A study (2019-2020) conducted by ‘The United Service Institution’ of India (USI) reported: “Suicide cases are on the increase due to increasing severe stress emanating from operational and non-operational assignments”
by Muhammad Wasama Khalid
Shockingly, the Indian Army loses more people each year due to suicide, fratricide, and other non-combat occurrences than in real battles. Aside from the great anguish felt by the afflicted families, this signifies not only a loss of soldiers but also hit to the morale and drive of their fellow unit members.
Suicide rates in the Indian Army are significantly growing, at 16.5% for every 100,000 personnel. Every year, the Indian armed services lose more than 100 men for non-combat causes, with one man dying approximately every third day from suicide or an attack by a brother soldier.
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| An Indian Army officer walking through the terrain of Kashmir [File Photo] |
According to the data available between 2010 and 2019, more than 11,000 Indian Defense personnel committed suicides, followed by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Navy at 185 and 32 respectively. In July 2022, Minister of State for Defense Ajay Bhatt responded to a Rajya Sabha question regarding suicide deaths in Indian forces by stating that the Indian Air Force had 148 suicide deaths, the Navy had 29, and the Army had 642.
More than 800 Indian armed services members have committed suicide in the previous five years due to dissatisfaction with their superiors’ actions. On January 23, 2023, Col Khanna committed suicide by hanging himself with a fan. On January 9, 2023, Lt Col Nishant killed himself after shooting his wife in Ferozepur.
Not just males, but also women officers in the Indian army are pushed to commit suicide. Only ten months after her induction, Lt. Sushmita Chakraborty committed suicide. She said that her superiors used to force her to accompany them to late-night dance parties and make inappropriate requests. In December 2016, Major Anita Kumari shot herself in the head in Jammu, and in October 2019, Lt Col Rashmi Mishra committed suicide by hanging herself with a dupatta in Pune.
Due to the discriminatory attitude of the top officers in the Indian armed services, 47,000 servicemen and officers have sought voluntary retirement or resigned.
In addition to the military forces, the civil armed forces (CAF) are seeing an increase in the suicide rate. According to the official data, there were 25 incidents of fratricide in the CAF between 2019 and 2021, and 345 suicides in the three years from 201 to 2019.
Nearly a hundred Indian security personnel commit suicide every year, indicating a worrisome trend inside the country’s armed services. This tendency is very troubling because it deprives us of our most prized possessions. The people charged with protecting our country are themselves in need of assistance. These findings raise major questions regarding troops’ mental health, training, and professionalism. This tendency must be addressed immediately.
The defense minister gathered statistics on suicides between January 1, 2014, and March 31, 2017, and discovered that one individual on active service in the Army, navy, or Air Force committed themselves every three days. As per its data, 348 regulars died by suicide while on duty.
According to retired commanders and numerous publications, systemic problems are typically to blame for the stress that causes troops to commit suicide. These include ineffective leadership, an uncaring attitude from supervisors, and a reluctance to provide leave even when it is truly needed these factors add to the stress felt by military personnel.
A study (2019-2020) conducted by ‘The United Service Institution’ of India (USI) reported: “Suicide cases are on the increase due to increasing severe stress emanating from operational and non-operational assignments”
The biggest source of increased stress levels is lengthy duty hours, which can often last 15-16 hours per day. Numerous studies have shown that even one night of sleep deprivation has a negative impact on people’s physical and mental health. This predicament is exacerbated by the frequent and prolonged relocation of soldiers for non-essential missions. Troops stationed in remote places have emotions of isolation and alone. These soldiers encounter additional obstacles as a result of the long-term impacts of high altitude.
Furthermore, there is a growing disparity between top officials and those in frontline operational positions. This expanding division has a detrimental influence on morale across all ranks. Higher-ranking executives frequently make snap judgments rather than taking a more strategic, long-term approach.
Senior officials and their domineering behaviors also add to stress. Military soldiers are publicly reprimanded, which lowers their self-esteem. Furthermore, they are constantly reminded of their errors, making it difficult to move on and generating psychological suffering for everyone concerned.
When it comes to suicide prevention, the Defense Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR) has advocated strategies to combat suicidal conduct among armed service members, such as rationalizing leave regulation, lowering workloads, enhancing remuneration, and encouraging improved interpersonal ties between commanders and troops.
The alarming rate of suicides within the Indian armed forces demands urgent attention. Instead of solely emphasizing physical fitness, it is imperative to invest in mental resilience. Implementing mandatory psychological assessments. Pre- and post-deployment counselling, shorter tours of duty, increased recreational activities and comprehensive stress management training can play a vital role in mitigating this critical issue.
Muhammad Wasama Khalid is a Correspondent and Researcher at Global Affairs. He is pursuing his Bachelors in International Relations at National Defense University (NDU). He has a profound interest in history, politics, current affairs, and international relations. He is an author of Global village space, Global defense insight, Global Affairs, and modern diplomacy. He tweets at @Wasama Khalid and can be reached at Wasamakhalid@gmail.com
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