Can a member of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), entrusted with the protection of lives and property of train passengers, unleash extreme fear among the unsuspecting general public and even resort to killing?

In a shockingly unprecedented incident, as reported on August 1, a 33-year-old RPF constable, Chetan Singh, shot dead his senior, Tikaram Meena and three passengers on board the Jaipur-Mumbai Superfast Express near Palghar station in Maharashtra the previous day.

Briefly put, a team of four RPF personnel, including Chetan Singh and Tikaram Meena who were on escort duty boarded the Jaipur-Mumbai train at Surat around 2.50 am on that fateful morning. They were assigned different coaches and about 30 minutes later, Singh is said to have sought permission from Meena to get off the train at the next station as he was feeling unwell. Singh was, however, advised to take rest on a vacant berth, complete his duty and then head for treatment.

What transpired thereafter as also the exact reason behind the incident is unknown. However, around 5 am, Singh is said to have first opened fire at Meena and thereafter went on a shooting-spree killing three more passengers in different bogies of the train. Some 10 minutes later, the train stopped, as someone pulled the chain. Singh tried to flee, but he was nabbed by the Government Railway Police.

Following the incident, the state government and the railways have announced Rs 60 lakh as compensation to Meena’s family, while Rs 10 lakh each would be given to the kin of the other deceased victims. As an immediate measure, the railway ministry has reportedly directed a high-level committee to list out the precautions to be taken before issuing a weapon to any RPF personnel before deployment on duty.  An internal committee set up by the RPF has obtained statements from about 70 people.

While the ongoing investigations are expected to unearth more details, the gruesome incident has also sparked controversy. It has also been termed a "hate crime" by some. It is unclear if Singh was suffering from mental health issues and undergoing psychiatric treatment on account of events of aggressiveness, as per reports. The Railway Police, besides slapping charges of murder, kidnapping and promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion on Singh, have also sought permission from the court to perform brain mapping, polygraph and narco tests.

What is disconcerting is that across the globe, stress and burnout (a syndrome resulting from workplace stress that has not been successfully managed) are at all-time highs across professions. Some occupations are more vulnerable than others to the effects of burnout. A classic case how burnout can cause hostility towards others is the manner in which former Odisha Health Minister Naba Das was killed this January as he was getting out of his car to attend a programme. The Minister was fatally injured when an assistant sub inspector of police fired at him from point blank range literally emptying his service revolver into the politician. 

According to the World Health Organization, burnout is characterised by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy. But burnout, in any form, can have severe consequences if left untreated. Stress has been well recognised as causing shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain and elevated blood pressure. Stress can also aggravate many medical conditions including heart, lung, stomach and brain disorders.

More recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs’ reported update to the Rajya Sabha, shows that the number of psychiatric cases in our paramilitary forces has swelled by an alarming 38 per cent from 3,584 in 2020 to 4,940 last year.

Well, what impacts our mental health? 

A new survey of 3,400 working people across 10 countries found that the influence one’s reporting officer has on one’s mental health is as large as the impact of their spouses or partners. In short, managers impact employees' mental health (69 percent) which is the same as a spouse or partner (69 percent). Further, work stress negatively impacts employees' home life (71 percent), well-being (64 percent) and relationships (62 percent).  

At the end of work, 43 percent of employees were "often" or "always" exhausted and 78 percent of employees said that stress negatively impacted their work performance.  Over 80 percent of employees said they would rather have good mental health than a high-paying job. Two-thirds of employees would even opt to take a pay cut for a job that better supports their mental wellness and 70 percent of managers said that they too would do the same. 

How mental stress can affect one’s physical health?

A recent survey in the US has indicated that 41 percent of Americans have experienced at least one heart-related issue since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The most common symptoms cited by the survey of 1,000 American adults included shortness of breath (18 percent), dizziness (15 percent), increased blood pressure (15 percent), and chest pain (13 percent). Notably, 65 percent of Americans experienced increased stress because of the pandemic and the main reasons cited for this increase included fearing that a loved one might become ill and feeling disconnected from their loved ones. 

My bachelor cousin, who is always super stressed at his workplace, says he finds respite once he reaches home and is in the company of his five-year-old pet dog.  The pet would be eagerly waiting to welcome him back home rather enthusiastically. Notably, the pet would have dinner only after he is back irrespective of the time and sleep next to him. As research has found, dogs seem to know what we're thinking, feeling, often before we do and they also can sniff out various diseases. They are said to use visual cues such as our facial expressions/movements and can tell us how we're feeling even when we don't know how we're feeling. They are known to have stress and anxiety reducing effects.

For the stressed souls, there are several but simple ways to tackle distress, like listening to music, spending time with friends, meditation etc. It needs to be realised by every individual that challenges in life ought to be met with a positive outlook and by living a fully engaged life.