SUICIDES AND FRATRICIES IN CAPFs- URGENT NEED FOR REALISTIC PREVENTIVE MEASURES

Mother Teresa said  " I alone can not change the world but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples" My blog is an effort inspired by her words and wisdom.

 1. Life is a  beautiful and precious gift of God. Lucky are those who don  uniform in the service of country . I  donned uniform as part of  Army and BSF for about 35 years and feel attached to men  in uniform. I feel  distressed and sad  at every life lost due to suicide and fratricide by men in uniform. Hence this blog is to suggest measures to Ministry of Home Affairs task force on suicides and fratricides to prevent them. Though some of  suggestions may seem not easy to implement however, if  positively considered  will help in preventing suicides and fratricides which occur at irregular intervals. Every life lost is followed by distress,  set pattern of  questions in media,  parliament and standard replies concerning actions  initiated to prevent such incidents. However there is little perceptible change  on ground. The measures initiated are either not  implemented  effectively  or are not effective enough  to tackle the menace. We as  members of serving and retired CAPF fraternity need to remember that every life lost due to suicide and fratricide is pointer towards our incompetence and failure   to save a precious life. 2. "MHA seeks report from CAPF on 100-day plan for jawans"  The Tribune dated 20 July 2020. The idea to give 100 days leave was first mooted by  Honourable Home Minister Sh Amit Shah in 2019 with aim to provide rest, recuperation and quality time to personnel with families with purpose to reduce stress and enhance happiness quotient of troopers which will be effectively reduce suicides and fratricide killings. The plan is yet to be made fully operational and forces are yet to develop a software which was going to be precursor to at least 100 days with family per year. The proposal is yet to be implemented.

3. "BSF constable fires at colleagues, five killed". "Not related to duty hours: BSF IG".  The Tribune dated 07 March 2022. "BSF Jawan kills colleague, shoots self in Bengal" The Tribune dated 08 March 2022. "Taskforce to study fratricide in CAPF too. In view of back to back incidents of  fratricide in BSF, the union ministry of Home Affairs  has asked the taskforce on suicides in the central armed police forces (CAPFs) to study reasons behind such killings. 25 incidents of fratricide reported from 2019-21,11 of them in CRPF.9 in BSF"  The Tribune dated 09 March 22.

4..In reply to  Lok Sabha  untarred question 3880 by Sh S P  Muddahanume Gowda and Sh C S Putta Raju  Ministry of Home Affairs shared the data on suicides and fratricides on 09 August 2016. As per data between 2013  and till 30 June 2016 , there have been total 284 cases of suicide and 137 cases of fratricide/killing/firing at colleagues. The force wise data for both  is as follows:- CRPF-139,BSF-133,,ITBP-28,SSB-28,CISF-59.AR-33. Maximum number of suicides have been in CRPF followed by CISF and maximum number of fratricides have been in BSF followed by CISF. As per reply of Ministry of Home Affairs, causes/circumstances behind most of the cases are found to be due to personal/domestic problems, illness etc. Though  true but indirectly these causes also emanate from service related factors.

5. As per 231st (Two hundred thirty first report) of Department Related standing committee of MHA para 4.3.36 " The committee observes that in a span of one year (2020),134 persons have committed suicide in CAPFs. In the CRPF the number of persons who committed suicide is the highest ie 53.The committee recommends that proper study should be conducted to to analyse the reasons as to why the force personnel are taking such drastic step. Moreover, facilities like adequate leave, communication, better  treatment of ailing family members, quick disbursement of pension and Risk and hardship allowance etc should be provided to CAPF personnel as incentives which will help to reduce their stress level to a great extent"

