Aizawl: Suicide has outdone drug overdose and alcoholism as the biggest killers of youths in Mizoram with 235 people, majority of them youth, having committed suicide during the last three years. As much as 49 per cent of those taking their own lives from 2009 to 2011 were between the age group of 15 to 29, Aizawl Superintendent of Police Lalbiakthanga Khiangte told at a press conference held on Tuesday.
In 2009, police registered 69 cases of suicide which jumped to 76 in 2010. It again increased to 90 in 2011, taking the total number of suicides during the three years to 235.
“Of the total cases of suicides, 114 involved young people aged between 15 to 29, constituting 49 per cent. While 87 were aged between 30 to 44, there were 21 people between 45 to 59 years of age.
There were eight people below 14 and five people above 60,” Mr Khiangte informed.
Pointing out that 88 per cent of people ending their lives were male, the police official asked, “Can this be an indication that men are more susceptible to hardships in life than the weaker sex?”
Only 29 women committed suicide during the last three years, and hanging was the commonest method of all.
As many as 120 cases of suicides during the last three years took place in Aizawl district, which alone witnessed 63 suicides during the last year. (UNI)
