So in reality a combination of factors, including depression, is responsible for suicide. From a sociological perspective, on the basis of the "society is responsible" theory, suicides can be classified into four depending on how well people integrate with society. First there is egotistic suicide, committed by people in transitional societies - where aspirations are high and there is a breakdown of the traditional support systems, as in the case of Kerala. Secondly, there is anomic suicide, owing to sudden changes in, say, market conditions, and the consequent failure of entitlements - for instance, as in the case of weavers and farmers in Andhra Pradesh. The third is altruistic suicide, which results from extreme integration with society, such as self-sacrifice for the country or for a cause. The fourth is 'fatalistic' suicide, committed by people who have no hope of survival, such as prisoners of war.

Studies show that the incidence of suicide is inversely proportional to individual's level of integration with society. Major changes owing to economic crises and the failure of entitlements and support systems have been handled better by people living in a close-knit community. For example, massive unemployment that the seafarers of Canada faced at the beginning of the 21st century, not one suicide was attempted by them, thanks to the kinship and camaraderie in the community. Thus, it is important that any suicide-prevention effort instils in the minds of the depressed and who are on the verge of committing suicide a sense of "being wanted" and a feeling that "I am not alone".

SUICIDE prevention, or 'befriending' as it is called, was started as a movement in 1953 in the United Kingdom by a parish priest, Chad Varah. Varah felt the need for it when a 14-year-old girl committed suicide upon attaining puberty - as she had no one to explain to her the natural biological process. Chad Varah realised the importance of a friend, and organised a small group of volunteers to 'befriend' those in need. Thus started a movement which has now spread to 41 countries and has 35,000 volunteers and 357 centres.

There are 10 suicide-prevention centres in India which offer free services. The volunteers at the centres work only because of their commitment to the cause and not for any financial rewards. Sneha is the only suicide-prevention centre in Tamil Nadu, and it gives hope, and life, to 20-25 desperate callers every day. Started in 1986 by the Chennai-based psychiatrist Dr. Lakshmi Vijayakumar, Sneha has helped over one lakh people to opt for life, instead of death by suicide.

Says Sneha's director Ram: "Among the various routes to help those depressed, dejected, rejected and suicidal, we have opted for the path of providing emotional support." None of those who intend to commit suicide wants to die; it is only that they are at the end of their tether. They feel they have nothing left in life - no friend to talk to, and no one who cares for them. It is a desperate situation that calls for a multi-dimensional approach. The approach has to vary from person to person.

Sneha does not counsel callers, it merely "listens to them carefully and brings to their consciousness all the options that had always been there but which they had not noticed in their desperation". The help-seekers have to choose for the best option for themselves.

This approach requires that the volunteers - of which Sneha now has 50 - are chosen carefully as they have to deal with "human emotions" and that too during moments of extreme despair, pain and stress. The main criteria for selection are referred to as 'CARE' criteria - compassion (for the needy), acceptance (of them as friends), respect (for their feelings) and empathy (with their problems). More than knowledge and skill, what is important is the ability to be affectionate and caring. Crucial, of course, is the skill to be able to reach out without being judgmental. As Ram says: "Most times the callers just want someone to talk to."

New volunteers are given a three-day intensive basic training, followed by a three-week extended work-out. Only then are they allowed to handle help-seekers. As with the help-seekers, the identity of the volunteer is not revealed. Neither the help-seekers nor the volunteers identify themselves. No record is maintained and no follow-up done. Of course, the caller is free to get back to Sneha, but no one would even know he or she had come or called earlier.

The majority of the help-seekers contact Sneha on the telephone; some write, and a few come in person. There is, according to Ram, no norm relating to time; calls sometimes extend from half an hour to a few hours. Most often it is the person contemplating suicide who calls, though parents, friends and neighbours of the person concerned also do so. In the case of callers who are not the ones contemplating suicide their distress is first heeded, and only in cases of extreme emergency do Sneha volunteers visit their houses.

According to Ram, over the years there has been an increase in the number of persons attempting suicide and this is largely because of the breakdown of the traditional support systems and coping mechanisms, such as the near-disappearance of the joint family system; change in lifestyle where there is little time even for one's family, leave alone friends; and ever-increasing social aspirations and demands.

A trend observed recently in Tamil Nadu is an increase in the number of suicides among students. Sneha, which can be reached 14 hours a day, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., kept its telephone lines and doors open for 24 hours a day from the last week of May until the third week of June, when the results of school and college examinations results were announced. Says Ram: "We were flooded with calls during those three weeks. Our volunteers were busy all the time."