6. Excerpts from editorial in the The Tribune dated 08 March 2022 " The defence Institute of Psychological Research(DIPR),which conducted several studies to pinpoint the factors causing stress among troops has made recommendations to tackle the problem. These include rationalising  grant of leave, decreased workload, reduction in tenure of deployment, hiking pay and allowances, improvement in living conditions, building better relations between officers and men, holding training programmes on stress management and psychological counselling and scaling recreational activities. The Union government has repeatedly spelt out measures initiated to create a healthy environment  for defence personnel, including yoga and meditation classes, periodic welfare meetings and a Mansik sahayata helpline. It needs to be assessed whether these initiatives are making difference on ground"

7. As per Hindustan Times 15 March ,2022,India News report ,the Honourable Supreme court is too concerned with Suicides and fratricides in CAPFs. Court allowed a petition seeking psychiatric  counselling and periodic mental health assessment for soldiers in central paramilitary forces and said. " LET US GIVE AUTHORITIES A CHANCE" a bench of justice Abdul Nazeer and Krishna Murari said after noticing  the petitioners Mahabir Singh and T Unnikrishanan retired from CRPF directly approached the Supreme Court.

 8. The hard fact of matter is that various  measures /initiatives to prevent such incidents   have certainly made difference on ground but more need to be done keeping ground realities and practical difficulties which troops face on societal and service front. An  in-depth  analysis of factors responsible for suicides and fratricides need to be done and the task force appointed for this purpose in addition to  analysis of existing cases based upon findings of court of enquiries (COIs) of all CAPFs need to analyse probable reasons for suicides and fratricides. The analysis has to be realistic  and effective measures taken to prevent suicides and fratricides. The some of the probable reasons could be  as under 

       (a)   SERVICE/WORK RELATED STRESS FACTORS

                (i)  Large scale vacancies in  CAPFs and increased work load-As per 224th report of                                    Department  Related parliamentary standing committee report of Ministry of                                                   Home Affairs -Demands for  grants (2020-2021),there exists total 103367 ie 11 percent                                 vacancies in CAPFs. As on 01 Jan 2019   the  vacancies are as follows-AR-                                                   7%,BSF-8%,CISF- 8%,CRPF-7% ITBP- 7% and SSB-18%.  Even after filling 60,210                                  vacancies  through  constable (GD) exam 2018, the net vacancies still remains almost                                       same since recruitment cycle takes about two years plus to complete. 

                 (ii) Long and continuous duty hours in hostile environment in extreme difficult terrain and                                     weather conditions.

                  (iii)  Inadequate rest and relief.

                  (iv)  Living conditions-Inadequate and improper accommodation for troops and families.

                  (v)  Disconnected top echelons and demoralised executive leadership  leading to gaps                                         /deficiencies in man management

                 (vi)  Unmanageable and unwieldy battalion structure impacts  effective and efficient                                         functioning in terms of man management.                     .

                 (viii)  Stagnation-In para 4.3.19 committee talks of service conditions including                                                 stagnation.  Stagnation and adverse service conditions lead to frustration and                                                     dissatisfaction  leading to inefficiency and unprofessional approach.                                                                 Committee further says  "CAPF personnel are not get leave  when they  need it. So there is                             dissatisfaction, suicides,  fratricide etc. Therefore,  the committee                                                                      recommends that there is urgent need to address  the issue of                                                                           leave management of the CAPFs".

                (viii)  Undercurrent of dissatisfaction and frustration due to favouritism approach in                                             appointments/selection of  personal staff, attachments, and soft postings at higher hq,                                         duty allocation  influenced by  regionalism.

               (ix)  Higher age profile- Difficulties in  performing  long arduous duties due to  physical                                     fitness and medical issues-Shifting of work load on young physically fit personnel                                             causes heartburn and dissatisfaction.

                (x)   Dilution in basic training regimen thus effecting physical and mental robustness and                                     professionalism.  

               (xi)  Lack of individual and collective training dilutes and destroys  professionalism.                                          Disorganises individual and group professionally effecting operations and administration. Makes a                   soldier  mentally   and  emotionally weak unable to withstand hardship and stress both on service                       and personal  front effecting service and personal life. Collective training is continuously being                         diluted and reduced in length, content and quality due to operational and administrative commitments.

