No happy endings: Marital problems drove 760 people to suicide between 2016-2020 in AP

Visakhapatnam: The recent suicides of a bride and a groom hours before their marriage ceremony in two separate incidents in Vizag city has exposed the dark connection between marital problems and suicides. It's often said that marriages are for eternity. However, this doesn't necessarily mean these marriages are happy. According to the data released by NCRB, marital problems drove 760 people to suicide between 2016 and 2020 in Andhra Pradesh, an average of about 150 people a year.

Recently, 28-year-old P. Dinesh ended his life hours before his wedding at Jai Andhra Colony under Malkapuram police station limits in Vizag city.

In another incident, 22-year-old M. Srujana collapsed and died moments before the groom was to tie the nuptial knot at Madhurawada under PM Palem station limits in Vizag city. She is suspected to have consumed poison.

According to the NCRB report, Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India, the number of women who died by suicide owing to marriage-related issues was more than that of men. As per the data, 354 men and 406 women ended their lives in Andhra Pradesh between 2016 and 2020 due to marital problems. The reasons for the marriage-related suicides are non-settlement of marriages (differences between spouses), dowry, extra-marital affairs, and divorce. More men ended their lives due to extramarital affairs.

A noted psychiatrist from Vizag city, N.N Raju, said the biggest reasons for suicides are lack of patience and depression. The recent suicides in Vizag were the result of a lack of quality marriage counselling and the youngsters being unable to bear difficulties in their lives, he added.

A senior police officer on condition of anonymity said there was an incident where a newly-married man died by suicide after a quarrel with his wife who refused to cook chicken. Meanwhile, a newlywed woman ended her life because her husband did not take her to the movies and shopping. Small differences between a wife and husband led them to take such extreme steps, he added. If a bad marriage is troubling either the man or the woman, they must visit a psychiatrist for counselling or seek divorce instead of ending their lives, the police officer added.

TROUBLING NUMBERS

· Marital problems led to the suicide of around 37,560 people in the country in the past five years.

· On average, at least 20 people end their lives daily in the county due to marriage-related issues.

· The number of women who ended their lives owing to marriage-related issues was more than that of men.

· The NCRB data says 6,465 people died by suicide in AP in 2019 and 7,043 people in 2020.

· Andhra Pradesh accounted for 4.6% suicides in the country in 2020.

· Andhra Pradesh ranked 10th in deaths by suicide with a rate of 13.4 suicides per one lakh population in 2020.