CRPF Launches Chaupal:
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has decided to start a ‘Chaupal’ like get-together for its personnel to vent their mental agony.
- Chaupal is a popular meeting activity in the rural areas.
- Once or twice a week, 18-20 personnel will sit in chairs in a circle outdoors, perhaps under a tree.
- The chaupal, which shall be planned beforehand, will be attended by personnel of all ranks, all of whom will be in civilian clothes.
- Company, platoon, or section commanders must necessarily be part of the chaupal “group sharing exercise”.
- Senior officials will interact with the troopers to know their difficulties and other issues which can lead to mental stress.
- Regular Yoga classes, daily exercises, counselling and other remedial measures are there in the system but something more has to be done to weed out the mental stress and fatigue of the forces.
- There have been over 100 cases of suicides in the largest para- military force from 2020 till September 2021. The highest number of fratricides have been committed in 2021.
- In 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 the number of suicides among the CRPF were 38, 38, 43 and 60, respectively.
- Reasons for Suicide:
- Domestic problems, illness, financial problems, sanction of leave to the jawans, and sometimes tough postings are some of key factors behind the suicides.
