Self-immolation in India: A form of protest

The images from when Jamphel Yeshi, a Tibetan in his late-20s, set himself on fire and ran in front of a group of protesters and journalists on March 26 are startling and disturbing.

Yeshi's act of self-immolation came just days ahead of Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to India, adding to the astounding 25 cases of self-immolation by Tibetan protesters and monks which have already taken place this year.

Yeshi was protesting China's rule over Tibet, as the crowd held placards saying, "Tibet is burning." The BBC said Yeshi was in critical condition, with severe burns over most of his body.

However, The Economist noted that self-immolation as a form of protest has become frighteningly common in India, perhaps losing its efficacy as a shocking and attention-grabbing act. "On March 26th, the same day that Mr Yeshi doused himself in fuel and struck a spark, others were doing the same."

March 26, 2012: An auto rickshaw driver in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh cremated himself in protest of separate statehood for the region of Telangana, according to The Hindustan Times. A youth in the Mahabubnagar district going by B.R. Goud also torched himself on Monday. Two days prior, a student, Bhojya Naik, had killed himself in Warangal.

August 29, 2011: P. Senkodi lit herself on fire to protest the death sentence awarded to Tamil Tigers implicated in the assassination of India's late prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi, according to The Hindu.

February 21, 2010: Subram Yadaiah died in the hospital after setting himself on fire to protest in favor of the region of Telangana gaining autonomy, according to The Times of India.

January 30, 2009: Muthukumar, a journalist, self-immolated after putting out a statement about his support for the Tamils in Sri Lanka, according to TamilNet.

The National Post noted that self-immolation might have some roots in the past, in Buddhism and Hinduism's "centuries-old traditions of self-sacrifice, disdain for the body and belief in the ritualistic cleansing of fire."

More on GlobalPost: Tibetan man self-immolates in Delhi to protest Chinese president's India visit