'Tragedy, not a joke': Congress slams PM Modi's suicide joke
The Congress on Thursday criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for joking about suicide at the Republic TV conclave on Wednesday. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that Modi should not "make fun of" thousands of families who lose their children to suicide. Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra added that those laughing heartily at the "insensitive" joke should educate themselves on mental health rather than "ridiculing" it.
Why does this story matter?
Addressing the conclave, PM Modi shared a joke where a professor's daughter died by suicide. The prime minister narrated that when the professor found his daughter's suicide letter and read it, he was left disappointed not by her death but by a spelling error. According to the Wire, the joke drew cheers from the audience, and Modi was also seen laughing.
Depression, suicide not a laughing matter: Priyanka Gandhi
In response to Modi's alleged suicide joke, Priyanka said, "Depression and suicide, especially among the youth is not a laughing matter." She added that according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, more than 1.64 lakh Indians died by suicide in 2021, of which a major chunk of these people were aged below 30. "This is a tragedy, not a joke," she said.
Every day 450 people forced to commit suicide: Congress
Happy that Arnab started speaking great Hindi: Modi after joke
After the joke, Modi said he was happy that Arnab Goswami, the head of Republic TV, had picked up Hindi. He said, "Maybe you have learned Hindi properly because you have been living in Mumbai." Notably, Goswami gained popularity while working in English news channels.
Suicides saw 7.2% rise in 2021
As per NCRB data, 2021 saw a 7.2% rise in the number of suicides as compared to 2020. As per a paper in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 34.5% of those who died by suicide were aged between 18 and 30. Another 31% were between 30 and 45 years of age. Reportedly, these people belonged to India's "demographic dividend."
