Srinagar
In occupied Kashmir, the incidents of suicide and fratricide among Indian troops, especially the personnel of paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force, have shown an upward trend.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the level of frustration is very high among the Indian soldiers due to posting for longer period in the occupied territory away from family, denial of leaves and insulting behaviour of officers. The guilt of killing, arresting, torturing and committing other atrocities on innocent Kashmiris without any reason also leaves deep impacts on the psychology of the Indian forces’ personnel. The heightened frustration is resulting in the increasing incidents of suicides and fratricide among Indian soldiers in the territory.
On Monday (July 20) morning, a CRPF soldier committed suicide by shooting himself with his service riffle at his unit in Pantha Chhowk area of Srinagar. This incident came just three days after a CRPF man posted at a hotel in Dalgate area of Srinagar shot himself with his service riffle. He was critically injured and is battling for life at Army’s 92 base hospital in Srinagar.
On July 06, two Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) men were killed in a fratricidal incident in a court complex in Kulgam district. The two soldiers had resorted to an argument before shooting each other dead with their services riffles. Earlier on May 12, two CRPF personnel committed suicide by shooting themselves with their service rifles in two separate incidents in Islamabad district.
On the same day, a CRPF Assistant Sub-Inspector, Bengali Babu, ended his life by shooting himself with his service weapon at his 49th battalion camp in Srinagar. Furthermore, on March 21, a CRPF man posted outside Civil Secretariat, Srinagar, had committed suicide by shooting himself with his service riffle.
It is to mention here that 458 Indian troops and police personnel have committed suicides in occupied Kashmir since January 2007 till date.—KMS
