Chennai: Rotary Club of Chennai Infocity (Rotary International District 3232) today announced the findings on the major causes behind increasing instances of suicide related deaths in the state of Tamil Nadu. This initiative has been created under the aegis of the Rotary Rainbow Project, an initiative to support the continued education of children from the families of suicide victims. Rtn. Sridhar, Chairman – (Advisor- Rotary; Founder – Rotary Frontier Health Economy and Literacy Projects [ROFHELP]) & Ms. Eshita, Founder, Black & White Enterprise handed over cheques as monetary support to help with the educational expenses of the kids of the deceased.
Tamil Nadu ranked second in the country in terms of the number of suicides reported in 2021, as per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, with the state recording 18,925 suicides, behind Maharashtra with 22,207 such cases. According to the NCRB data, Tamil Nadu contributed 11.5 percent to the total number of suicides registered across the country last year.
Commenting on the findings, Rtn. Sridhar, (Advisor- Rotary; Founder – Rotary Frontier Health Economy and Literacy Projects [ROFHELP]) said, “In many cases, the family members of those who have lost a dear one to suicide, especially the spouses, also tend to commit suicide due to the lack of emotional guidance and support needed to help them to cope with the aftermath of the sudden upheaval in their lives. And to provide the required support, it’s important to know from the family as to what exactly led to their dear one take the extreme step. Many a time there is a huge gap between the perception and the reality, which only the closest family members know about. This helps us to work around that real reason, so that no one else from the family follows the deceased member’s footsteps for the same reason.”
As part of the Rainbow project, Rotary Club of Chennai Infocity has identified many such families who are in dire need of assistance to educate a child, post a family member (in most cases the breadwinner) committing suicide. The team have visited these families in person to understand the root cause of the suicides and their present situation.
During the course of conversations with these families, the team came across some startling revelations. In a case, a mother of a young school going child committed suicide. The real reason behind it was the money that she had saved to support her child’s education, by working as a domestic help, was taken away by the alcoholic husband.
The Rotary Rainbow Project has been supporting this family of the deceased victims.
“Death of a dear one is never easy to cope with. However much we do cannot suffice for the personal loss of the family. As part of the Rainbow project, we try to find out the actual reason(s) that led to a suicide and to help the families of suicide victims with the required emotional and monetary support till the time they become self-reliant. Also, as part of our Literacy mission, we ensure that children of those who committed suicide don’t discontinue their education for lack of money and mentorship & guidance,” adds Ms. Eshita, Founder, Black & White Enterprise.
Moreover, mental health and death by suicide are extremely complex and sensitive subjects. Suicide is rarely caused by a single circumstance or event and is an outcome of a combination of multiple factors. The matter requires in-depth research, and a genuine attempt to arrive at the root cause, rather than simplistic and sensational attribution.
Under the Rainbow Project, families of suicide victims are regularly guided through counselling sessions and also employment opportunities for the spouses of the deceased to sustain a secure future.
