Bhubaneswar: Family is considered as a vital institution in India which plays a significant role in society. However, with changing times, the institution is crumbling fast leaving huge repercussions on the common citizens.
Many hapless individuals are unfortunately ending their lives after failing to cope with marital or family discord. Analysis of available data has revealed that disputes in family life have become a humungous problem in Odisha.
Odisha is among the top states in the country where maximum number of suicides take place due to family problems.
According to information, as many as 3904 persons committed suicide in Odisha in 2016. The suicide cases in the state rose to 4582 in 2019. The state witnessed a rise of almost 17.50 percent increase in the suicides during the last four years.
However, the most disturbing part of the data has been the rising percentage of family problems among all other causes for the suicides in Odisha.
As many as 651 persons ended their lives for family problems constituting around 24.50 percent of the total 3904 suicides that took place in 2016. The serious deterioration in family as an institution can be gauged from the fact that suicides due to family disturbances has increased from 651 in 2016 to 2779 in 2019. Meanwhile, family problems were the reason behind 60.7 percent of the total suicide cases in Odisha in 2019.
Only Uttarakhand with 76.4 has higher percentage of family problem related suicides in 2019. However, total cases of suicides in the state was a lowly 394.
Odisha recorded a slight decline in number of suicides in 2019 as against 4592 in 2018. However, the percentage of suicides for family related issues rose around 30 percent in 2019 as compared to the previous year.
Similarly, data collected from various sources in connection with the number of divorce cases revealed an alarming rise in disturbances in families as well.
The number divorce cases filed in the Bhubaneswar Family Court stood at 650 in 2015 which rose to 1095 in 2019. As many as 920 divorce pleas, 300 in November, were filed with the court in 2020, sources said.
According to family councillors, almost 60 per cent of the recently filed divorce pleas were due to alleged extramarital relationships. Besides, lack of joint family, ego clashes among couples and intervention of in-laws in marital affairs of the couples also led to marital discords.
Gyan Ranjan Mohapatra, OP
