Don’t talk of suicide, CM tells elderly

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday expressed concern over the mindset of some people and urged an elderly man not to talk of “suicide,” assuring him to remain patient until his grievances were addressed. Majhi made the remarks while presiding over the 14th session of the Chief Minister’s public grievance hearings, attended by several ministers and senior officials.

The Chief Minister became visibly upset when an elderly man, identified as Jagabandhu Panda, told him that he would “prefer to die by suicide” as his grievances had remained unheard for a long time. Annoyed at Panda’s words, Majhi said, “If your grievances are genuine, they will certainly be addressed. I am there for you people. Please do not talk of ‘suicide’.

It is not a good word.” The Chief Minister later heard Panda’s grievances and assured him that the case would be genuinely considered.Talking to reporters later, Panda said he has been with the PWD as a temporary worker since 1993 and earns Rs 6,000. “My wife is a paralysis patient and my son is physically challenged. Life has become difficult for me. Therefore, I suddenly used the word suicide. I shouldn’t have spoken like this. However, the Chief Minister listened to my grievances and assured me that the issue would be resolved,” he added.

Meanwhile, reacting to the alleged self-immolation death of a schoolgirl at Gaisilet in Bargarh district, State Law Minister Pritihiviraj Harichandan said, “The government has taken the incident seriously and steps are being taken. Such incidents have been happening for some time. Suicide is not a solution to any problem.”

The Law Minister appealed to distressed people to seek legal help instead of ending their lives. “People are free to vent their grievances. The Chief Minister’s doors are open to all. The government is taking steps to prevent such incidents,” he said. On Opposition parties, the Law Minister said, “Their job is to target the government by telling lies. We are not worried about it. We are worried about the loss of lives.”

Meanwhile, hours after taking charge as the chairperson of the State Commission for Women, Shovana Mohanty said people should be strong and should refrain from taking their lives.

“I assure all the women of the State that we will take necessary steps to address all issues affecting them,” she said.