New Delhi [India]: The Congress slammed the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for the death of over 9.5 lakh people in the last seven years who allegedly committed suicide, saying it came to power with the promise of ‘Acche Din’ but forced people into “suicidal hopelessness”. The opposition party also said that farmers were forced into committing suicide and in the past 7 years due to the “crony capitalist friendly and anti-farmer” policies of the Modi government. Citing the recent National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) report on “Suicides and Accidental Deaths in India”, which states 9,58,275 Indians ended their lives by committing suicide between 2014-2020. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala in a statement said that there was an increase of 55 per cent in the number of students committing suicide, 58 per cent increase among the unemployed, and 139.37 per cent increase among farmers, labourers and daily wagers and overall the number of suicides across categories increased by 16.24 per cent, as per the report. “The report, with its figures regarding suicide, underlines the unprecedented tragedy that is ruining India. Hapless citizens, being ground under extreme apathy and insensitivity of the government, are losing the last hope and taking their own lives. Be it ‘annadata’ (farmers), toiling labourers, daily wagers, housewives or unemployed educated youth, it is a saga of unending hopelessness all across. Opportunities for the aspiring have been converted into cesspools of suicidal depression,” said Congress spokesperson. “During the last 7 years Between 2014 -2020 the failed and insensitive policies of the Modi government pushed 9,58,275 Indians into ending their lives by committing suicide. Today in an attempt to mask its failed anti-people policies the government is nakedly resorting to perpetuating divisiveness, negativity, hopelessness amongst the people,” he said. Surjewala further said that the NCRB data displays the ‘Yamlok Sidhar’ picture of the government rather than that of ‘Lok Sudhar’. He said that farmers were forced into committing suicide and in the past 7 years due to the “crony capitalist friendly and anti-farmer” policies of the Modi government, 78,303 farmers committed suicide of which 35,122 were farm labourers. The Congress leader said that there was an increase of 19 per cent in the number of suicides from the year 2019 to 2020. The government literally forced the farmers into committing suicide, citing the rising input costs, absence of minimum support price (MSP), and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana which benefited private insurance companies and finally the three “black” farm laws as the main reasons. “Even as students and unemployed are forced into committing suicide, India’s future is nothing but dark. During the Modi government’s tenure from 2014 to 2020, 69,407 students were forced to end their lives,” he added. Surjewala further citing the OXFAM report said that the hundred richest Indians wealth was increased by 13 lakh crores while the 12 crore Indians lost their jobs. He further said that 1,52,127 housewives committed suicide between 2014 to 2020. The rate of suicide in India has gone up by 16 per cent in 2020 in comparison to the year 2014, he added.
