The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), India’s largest paramilitary force that deals with threats like terrorism and Naxalism, will soon have ‘Sanskarshalas’ where soldiers will be taught morals that help in senior-junior bonding and also help curb the rising incidents of suicide in the force.
A senior official told News18.com that a communication to set up the ‘Sanskarshalas’ has been sent to all units by the force’s Welfare Department, though no guidelines have been issued yet on how it would function.
“As per the communication, all units, sectors and battalions will start ‘Sanskarshalas’. No guidelines have been given by the directorate, but it has been told that seniors as well as juniors will share good moral values. There would be an exchange of good thoughts which will help in bonding between the jawans. An official communication has been sent to all,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
According to the communication, the initiative has been taken following a suggestion from a jawan. The CRPF had recently sought suggestions from personnel on improving the mental health of soldiers besides dealing with instances of acrimony between senior and junior staff.
“Due to lack in respect offered by juniors and seniors, suicide, scuffle and arguments have been recorded which also dents the image of the force. I suggest that senior and junior staff should give mutual respect to each other,” the communication quotes the jawan as saying in his suggestion.
The communication further describes how the ‘Sanskarshalas’ will help the force.
“Like yoga helps our body be fit, similarly, in all units, departments and offices we should start Sanskarshala. A drive should be initiated to inculcate good sanskar and make jawans sanskari,” the communication says in Hindi.
Another order issued by a Deputy Inspector General has asked units in his jurisdiction to strictly implement the concept of ‘Sanskarshalas’ as it has been noticed on previous occasions that the Welfare Department’s communications aren’t followed.
‘Sanskarshalas’ is one of the ideas being implemented in the CRPF to curb rising cases of suicides in the force. The CRPF had recently asked all units and battalions to start Chaupals for informal chats between seniors and juniors.
Under the Chaupal initiative, senior officers in all units will organise an informal get-together with junior staff. The groups would be small in size to enable discussion and the venue would be somewhere in the open rather than a formal hall.
The CRPF reported 101 suicides within the force from 2020 till September 13 this year. The number is alarmingly high compared to the 116 cases reported in 2017, 2018 and 2019 combined. Sixty incidents of suicides were reported in the CRPF in 2020, while 41 have been reported this year. In 2019, the force reported 42 suicides, while 36 were reported in 2018.
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