Sneha operates with minimum funds - only what is needed to maintain a small office. It makes and sells greeting cards to corporate houses with a wafer-thin profit margin, in order to enable itself to run the office. The building has been rented out to it by a philanthropist at less than the market value. Says Ram: "We do tightrope-walking as far as funds are concerned. We do not accept any monetary help from the help-seekers and refuse money which comes with strings attached. Although a place of our own would considerably reduce our fund requirements, it is only a dream."

Even with its humble resources, Sneha has over the last 15 years lived up to its motto of providing "a link with life". A link that is just a ring away.


The extent of the problem

The World Health Organisation estimates that around one million people die from suicide each year - a global mortality rate of 16 per 100,000. In the last 45 year suicide rates have increased by 60% with young people being the group at highest risk in a third of all countries. The global toll from suicide is greater than homicide (0.5m) and war (0.2m)

The highest suicide rate in the world has been reported among young women in South India. The average suicide rate for young women between 15 and 19 in Tamil Nadu was 148 per 100,000. the research published in the Lancet was the second study to revel more women killing themselves than men - the first being China - and tallies with unpublished work the WHO is currently carrying out in India, China, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. In Western Countries men are three times more likely to commit suicide than women.

The number of suicides in most European countries exceeds the number of traffic fatalities. The highest suicide rates are found in Eastern Europe, whereas people in Latin America, Muslim countries and some Asian nations are least likely to take their own lives.

Risk factors

Mental disorders are associated with more than 90% of all cases of suicide - particularly depression and substance abuse. However socioeconomic, family and individual crisis are also major contributing factors.. Research consistently indicates that suicide attempts in young people are complex behaviours with multiple problems.

Studies of youth suicide report consistently that many young people who die by suicide have a recognizable psychiatric disorder at the time of their attempt such as depression, anxiety, conduct disorders and substance misuse. A previous history of suicide attempts, poor family circumstances and certain personality traits such as poor problem solving ability, impulsiveness and aggression, and the availability of the means to commit suicide are also key risk areas. Social class is also a factor with rates in class V four times as high as class I. This has been borne out in studies in Northern Ireland and Ireland.


Media Reporting

Recent studies have shown that he media can exert a powerful influence over suicidal behaviours. A team at the University of Hong Kong recorded an escalation of the use of burning charcoal to commit suicide following detailed media accounts. This concern, reinforced by Keith Hawton, Director of the Centre for Suicide Research at the University of Oxford, who argues in an editorial in the BMJ that describing the method of suicide in detail is the most likely factor to cause further deaths. He also asserts that the media oversimplify the causes of suicide and ignore underlying mental illness.

Current policy

England and Wales

In England mental health is one of the priorities for action set out in Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation. This sets a target to reduce the death rate from suicide by at least a fifth by 2020.

The second annual report outlining progress with implementation of England's first national suicide prevention strategy shows a fall of nearly 30%in the suicide rate among young men since 1998. The Our Healthier Nation (OHN) target is to reduce the overall death rate from the baseline of 9.2 deaths per 100,000 in 1995-97 to 7.4 per 100,000 in 2009-11. Latest available rates for 2001-3 show a rate of 8.6 per 100,000. If this trend continues, the target will be met. A range of actions and progress are outlined in the report.


Ireland

The Report of the National Task Force on Suicide 1998 sets the policy context for suicide prevention, although not specific to young people

Northern Ireland

The Promoting Mental Health - Strategy and Action plan 2003 - 2008 identified the prevention of suicide as one of the four key areas for taking the strategy forward. A review of Mental health and Learning Disability in NI is currently underway, chaired by Professor David Bamford. One of the review expert groups is currently considering the issue of suicide. It is expected that the review will be complete in 2006.

North and West Belfast Health and Social Services Trust

North and West Belfast has a population of around 150,000 living in some of the most socially and economically disadvantaged wards in NI. The area has a well-developed community sector and a large youth population. Research has shown a higher rate of mental illness in the Trust area than elsewhere in NI. The impact of the Troubles has been widespread. In NI there are on average 150 deaths each year due to suicide. In 2002 the suicide rate for the area was 19 per 100,000 compared to10 per 100,000 for the rest of NI.

