Suicides double in Kangra over 2 months, traders among victims

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, May 31

Two days ago, a hardware dealer from the Chamunda Mata area, about 20 km from Dharamsala, committed suicide. His family members said he was under stress as most of his workers had fled and he was finding it difficult to restart his business.

The Kangra district police say in the last two months of the lockdown, 19 people have committed suicide. The victims belonged to Baijnath, Dharamsala, Jawali, Kangra, Palampur, Panchrukhi, Damtal, Jawalamukhi, Rakar and Nagrota Bagwan. 

The sources said most of those who have committed suicide were either small traders or people suffering from depression. The self-employed like taxi drivers, vendors and small traders have been hit particularly hard by the lockdown. Dependent on daily earnings, they have suffered severe financial strain during the last two months.

Dalip Thakur, a vendor from Dharamsala, said his children’s school had been demanding fee. “Since I have not earned anything for the past two months, my family is under stress. With curfew restrictions in Kangra, I am not able to earn anything,” he lamented.

Recently, traders in Dharamsala had met Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, Rakesh Prajapati, demanding that curfew should be relaxed for longer hours in the district. They said people from rural areas come out to shop only in the afternoon or evening. So curfew relaxation till 2 pm was of no help to them. Besides, much of the trade in Kangra is linked to hill or temple tourism, which has been shut for the past two months.

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