CHENNAI: For the fourth consecutive year, Tamil Nadu holds the second place in the number of suicides in the country, according to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), with at least 36 people taking the extreme decision every day in the state.
A total of 13,493 people killed themselves in 2019 in Tamil Nadu, giving it a 9.7% share. Topping the list is Maharashtra with 18,916 and in third place is West Bengal with 12,665.
In October last year, seven from a same family killed themselves in Avadi and a month later, Fathima Latheef, a young college student from IIT-Madras, killed herself allegedly due to discrimination from the faculty. In the month of February, a 26-year-old Armed Reserve constable shot himself dead while on duty.
Tamil Nadu ranks first in family suicides in the country, with 43 people having died in 16 different cases. Similarly, over 914 students have taken the extreme decision in the state making it third in student suicides. Tamil Nadu also ranks first in suicides by government staff with 200 people in 2019.
According to NCRB data, 50 percent of suicides in the state are related to family problems followed by illness which accounts for 18 percent of suicides.
The data also mentions that girls below the age of 18 are vulnerable and kill themselves more than boys, while more men between the age of 30-45 take the extreme decision.
In the state, Chennai has more suicides with 2461 cases, followed by Madurai (345), Coimbatore (338) and Tiruchirapalli (188).
(Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on Tamil Nadu’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)