Couple commits suicide, leave behind five children

Nagyo Bheel, Parsan lived in abject poverty, were unable to feed children for days

TANDO ALLAHYAR:

The rising inflation is making life difficult for people as they cannot manage two square meals a day. An extremely poor couple in village Moreo Sand of Tando Allahyar has committed suicide last week after failing to feed their five children.

According to their neighbours, Nagyo Bheel and his wife Parsan lived in abject poverty and were unable to even feed their five children for several days. Unable to see her children crying in hunger, Parsan ended her life and two days later Bheel also committed suicide by hanging himself to a tree.

Villagers said that Bhel, who was a labourer, has been unable to find work for several days and the family did not have anything to eat at home.

The couple's five children now sit helpless and shelter-less as their house has already been swept away by last year's floods.

SSP Tando Allahyar has ordered an investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, In the desert district of Tharparkar, the SSP Office has maintained a record of 126 people committing suicide in 2022. Majority of these were between the ages of 21 and 40. This is not much different from last year when 115 people were reported to have committed suicide in the district, 99 of whom were Hindus.

As per human rights activists, poverty and the lack of adequate health facilities are the main reasons for suicide in Sindh.

Besides poverty, social customs, marginalisation and social and class discrimination were cited by locals as the reasons for the increasing suicide rate in Tharparkar. Issues related to mental health were also among causes for the people taking their own lives.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2023.