           (b)   PERSONAL/DOMESTIC STRESS FACTORS- The domestic /personal stress to                                 very   large extent  is  caused by factors which emanate from service related issues                                           could  be as under:-

                  (i) FAMILY- Disharmonious relations  between in-laws and spouse due to various                                             factors like economic and social status of wife and her family, insistence on                                                      staying   with  in-laws and failure of husband to strike balance causes stress and                                               tension on   duty.

                 (ii) CARE OF CHILDREN -Education of children especially from 9th to 12th                                                 standard and    children going  astray during adolescent years                                                                           not listening  to mother due to lack of fatherly  supervision- 

                (iii) MEDICAL/HEALTH ISSUES- Causing turbulence in personal relations.

                (iv) Long separation and  extra marital issues leading to turbulence in personal life

                (v)  Adverse comments/social media bullying by seniors /peers at the level of platoon                                         commander/ASIs/HCs and constables  on social and personal issue like not having                                         issues/children leading to mental exhaustion and stress.

                 (vi) Financial stress- Not able to strike balance between financial obligations like                                              loan payment and personal/domestic expenses leading to financial difficulties and                                                     unmitigated stress.

                 (viii)  Bullying based upon regional factors- Speaking /using insulting language for                                              region causing frustration and feeling of revenge ignites.

                  (viii) Misplaced psychological feeling of impotency trigger for extreme  step.                                                             

                                       MEASURES  TO PREVENT SUICIDES AND FRATRICIDES

        9.     Attrition rate in CAPFs is very high due to stagnation and very limited promotional avenues. In                 addition, the service  environment is difficult  due to long and continuous duties in harsh, difficult terrain              and         geographical  conditions. There  is isolation and separation from families for quite long time                 and          monotony which effects an individual physically and mentally. His emotional strength is further             effected by  domestic and service related stress factors. The inability to address domestic issues and                  hostile duty   environment causes mental upheaval triggering violence in the form of                                           suicide/Fratricide /killing of  colleague. Practical measures in conformity with realities of    soldiers                     life and addressing of organisational  deficiencies  need to be taken to prevent such                                       incidents. The  following is suggested to prevent suicides and   fratricides:-  

                   (a)   Expedite Recruitment process to fill up large backlog of vacancies. The recruitment cycle                             periodicity need to be shortened otherwise there is  little improvement on ground in vacancy                             position due to high  attrition rate thus putting stress on existing manpower.

                   (b)  Large number of low medical category personnel  put pressure  on physically and mentally fit                     manpower thus putting them under stress. All low medical category   personnel                                                 be given handsome disability benefits and boarded out. Priority be given to them in civil jobs both                     government and private as per suitability.

                  (c)  Address stagnation, the cause of high attrition rate and demoralisation.                                                     Promote personnel in accordance with laid  down residency norms or else provide financial                             benefit immediately after the residency period instead of present norms of MACP which may be                     okay for civil services but not for uniformed services involved in national security.

                 (d)   Trim the unmanageable and unwieldy battalion structure.  The present structure                                          is   administratively unmanageable. For professional management the battalion  structure be                               reduced to half of current organisational structure of battalion which means division of one battalion                   into  about two battalions . Will immensely help in   effective man management.

                 (e)    Do away with all kinds of attachments with  battalion and higher headquarters. Instead                             authorise manpower to meet functional needs based upon existing attachments. If  not possible                         to do so, lay down strict parameters for attachments  to check favouritism                                                         influenced by regionalism. It leads to  groupings causing frustration, dissatisfaction and jealously.

                  (f)   Introduce psychological tests in recruitment to assess suitability of an individual for unique job                     of national security which demands sacrifices in terms of family and social life and even extreme                        sacrifice for national security.

