GUWAHATI: At least eight people died on suicide in Assam on a daily average in 2020. The state recorded some last year recorded 3,243 suicides, an average of 8.88 daily, an increase of 36.8% over the previous year.
Official report from the home ministry said that out of the total deaths in Assam, over 50% of those who took their lives were either unemployed or daily wage earners.
The report said that at least 974 unemployed people and 789 daily wage earners died by suicide during the pandemic-hit lockdown period accounting for over 54% of the total suicide victims in Assam in 2020.
Though the report didn’t cited Covid19 pandemic or the lockdown as the reasons for the rise in suicides, an Assam government-sponsored 2020 study had earlier predicted that nearly half of the state’s population could be pushed into poverty if the present crisis increased.
As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) a total of 2,011 people, whose annual earnings were less than Rs 1 lakh and 998 others, who earned Rs 1 lakh and above but less than Rs 5 lakh, committed suicide last year.
As per the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) study in 2011-12, the poverty headcount ratio in the state stood at 32%.
The National Multi Dimensional Poverty Index, report of which was recently released by Niti Aayog, said that as per the percentage of population who are multidimensionally poor in each state, Assam was ranked as the fifth poorest state in the country.
Read More : Tripura: 25-year old woman consumes poison, dies
