Khushi Doshi
Published on: March 10, 2022 at 12:26 IST
A Public Interest Litigation filed in the Supreme Court has sought urgent correction of the Traditional Emphasis on Bravery and Physical Fitness, which has largely glossed over stress-related Mental Health Issues among Armed Police Officials in Conflict Zones, resulting in an unacceptable high number of suicides and fatricidal incidents.
According to two retired CRPF personnel in their PIL, 148 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel deployed in Naxal-affected Bastar district committed suicide between 2007 and 2019. However, the depressing statistics did not compel authorities to conduct a proper study to assess the Mental Health of Personnel deployed in troubled areas in order to take concrete preventive measures, they claimed.
Shilpa Liza George, Counsel for the Petitioners, stated that in August of last year, Union Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai informed the Rajya Sabha that 680 personnel had committed suicide in the previous six years. Despite this, the Government has remained silent on the strict implementation of well-intended laws such as the Mental Health Act of 2017 and the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016 — in the CAPFs.
Petitioners Mahavir Singh and T Unnikrishnan, both of whom retired as CRPF sub-inspectors, asked the Supreme Court to order the Union government and CAPFs to
“Perform specific Mental Health Assessments of all their Personnel on a regular basis to ensure that they are not only physically but also mentally fit while on duty.”
According to National Crime Records Bureau data, 439 CAPFs Personnel committed Suicide between 2014 and 2019, while 220 CAPFs personnel were killed on duty, indicating a dire situation that demanded immediate attention.
CAPF was unable to spend its entire budgeted allocation of Rs 619.63 crore (2018-20). They stated that the funds should be used to improve the health of Armed Police officers and to hire Trained Psychiatrists to ensure that all soldiers and CAPF personnel are both Physically and Mentally Fit.
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