                   (g)   Restore  practically diminished and diluted  old system of  interaction and knowledge of                             men and  their families by  platoon and company commanders. Company  commander must                             know men in  terms of    the  composition of family to include parents, brothers                                                 /sisters, wife ,children, economic status of  family, family    issues in terms of                                                     revenue,  personal and family disputes. Individuals professional  qualification, status of                                     promotion and  in-service courses, physical and  mental health issues and                                                          financial/family issues and leave status .

                   (h)  For this to happen and accountability to be fixed ensure permanency of company commanders                     tenure at least for five years.

                 (i)   Do not post newly inducted officers in staff unless they complete  five years of service as                             company commander and  platoon commanders to enable them to understand                                                 company and platoon functioning and man management.

                 (j)   Lower age profile- Higher age profile of 60 years is unsuitable for role and tasks envisaged for                 CAPFs. Lower age profile for all ranks including battalion command.

                  (k)   Update personnel on social media hazards and its negative impacts on personal and                                 professional life and limits of social media interaction by service personnel. 

                 (l)    Impartial and honest conduct of command at every level  in rewards and punishments to earn                  faith and trust of under command and setting example through high standard of physical and mental                     fitness and ethical and moral  personal conduct. 

                 (m)   Empathy towards men especially in resolution of their family and social problems maintaining                      due secrecy and without ridiculing them.

                  (n)   Keep a tag on social media bullies amongst men to prevent untoward incidents.

                  (o)   Physically fit troops   are also mentally robust and emotionally strong to endure  rigorous of                     hard ,tough arduous service life and  withstand isolation and separation at family front. Physical and                  mental robustness comes through hard and tough training which unfortunately stands diluted to a                     very large extent due to commitments and non availability of time. Need is to restore old glory of                     training for professionalism, national security and welfare of men and their families. Adhoc measures                  will not help.  It will also strengthen discipline as effectively trained soldier is disciplined soldier.

                  (p)    Restore regimentation. It will help in developing close knit family environment and                                     camaraderie on personal and professional front  among command and under command. It will                         make units and subunits  better trained entities and check negative vibes since all men act to                             ensure positive name and glory and regimental traditions and history  of unit in the name of                                 regimentation.

                (q)  Strengthen grievances redressal mechanism and address grievances on priority. Do not                             procrastinate in resolving grievances of men.

                 (r) The  suggestion may seem regressive but need consideration in the interest of role and                                 task and ground specific duties required to be performed by CAPF men in border guarding and non                 border guarding  CAPFs. Revisit basis minimum qualification for  men in General duty                                    stream. Cap the maximum  qualification  for GD duties at 12th.and make all men from middle till                         12th eligible for entry in General duty stream as constables. Higher qualification of graduation be                     only   kept  for direct  entry platoon  commanders and officers/specialised entries.

                (s)  Introduce smart  technology as part of Comprehensive integrated border management                                 system(CIBMS) along with existing systems to reduce manpower intensive border guarding and                     internal security functions to reduce long and continuous duty hours thus reduce stress.

                 (t) Ensure regular exhaustive  Physical fitness training at least for one hour in the morning session                     and ensure at least seventy percent attendance.

.                (u)   Organise  psychological counselling sessions for men at regular intervals.

         10.    CAPFs are known for professional handling of disputes and robust grievance redressal mechanism.             However suicides and fratricides at irregular intervals point towards deficiencies in grievance redressal             mechanism, diluted and diminishing  training effecting physical and mental robustness, increasing gap                between men and command. Urgent steps need to be taken to  address physical                                            ,mental and emotional issues confronting men due to changed family and social                                                 environment. CAPFs need to ensure effective ,hard and robust training to make men  physically strong                 and mentally robust and enhance camaraderie between officers and men . Effective and hard training             will         enhance professionalism ,discipline and  coupled with implementation of suggested measures             will prevent  and  bring   down and suicides and fratricides in CAPFs.