FRUSTRATION is taking its toll in the border State of Tripura. With suicide rate on the rise, Tripura Government has decided to seek opinion from the psychologists and psychiatrists to determine the exact cause for the rise in suicide. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who also holds the Home portfolio, said the matter was being discussed with the Psychology Department of the Tripura University and the government might seek opinions from experts outside. He said between 1999-03, 4,228 persons have committed suicide in Tripura. However, maximum suicide was committed in the urban areas like Udaipur, Agartala and Belonia, which recorded 156 suicide cases in 2003. Suicides are also on the rise among the security personnel in Tripura. Between 1999-03, 48 security personnel have committed suicides while they were serving in Tripura. Of this 36 jawans belonged to CRPF, six to BSF, three to Assam Rifles and two to Tripura State Rifles. While the suicide rate in Tripura is 2.34 per day, 90,000 commit suicide across India with West Bengal topping the list. A recently published World Health Organisation (WHO) report said, maximum suicidal death was among the age group of 15-44.

Meanwhile, despite the continuing Counter-Insurgency operations in Tripura, terrorists are still managing to strike in this border State. Although the security personnel have achieved success in their operations in the other states   of the North-East, they have not  met with similar success in Tripura, it seems.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar informed the State Assembly that while 182 security personnel have been killed in the State in the past five years, 183 service weapons have been snatched by the insurgents. Among the weapons snatched, include 65 Self-Loading Rifles (SLR), 29 .303 rifles, 18 carbines and 10 AKs. The Chief Minister said, of the persons kidnapped between 1998 and December 2003, 332 are still in militants’ captivity. Overall, in the past five years, 952 persons have been killed and 633 injured in militancy related violence, while 1269 have been kidnapped. “In the past five years, there have been 43 major genocides in  the State,’’ he said, adding that,   217 persons including civilians    and security personnel were killed in 2003.

During the same period, 836 militants have laid down their weapons, the Chief Minister said. Mr Sarkar said National Liberation Front of Tripura (Biswamohan) faction has a strength of 450 cadres, NLFT (Nayanbasi) 150, All Tripura Tiger Force 450 and BNCT 40. He said, between 2001 and January 2004, 69 cases of dowry deaths were recorded in the state while, 655 cases of atrocities on women and 147 cases of arson were recorded. “Between 1998 and 2003, 432 rape cases were admitted in several courts in Tripura. While 105 accused were convicted and 327 were exonerated,” the Chief Minister said. Between 2000 to 2003, 295 cases of kidnapping and abduction were referred to the court. During the same period, 297 cases of molestation were admitted in the court of which 35 were punished while 244 were declared innocent.

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