Curb fratricide

In two cases of fratricide in two days, a jawan gunned down four of his colleagues at a BSF camp in Amritsar district and another BSF jawan shot himself dead after killing his colleague in Murshidabad, West Bengal. In November last year, four CRPF personnel were shot dead by a jawan in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district. These shocking incidents have raised doubts about the efficacy of the steps being taken by the armed forces to address stress, depression and other mental health issues faced by the troops. After the 2021 incident, the CRPF had issued a fresh advisory asking its formations to monitor mental stress among the personnel. At least 18 CRPF men have lost their lives in 13 cases of fratricide since 2018.

The Defence Institute of Psychological Research, which has conducted several studies to pinpoint the factors causing stress among troops, has made recommendations to tackle the problem. These include rationalising grant of leave; decreasing workload; reduction in the tenure of deployment; hiking pay and allowances; improvement in living conditions; building better relations between the officers and men; holding training programmes on stress management and psychological counselling; and scaling up recreational activities. The Union Government has repeatedly spelt out the measures initiated to create a healthy environment for defence personnel, including yoga and meditation classes, periodic welfare meetings and a ‘Mansik Sahayata’ helpline. It needs to be assessed whether these initiatives are making a difference on the ground.

Prompt redressal of grievances can prevent jawans from taking desperate action. Timely detection of fratricidal and suicidal tendencies can help in preventing violence. The tough conditions in which the troops perform their duty take a heavy toll on some of them. The focus should be on defusing tension through dialogue. Those who indulge in harassment or bullying of their subordinates must be sternly warned to mend their ways; if they don’t do the needful, punitive proceedings should be initiated against them. Exemplary action can work as a deterrent to ensure that personnel at all levels work in unison and not shed each other’s blood.