GUWAHATI, June 26 - Love affairs are the major reason for suicides in Assam, with family problems and property disputes also accounting for a substantial number of such cases.
In addition, people from poor economic background and also those having less education are more prone to taking their own lives.
As per data gathered from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there were 3,231 cases of suicide in Assam in 2015, the latest year for which data is available.
Among those who committed suicide in Assam in 2015, there were 2,364 males and 867 females.
Assam contributed to 2.4 per cent of all the suicides nationally in 2015. Across India, the total number of suicide cases during the year under review stood at 1,33,623.
However, the number of suicide cases in Assam fell year-on-year by 8.9 per cent in 2014 to 3,231 as compared to 3,546 cases in 2014.
Among the causes of suicide in Assam in 2015, 887 cases were on account of love affairs.
In addition, family problems accounted for 472 cases, property disputes for 439 cases and failure in examination for 414 cases.
Among other causes, marriage-related issues accounted for 126 cases, impotency and infertility for 62 cases, illness for 213, death of near and dear ones for 61, fall in social reputation for 46, poverty for 295, unemployment for 132, suspected illicit relations for three and professional or career problems for 19 cases.
In 38 cases of suicide the causes were not known, while 24 suicides in the State in 2015 were on account of �other causes�.
It is noteworthy that among those who committed suicide in the State, 2,754 had an annual income of less than Rs one lakh, while 446 were in the Rs 1-5 lakh category, one in the Rs 5-10 lakh category and 30 had an annual income of Rs 10 lakh or above.
Most of the suicides in Assam during the year under review were carried out by hanging.
Of the total cases, 2,216 were by hanging, 10 were by consuming sleeping pills, 445 were by drowning, 70 by fire or self-immolation, seven by firearms, 165 by poison, 185 by jumping from building or moving trains, 66 were by coming under running vehicles or trains, 45 by touching electric wire and 22 were by other means.
Of all the cases of suicide, 460 were housewives, 527 were professional or salaried persons, 564 were students, 211 were unemployed persons, 1,074 were self-employed, 138 were persons engaged in the farming sector, 239 were daily wage earners, four were retired persons and 14 were �others�.
As per social status, among those who committed suicide in Assam in 2015, 877 were unmarried, 2,249 were married, 29 were widows/widowers, 24 were divorcees, 23 were separated, nine were �others�, while the status of 20 others was not known.
Of the total suicide cases, 350 had no education, 641 had studied up to class V, 967 had studied up to class VIII, 703 were matriculates, 559 had studied up to higher secondary, eight were graduates and above, while the status of three was not known.
