BSF retaliates harshly as mental health disorders, suicides rise among jawans

A soldier attached to the 113 battalions of the border force had shot himself with his service rifle. He died instantly highlighting what is now increasingly being regarded as the biggest threat to central forces – suicides and fratricides triggered by mental-health disorders.

Instead of showing some ‘empathy’, the BSF has resorted to the coarsest recourse to deal with the threat that according to a Home Ministry data claimed lives of at least 175 border guards, including four women in five years.

Invalidation proceedings

Earlier this month, the border guarding force has gone ahead and initiated “invalidation proceedings” against its around 300 personnel across all units. This comes after medical boards placed them in low medical category (LMC) on assessing their “psychiatric” condition, according to a senior official at the BSF headquarters in New Delhi. Significantly, the number is equivalent to the strength of three companies of the force.

“The invalidation proceedings in R/O following psychiatric LMC cases of different units have been approved by IG/DIR (Med) and forwarded to concerned Hqrs for disposal,” read an internal circular issued by the forces headquarters (FHQ), a copy of which has been accessed by The Federal.

The BSF's 55 Battalion posted in Meghalaya’s Tura with eight cases topped the list of personnel identified as the psychiatric-LMC, as per the BSF circular. While, the second highest case is in 110 Battalion with seven cases.

Medically unfit

These personnel have been served showcause notices under Rule 25 of BSF Rules that deals with retirement of subordinate officers and enrolled persons on grounds of physical unfitness.

“Whereas, you were produced before a duly constituted Medical Board on 18.03.2024, which has examined your medical fitness for efficient discharge of your duties as Constable (GD). After careful examination, the medical board has placed you under low medical category S5H1A1P1E1 with 48% disability due to “Schizophrenia” and declared you medically unfit for further service in the Force," said the notice.

Moreover, the showcause notice available with The Federal said the board proceedings have been approved by the Competent Authority i.e., IG/Director (Medical), R K Puram, New Delhi on 04.04.2024.

“Whereas, I, the undersigned, agree with the findings of the Medical Board and after careful consideration, I have decided to retire you from service on the grounds of physical unfitness under provisions of Rule 25 of BSF Rules,1969,” it further read.

The constable was asked to make his representation along with medical certificates within 15 days from the date of receipt of the showcause notice if he was not satisfied with findings of the medical board. Failing which, the notice said, the constable “will be retired being a mentally ‘UNFIT’ employed to retain in service”.

Reasons for suicide need to be probed

Such mass invalidation proceedings have raised eyebrows of mental-health experts and many BSF officials.

“Sending jawans on mass retirement without addressing the root cause that leads to the psychiatric condition is not the right approach to deal with this serious problem confronting the force,” said a DIG-ranked BSF officer.

He said it will only aggravate the problem by fuelling more anxiety.

Discrimination among sub-groups, trauma of being abused, bullying at workplace, fear of initiation of disciplinary or legal action, lack of communication between company commander and jawans, frequent transfers, slow promotions, continuous posting in conflict theatres, dissatisfaction with the new pension scheme, little opportunity for growth and development, are some of the reasons highlighted by a task force formed by the home ministry to look into growing cases of suicide and fratricides in central armed police forces.

Report on suicide and fratricide cases

The task force had in fact submitted its draft report to the government in February last year after studying cases of suicides and fratricides that took place between 2017 and 2021. The task force found that a high number of 642 personnel, including 10 women from the Central Armed Police Forces, had died by suicide during this five-year period. There were 51 fratricidal incidents that took place during the same period.

The task force pointed out the absence of trained professionals to tackle the trauma personnel in the CAPFs are going through is also adding to the problem.

A Kolkata-based mental-health counselor Shyamasree Chatterjee said the best way to deal with the mental health issues in forces is to introduce counselling in workshop mode and encourage jawans to do breathing exercises, apart from addressing the trigger-issues.

Referring to the issue of “schizophrenia”, she said there should be proper medical background checks during the recruitment process. Schizophrenia tends to run in families, she pointed out.

(Suicides can be prevented. For help please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)