Humiliation, Harassment, No Leave: MHA Task Force Reveals Why CAPF Jawans Die by Suicide, Fratricide

A draft report by the home ministry appointed task force has pointed humiliation and harassment and leave-related issues to be the main trigger points for suicides and fratricides in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Assam Rifles.

The draft report also said tough service conditions, criticism, humiliation at workplace, access to weapons are among key reasons for deaths.

Other reasons are prolonged deployment in high-risk areas/ad-hoc duties, long separation from families/forced bachelorship, fear of disciplinary or legal action, discrimination among sub-groups, tough duty hours in inhospitable and adverse climatic conditions leading to fatigue, depression and other problems.

According to the report, there have been 642 cases of suicides and 51 fratricidal deaths in the last five years.

The draft report, accessed by News18, said the common causes of fratricides in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles are tough and occasionally challenging service conditions, unable to get leave sanctioned in time, especially when close family members are critically ill or expired. “In a few cases, it has been observed that soldiers get violent because their problems are not solved emphatically rather aggravated by colleagues.

Provocation is precipitated mainly by humiliation, criticism, family problem and non-grant of leave, use of abusive intemperate language, and unjust distribution of duties. However, out of all the factors, humiliation is seen to be the biggest provocation,” according to the report.

Apart from these issues, the draft report has also listed personal issues, which trigger incidents where a jawan kills the other jawan.

“Poor mental health, alcohol or substance abuse, stress and lack of mental robustness in the current generation which can be triggered by the slightest provocation like sudden stress, anger, feeling of being slighted, insulted or wronged, or loss of hope and feeling of vengeance,” the task force draft report says.

Sometimes, acute severe physical illness or chronic physical illness (in self or in family members), impulsiveness, aggression and acute emotional crises, marital discord are seen as other trigger points.

Preventive Measures

The home ministry appointed Task Force has suggested educating and sensitising executive commanders like Section, Platoon and Company Commanders on the issue as they are their first point of contact. Qualified men in companies for identification of vulnerable targets and educating men about mental health awareness.

The Task Force also advised to plan leave well and apply empathetic approach to sanction them, improve grievances redressal system at every level, not use abusive language, initiating psychological screening and controlled weapon access in the recruitment process.

The Union home ministry on the direction of Amit Shah set up a Task Force to prepare an action plan on “remedial measures for prevention of suicides in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR)” in 2021.

First meeting of the Task Force was held under Chairmanship of Special Secretary (IS) on December 24, 2021.

The ministry formed a Drafting Committee headed by ADG (Training), CRPF with two other members, IG (Adm), ITBP and IG (R&CA) BPR&D in February 2022 to obtain all research studies, conducted by CAPFs & Assam Rifles and prepare draft recommendations on suicide and fratricide for consideration of the Task Force.

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