Kolkata Police successfully intervened and prevented a man from jumping off a bridge in a suicide attempt. The incident caused traffic disruption for nearly half an hour in a busy street of the city. The 40-year-old man was experiencing severe emotional distress due to personal and financial difficulties. Prompt action was taken by the police, along with the Disaster Management Group and the fire department, to engage in a conversation with the man and ensure the safety of onlookers.
This is the same bullshit excuse used by people who support reduction or even complete removal of welfare, and social services, and healthcare, and any even remotely social policy.
The idea that people would start “faking” suicide to get such bare minimum help in such great numbers that it becomes a “problem” (while somehow the poverty and classism and other systems of oppression that lead to there being so many starving people gets completely overlooked) can only be born in a highly privileged yet truly twisted and miserable mind.
I think that answer is very harsh and inadequate.
I never opposed welfare in my post and even highlighted that I appreciate the state supporting people in need. The part that suprised me was specifically the police is able to give job offers to negotiate in such a situation.
Many people are desperately looking for a job. And if you read in the news that a suicide attempt might get you one, I can absolutely see people taking that chance if they see no alternative way forward.
That’s why from my perspective there should be a preventive support system established that helps people BEFORE things escalate as in the case from the news article.