'Tragedy, not a joke': Congress slams PM Modi's suicide joke
What's the story
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.
Context
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.
Reaction
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.
Twitter Post
Every day 450 people forced to commit suicide: Congress
प्रधानमंत्री जी 'आत्महत्या' पर 'चुटकुला' सुना रहे हैं।
— Congress (@INCIndia) April 27, 2023
आत्महत्या को लेकर कोई भी इंसान इतना संवेदनहीन कैसे हो सकता है?
सरकारी आंकड़े बताते हैं- 2021 में 1.64 लाख से ज्यादा भारतीयों ने खुदकुशी की।
हमारे देश में हर रोज 450 लोग आत्महत्या करने को मज़बूर हैं और प्रधानमंत्री के लिए… pic.twitter.com/qVtJTZqavI
Information
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.
Stats
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."