Wave of suicides engulfs Indian village: locals blame demons, science blames pesticides

A tiny village in central India has seen an unprecedented 80 suicides since the beginning of the year. Locals blame it on demon spirits, but some researchers say pesticides could be behind widespread depression.

The village of Badi in Khargone district has 320 families and each one has lost at least one family member to suicide, the newly elected head of the village, Rajendra Sisodiya, told The Times of India.

Sisodiya took over as head of the village only after his cousin Jeevan, the former head, hanged himself from a tree in front of his house. Sisodiya’s mother and brother also took their own lives.

Badi, which is home to 2,500 residents, has recorded over 350 suicides in the last two decades. But recently, things became much worse —during the first three months of 2016 there were 80 suicides, according to Amit Singh, of the district police office.
The village head says a “demonic presence” is responsible for all the suicides. However, some researchers point to severe cases of depression caused by excessive use of pesticides.

The Times of India interviewed psychiatrist Dr Srikanth Reddy, who said that the suicides are likely caused by depression and schizophrenic episodes, which could be triggered by excessive use of pesticides when farming.

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“Depression isn't something people here are easily able to relate to or identify. When they are unable to find any reason, they associate it with locally explainable phenomenon like demonic presence,” Reddy said.

“In a study some years ago in China, where a large number of farmers in a particular area were committing suicide, it was found that insecticides used there contained organophosphate, which is highly toxic and causes depressive mental conditions.”

Villagers have tried to put a stop to suicides by banning alcohol, but that just seemed to encourage locals to visit neighboring villages to get drinks.

Khargone is included on the list of India's 250 most backwards and poor districts, with many superstitions influencing the locals.

Across the globe, a similar problem is plaguing Canada's First Nation community of Attawapiskat in northern Ontario.

There have been 9 attempted suicide/overdoses yesterday. Pray for Attawapiskat
— Chief Shisheesh (@BruceShisheesh) 4 мая 2016 г.

The community's spike in suicides, with some 100 attempts since September, forced it to declare a state of emergency in early April. Attawapiskat's Chief Bruce Shisheesh told the BBC that the youngest resident who tried to attempt suicide was just 11 years old.

http://www.rt.com/news/342170-india-cursed-village-suicides/ * Embedded links*


-Related-----

Topic: Suicide Tide In Indigenous Communities

http://m.mingle2.com/topic/show/477990/

Wow that is terrible. The story didn't show, if they know the pesticide or who is responsible.

Wow that is terrible. The story didn't show, if they know the pesticide or who is responsible.

damn things are close to Chemical Warfare Nerve-Agents!

Another village...

Indian village chooses death over hunger

In eastern India, crop failure due to a severe two-year drought is pushing one village to take extreme measures. The inhabitants are threatening to commit mass suicide.

In the village of Jarad in a remote part of eastern India, Surendra Karmali lives alongside his family, including his little grandson. While his life may look like a happy picture, the reality is quite the opposite.

With no food to eat, Surendra and over 20 other farmers in the small village of about 300 families have threatened to commit mass suicide.

“Ultimately we all have to die one day, so why suffer like this every day? It’s better to die now,” says farmer Surendra Karmali. “We are so helpless that we’ve come to the conclusion that committing suicide is the best option. No one would like to die early, but without food to eat, how many days can a person want to live?”

The region has had an acute drought for two years now. This has driven villagers from Jarad to write a letter to the President of India and the state Governor asking for rations and irrigation facilities. If help fails to arrive, they say they will commit suicide.

“We requested immediate food aid from the governor… For the long-term, some development work that could provide us with employment, such as digging a new well and improving the road to our village, which is in a bad state,” says villager Joginder Singh Kharwal.

The farmers are desperate as the entire state of Jharkhand grapples with a 42% rainfall deficit this year. Julay Munda showed the RT crew his field which should have been full of crops at this time of year, but lies barren instead.

“We have used up all our seeds, but for the last two years, there has not been enough water for our crops to grow. Seeing the desperate situation in our homes, we are thinking, ‘What is the point of living?’” says villager Julay Munda.

The suicide request has jolted the local administration into action. Promises of food and development have been made, but little has actually reached the village. Officials at the district headquarters did not respond to RT’s request for an interview. Meanwhile, in Jarad, villagers wait for the promised aid.

“All the senior officials have visited us from the local administration, along with our elected Member of Parliament. They have given us assurances, but I don’t know when to expect action – it may take five days, fifteen days or a month. We are rural folk, and clearly not so important to the government,” Joginder Singh Kharwal says.

With the entire village driven to despair, the government will have to take urgent steps to prevent this from turning into a major crisis.

https://www.rt.com/news/india-village-suicide-hunger/

This is all I could find. (on the OP/ first villege) And I am NOT buying it.

Scientists Uncover Mystery of 80 Suicides in ‘Demonic’ Indian Village
http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160508/1039251009/demonic-indian-village.html/