Ludhiana: There is some relief for the city as Ludhiana recorded a slight drop in suicide cases in 2024 as compared to the previous year, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report. However, illness — mainly mental illness or insanity — continued to be the leading cause of such deaths.The NCRB report shows that 320 suicide cases were reported in Ludhiana city in 2024, of which 231 involved men and the remaining women. In 2023, the city recorded 339 suicide cases, indicating a decline of 5.6%. The fall comes after two consecutive years of increase. The highest year-on-year rise was recorded in 2020, when cases jumped by 39.8%.In the region, Amritsar reported 52 suicide cases in 2024, while Chandigarh (city) recorded 96. Chandigarh saw the steepest decline in cases in the region at 36%, followed by Amritsar with a drop of 7.1%.An analysis of sub-categories for Ludhiana reveals that illness accounted for the largest number of suicides in 2024. A total of 230 cases were attributed to illness, including 167 men and 63 women. Of these, 219 deaths were due to insanity or mental illness — 159 men and 60 women. Illness was the leading cause in 2023 as well, accounting for 227 suicides, with 210 linked to insanity or mental illness.The report notes that two students — one male and one female — died by suicide in 2024 due to failure in examinations, three fewer than in 2023. Marital issues led 15 people, seven men and eight women, to end their lives. Poverty was cited as the reason in seven cases, while 11 suicides were linked to drug abuse or alcohol addiction, up from five in the previous year.Unemployment led to two suicide cases, property disputes to four, and love affairs to five. Bankruptcy or indebtedness was cited in five cases, all involving men, while three deaths were attributed to professional or career-related problems.Experts said more than 300 suicide cases in a single year remain a matter of concern for the city.Ludhiana-based psychiatrist Dr Anshu Gupta said although there has been a marginal decline, suicide numbers in the city continue to be high. He pointed out that the dominance of insanity or mental illness as a cause suggests that people are either not seeking timely help or are treating suicidal ideation casually.“These problems cannot be taken lightly. Family members and people around such individuals need to be extremely vigilant so that they do not take such extreme steps. In today’s era, many people live more in a virtual world than the physical one, which has also contributed to the issue. Growing matrimonial disharmony is another factor pushing people towards such thoughts,” Dr Gupta said.He added that lifestyle changes, meditation and pursuing hobbies could play a role in reducing such cases.
