Suicides witness during pandemic periods in Jammu & Kashmir like several states and union territories of the country shows that economic slowdown and joblessness triggered by back to back two covid lockdown in last two years is apparently the cause of rising intensity in the suicide incidents. Since most of the persons committing suicides are youth it is quite evident that economic distress triggered apparently by jobless is the cause of rising incidents of suicides in Jammu & Kashmir. Though in some cases cause of suicides could be the increasing intensity in social evils but apparently the economic distress triggering joblessness is the cause of most of the suicide attempts reported from both Kashmir valley and as well as Jammu division week after week and month after month. Without focus on welfare schemes for jobless educated youth the rising incidents of suicides can’t be reduced in the post pandemic times. So the rising incidents of suicides have not only triggered an unprecedented crisis of mental health issues but has also thrown up challenges of generating more and more employment avenues both in the private and public sectors. Henceforth the only remedial measure is obviously a two pronged strategy demanding greater focus on both the treatment of mental health ailment and as well as the expansion and extension of both the existing and new business activities across Jammu & Kashmir. Since greater focus on mental health issues is not possible without priority for investments on upgradation of mental health infrastructure, it is imperative for the government to fix the priorities for investments in health sector with the unprecedented change in health scenario.
Whatever may be the causes and consequences of the rising incidents of suicides in Jammu & Kashmir the workable remediable measures revolve around the upgradation of the mental health care infrastructural facilities and encouragement of private investments in social service sectors through a flexible process of public financing.
Similarly for greater focus on employment the scope for extension and expansion of existing and new business opportunities in the social service sectors is an unavoidable compulsion keeping in view the fact that creating more jobs for the people in public sector amid increasing economic stress is a huge challenge for the Government in Jammu & Kashmir as is the case with the governments in other states and union territories of the country. By all standards of understandabilities the increasing joblessness can be reduced only by increasing the private investments in social service sectors for keeping in view the increasing intensity of economic stress in Jammu & Kashmir. Whatever may be the causes and consequences of the rising incidents of suicides in Jammu & Kashmir the workable remediable measures revolve around the upgradation of the mental health care infrastructural facilities and encouragement of private investments in social service sectors through a flexible process of public financing.
