Responding to an observation on the rising number of Indian housewives committing suicide each year, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev Founder of Isha Foundation said that the trend “doesn’t bode well for society.” Sadhguru was referring to a post by Shamika Ravi, Director of Research at Brookings India who highlighted the phenomenon on Twitter.

#DidYouKnow Twice as many housewives commit suicides, as compared to farmers. #WhoWillSpeakForThem pic.twitter.com/tWzavVsIYE

— Prof. Shamika Ravi (@ShamikaRavi) December 11, 2020

“Twice as many housewives commit suicide as compared to farmers. Who will speak for them?” Ms. Ravi, who is a former member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, posted on her handle.

Sadhguru, who has spoken about the issue of people taking their own lives at several forums observed that “A Woman is the fulcrum of the family unit.” Sadhguru has often spoken about the need to create a gentler planet that allows the feminine to flourish. “Doesn’t bode well for society that women of the house are taking their own lives; will destabilize the foundations of society. Our Inner Wellbeing must become our priority- vital in ensuring the wellbeing of those around us,” Sadhguru wrote in his comment on Ms. Ravi’s post.

A #Woman is the fulcrum of the family unit. Doesn’t bode well for society that women of the house are taking their own lives; will destabilize the foundations of society. Our #InnerWellbeing must become our priority- vital in ensuring the wellbeing of those around us. –Sg https://t.co/Ht4H1mbLfn

— Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) December 12, 2020

A 2018 report from India’s National Crime Records Bureau states that 63 housewives killed themselves every day that year. It is estimated that more than 20,000 housewives have killed themselves every year since 2001. This number is second only to the number of daily wage earners who killed themselves for various socioeconomic reasons including poverty, loss of livelihood and agrarian distress.