CHANDIGARH: The city beautiful is ranked at 21 in comparison to various States/UT's in terms of suicides in 2007, while the rate of suicides per lakh is 8.8.

This is shown in the survey done by Chandigarh police. It claims that Delhi stands number one in sucide rates (1492) followed by Pondicherry (526). It also showed that seven UT's together accounted for 1.9 per cent of the total suicides in the country, while, chandigarh's percentage share in total suicides remain 0.1 per cent. On an average 16 teenagers are ending their lives everyday due to various reasons. The same trend of suicide is witnessed in cases of suicides in the city.

If we gaze at the all over the country we can see Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal account for 36-38 per cent of all suicides.  SK Jain, IG, Chandigarh Police told, "Chandigarh has witnessed 75 suicides in 2004 which rose to 89 in 2005, 80 in 2006, 88 in 2007 and 36 in 2008 up till now."

"The increase in suicides in 2004 figures ranged between 10 to 15 persons during the last three years," he added.

Jain explained, "It is the youth between the age group of 15-29 who is most vulnerable to suicide as in 2007, 29 males and 21 females committed suicide, which is about 43 per cent of the total suicides."

" Another vulnerable group is between 30 to 44 years where 31 males and 7 females have committed suicides which is about 43 per cent of total suicides," he said.

"The main reasons found for the suicides here during 2007 were depression, family problems, stress, pressure of study, failure in examination in examination etc., profession wise 21 per cent employed in private jobs, 18 per cent house wives, 15 per cent labourers, 8 per cent unemployed persons, 4 per cent students and 3 per cent businessmen and 14 per cent belonging to other categories who committed suicides, Jain clarified"

Due to urban pressure, study and failure in examinations is the most common cause for suicides as the child thinks that he is not able to fulfill his parents expectations and feels so as to he will not able
to face them thus commits suicide. This year we also find six children below 20 years who committed suicide, jain commented.

 Prof. R C Sobti stated, "More of the young people in comparison to the older ones experience a depressive episode. Suicide rates among teens have risen 25 per cent in the past 15 years. I have seen many cases of teen depression in both - girls and boys, although somewhat more in girls."

"It is the fault of parents who put burden on child's brain which tend to coincides with adolescence to academic pressures. Parents expectations makes child become more self-aware, and self-conscious, and their thinking becomes more critical and complex. At the same time they lack in academic motivation and performance as their attentions dived in on many things, as parents wants him to do, especially creating an identity for themselves," he added.

Sobti said, "One of the main cause of childhood and teen stress is negligence of their parents. With this a child shows emotional disabilities, aggressive behaviour, shyness, social phobia and often lack interest in otherwise enjoyable activities."

Vijender Jain, Chief Justice, Punjab & Haryana High Court, said, "Everything begins from ourselves. It is we only who have to teach the child that how should he deal with a particular situation and if we
are forcing our wish on him he'll certainly turn his mind towards the same."