In 1998 the North and West Belfast Trust in partnership with the West Belfast partnership established a multi agency task group on suicide. One element of the group's strategy was the production of a manual "Giving Hope in the Community" intended as a guide for those with face-to-face contact with young people in North and West Belfast.

The current Trust Strategy published in February 2005 highlights the need for further action and has led to the instigation of a multi sectoral task group on suicide under the auspices of the North and West Health Action Zone. The first meeting of key stakeholders takes place in April 2005.

References

Balanda, K. and Wilde, J. (2001) Inequalities in mortality 1989 - 1998: a report on all-Ireland mortality data. Dublin: The Institute of Pubic Health in Ireland

Beautrais, A.L. (1998) A review of evidence: in our hands - the New Zealand youth suicide prevention strategy

Crowley, P., Kilroe, J. and Burke, S. (2004) Youth Suicide Prevention. London

Department of Health (1999) Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation. London: Stationery Office

Department of Health (2002) National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England. London: Department of Health

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Northern Ireland (2003) Promoting Mental Health - Strategy and Action Plan 2003-2008. Belfast: Department of Health, Social Services and Public safety, Northern Ireland

National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England: Annual Report 2004

National Task Force on Suicide in Ireland. Final Report. Dublin: The Stationery Office, Government Publications Sale Office, 1998.

North and West Belfast Health and Social Services Trust ( 1998 ) Giving Hope

North and West Belfast Health and Social Services Trust (2005) Strategy for Suicide Prevention

Global suicide toll exceeds War and Murder, New Scientist, 8 September 2004
Suicide among youth is of great concern and a subject requires thorough study to formulate prevention strategy. In this paper the incidence and trends of suicide among children and adolescent of South Delhi have been reported. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was carried out on 222 cases of suicidal deaths pertaining to age group of 10-18 years, the postmortem examination on the body of which were conducted in Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi during the period from 1st January 1991 to 31st December 2000. The particular of cases were analyzed according to age group, sex, method used and causes of committing suicide. RESULTS: Out of 222 cases 123(55.4%) were of girls (Female: Male 1.24:1). Commonest age group involved was 15-18 years in both the sexes. Commonest method used for committing suicide was hanging (57% in girls, 49.5% in boys) followed by poisoning (37.4% in girls, 49.5% in boys). CONCLUSION: Methods used to commit suicide are widely available and are difficult to restrict. Therefore, suicide prevention strategy based on risk factors could be more effective rather than limiting the access to methods.
Suicide is termination of one's life intentionally. In India in the span of ten years (1988-1998) death due to suicide increases by 62.9% involving all age groups. During the decade with increase in population by 21.9% the rate of suicide increased by 33.7%. In the year 1998, suicide by male was recorded in 58.9% and by female in 41.1% of cases (Male: Female 1.43:1).[1]
Suicide has become one of the most common causes of death among the young and adolescent population. Several epidemiological studies in various countries viz. India[1], United Kingdom[2],[3], USA[4] and Australia[5] have shown rising trends in suicide by youth. In USA suicide makes up one of the leading causes of death in children and adolescents.[6],[7]
For proper assessment of cause and manner of death in such fatalities, it is important to have awareness about trends, risk factors, methods as well as pitfalls.[6] Further, the differences in characteristics and pattern of suicide among youth and adults necessitate the analysis of suicidal deaths in younger age group (Mc Clure 1984). By reviewing medical records, postmortem examination report and police inquest papers some of the important factors related to suicide can be studied.[8] This article presents the incidence of suicidal deaths and various psychosocial factors related to suicide among children and adolescents residing in South Delhi.

» Results

In ten years i.e. from 1st January 1991 to 31st December 2000 a total of 11,583 autopsies were conducted by the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Out of these 222(1.92%) were related to suicide of children and adolescents of age group 10-18 years. Majority of the victims were girls in 123(55.4%) cases. Boys were victim in 99(44.6%) cases (Female: Male 1.24:1) [Table - 1]. The commonest age group involved was 15-18 years in both boys (80.7%) as well as girls (76.4%)[Table - 1]. The proportion of children who committed suicide in the month of July was recorded the maximum (16.2%) and 56.4% suicides were recorded between March to July [Figure - 1]. The commonest method used to commit suicide was hanging (Girls 57%, Boys 49.5%) followed by poisoning (Girls 37.4%, Boys 49.5%) in both the sexes for all age groups. However, in age group of 15-18 years in male poisoning 43.4% was the commonest method used to commit suicide than hanging 36.4%. [Table - 1].