Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, was criticized by lawmakers and activists for making an "insensitive" joke about suicide.
According to the Independent, Modi was speaking at a media gathering on Wednesday, April 26, when he shared the story he had heard in Hindi. The story is about a professor who, upon reading his daughter's suicide note, became outraged because she could not spell properly despite his many years of tutoring.
The Prime Minister, who prominent members of the Indian media surrounded, laughed off the alleged joke at its conclusion as he got enthusiastic cheers from the audience.
Modi continued, saying he was "happy" that Republic TV's editor-in-chief, Arnab Goswami, had started to communicate well in Hindi.
Suicide Rate in India
In 2021, at least 164,033 individuals in India committed suicide, as reported by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). It was the highest suicide rate in India's history, surpassing 450 fatalities daily since records started being kept in 1967.
The NCRB found that the highest rates of suicide were among those aged 18 to 30 and those aged 30 to 45. At least 34.5% of suicide victims were between the ages of 18 and 30, while another 31% were between the ages of 30 and 45.
Public Backlash
Twitter quickly blew up with anger at Mr. Modi's "poor understanding of mental health" when the video of his address went viral.
Modi's primary electoral opponent, Rahul Gandhi, spearheaded the political attack.
"Thousands of families lose their children due to suicide. The prime minister should not make fun of him," Gandhi, a member of the opposition Congress party, stated in a Twitter post.
Priyanka Chaturvedi, a member of parliament, raised the issue of an increase of 7.2% in suicides between 2020 and 2023.
"We as a nation need to be more sensitive to depression," Chaturvedi tweeted. The Shiv Sena member urged the prime minister to lead the change by not laughing at the misfortune of those who suffer from it.
Rashtriya Janata Dal lawmaker Manoj Kumar Jha reacted strongly, calling it "morbid" when the prime minister of a nation laughs about a delicate matter like suicide. He added that it was even more horrifying when the joke was cheered.
He tweeted, "We have become a very sick society."
Congress Party national secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra recently stated that depression and suicide, particularly among young people, are not something to be laughed off. He said such cases are tragic and not a joke.
Gandhi Vadra added that the prime minister and the others should learn more about mental health problems before laughing insensitively and morbidly about them.
The Aam Admi Party, an opposition group, expressed their shock at the prime minister's "insensitive disregard for human life" in making a joke about suicide.
