Why is suicide considered a crime?

The govt and NGOs should work together to help suicide survivors
One goes to the extent of committing suicide when things are not happening their way, leading to frustration. People, who have a very strong association with their dreams and desires, are the ones who get frustrated when their dreams remain unfulfilled; leading to a feeling that life is not worth living.

It is a welcome move if the government is thinking of decriminalising attempt to suicide. Both society and government must try to understand the cause that leads a person to take such a drastic step of committing suicide. They should set up counselling cells to help such people.

The government alone cannot take the responsibility of providing counselling and support to such people. Rather the government should work together with NGOs, that are active in this area. One needs a trained counsellor to help these people. One needs a humane approach towards the issue and the law regarding punishment for suicide attempts must be done away with.       

---- Prasanna Rabade, psychotherapist, Saad Counselling Centre

Govt must open special cells in hospitals for suicide survivors
During a recent seminar on the same issue, it was discussed that the present law punishing suicide attempts with imprisonment or fine, is in the process of being scrapped. I welcome the government’s proposal, as I am of the same opinion. Rather than making it an offence or criminalising it, we need to provide counselling and care to the survivors.

If the care and counselling is left to the government, I don’t think anything will be done. The government must start with having special cells for people who attempt suicides, in hospitals. They can also take help from NGOs, that are already active in this area.
Though there is a need to do away with the law, it must be replaced by a proper supportive system. People with suicidal tendencies are in a very sensitive situation, needing care and counselling from experts in this field. 

---- Arnavaz Damania, managing trustee, Connecting India

Amend the law after understanding the reasons leading to suicide
Suicide is directly related to Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, that talks about the right to live with dignity. One cannot just end his / her life like that. So, the need for section 309 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), that rules attempt to suicide as a punishable offence, is justified. 

In my opinion, scrapping the law blindly will not be a right step. First, we need to understand the reasons that lead to committing suicide and then amend the law. A person with suicidal tendencies is in a difficult situation and we must deal with such cases with a humane approach. Instead of punishment, what a suicide survivor needs is care and counselling.  

---- Asim Sarode, advocate and human rights activist

Being in a prison will worsen the mental condition of victims
Every month, we get over 40 calls from people with suicidal tendencies. These are just a small number of those who have the guts to call us for help. Counselling is possible only if the other person is willing to listen to you.

However, as far as people with suicidal tendencies are concerned, they are not in the right state of mind to listen to a counsellor. Such people must be dealt with differently. A counsellor must understand their state of mind.

If the government tries to do what we are doing, they will not succeed. They have no idea how to tackle people with suicidal tendencies. A person, who has reached a point where he decides to end his life for some reason, is not in a condition to think right.
If such a person lands in a prison, it will only worsen his condition. I think India is one of the few countries in the world, where there is a law to punish those who attempt suicide. Such laws must be based on grounds of humanitarian considerations.

---- Himanshu Nagarkar, national faculty, youth wing of Art of Living

We must understand the root cause before taking a decision on the matter
Most cases of suicide attempts that we deal with at our centre are related to addiction. If the suicidal tendencies are caused by any kind of addiction, then either one ends up in a mental institution or ends his life. We, at the centre, try to help such people bring a change in their way of living and outlook towards the world.
In India, those who survive a suicide attempt are imprisoned because it is considered a crime. As far as I have observed, our jails do not have in-house counselling facilities for prisoners with suicidal tendencies.

I have counselled many such prisoners  several times. Whenever I ask them the reason for attempting suicide, the usual answer is, “I am wrongly accused and I am innocent”.

In my opinion, we must segregate cases of suicide attempts by criminals from those due to psychological problems. We have to
understand the root cause and then base our decision to criminalise attempt to suicide. There are various reasons and situations that lead a person to commit suicide.  

---- Manish Powar, chief addiction counsellor, Shanti Sadan Centre for Addiction Recovery