The case of 29-year-old Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable Gaekwad Vijay Suresh, who allegedly shot himself dead, seems to be part of a disturbing trend in the paramilitary forces.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics, 27 out of 60 suicides of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel recoded in 2015 were due to family problems, as is suspected in the case of Mr. Suresh, who was recently divorced.
The CAPF includes the Border Security Force (BSF), National Security Guards (NSG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
While the work stress is intense for the jawans, officers say family problems compound the situation.
A senior officer said Mr. Suresh had gone on leave and was supposed to join only on January 11. “But he returned on January 3. Besides, he took leave seven times last year and out of this four was for attending court cases pertaining to his divorce.”
It is to address the mental health of officers and jawans that a variety of measures, like yoga, were introduced by the government. But retired officers argue that these measures have been ineffective as the maai-baap (mother-father) relationship that used to exist between officers and jawans has been lost.
“The jawans knew that officers were there to help them out in all issues, and the officers knew that their subordinates would do anything for them. Now that feeling of camaraderie is lost,” said Prakash Singh, who has served as Director-General of BSF.
One of the reasons for this is the political influence enjoyed by officers of different ranks. “Besides, now the constables are educated men. They are fully aware of their rights. All these factors have created a gap between different ranks,” a retired NSG officer said.
