There was a time when she would fly,
There was a time when she would soar,
There was a time when she would smile,
There was a time when she would roar!!!
Now her wings are broken and so is her spirit and hence,
Forget flying, she can’t even cry,
Her story has become lore,
And, it has been a while,
When people had a view of that vibrant smile
Tell me, what does it take to break a mountain? What is the magnitude of grief that can crush someone’s grit? Let me introduce you to the protagonist of my article – ARUNA SHAUNBAUG. Her face was printed in almost every newspaper in 2010 when the Supreme court heard the plea of euthanasia filed by her journalist friend Pinki Virani. Pinki filed the case after Shanbaug passed 37 years of her life in vegetative state and was fed by a feeding tube bedridden all this while after she was sexually assaulted.
This brought to surface a very complex and sensitive issue of EUTHANASIA wherein a person has the right to end his or her life or in this case a medical practitioner has the right to intentionally remove the person from life support after consent of the family. It is called ACTIVE Euthanasia in the former case and PASSIVE Euthanasia in the latter case. Euthanasia is a Greek word which means “GOOD DEATH”.
The essential question is WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO DIE??
Well, let’s face it .There are certain circumstances in one’s life where there is no returning back and we face a dead end, and because of some reason or the other the only way out seems death. So accepting death with open arms instead of running from when it as it fast approaches, seems a mature and practical option.
Who am I to condemn someone to death? Am I the devils lawyer or just another sadist writer? I support my stand in favor of legalizing active euthanasia in India because there are thousands of terminally ill patients who cannot function at all and the only thing left to do in their life is to meet a painful death while suffering excruciating pain every single day. They are alive just for the sake of being alive. The medicines may not heal them but keeps their corpse breathing; it hangs them in the middle of nowhere!!They are neither dead nor alive .I firmly believe no one, none at all should be condemned to such a life. There are numerous cases in which patients suffered a painful death as they were denied the permission for euthanasia and then the idea of euthanasia does not seem so sinister and unreasonable.
Though, the honorable Supreme Court of India recently legalized Passive euthanasia but Active euthanasia still remains a criminal offence because in some ways it equalizes suicide which leads to loss of human resource according to the government which is valid. BUT, I would to bring to your attention that active euthanasia should be implemented only in cases where the person in question has absolutely no hope of living and such a person should have the right to “DIE WITH DIGNITY” . When we are entitled to the “Right to life” promised to us the Constitution of India then why should not one die with dignity. Why should I let the pain beat the hell out of me? Why should I WAIT for death when it’s inevitable??
I agree, that if active euthanasia is legalized it can be misused in all probability in murder cases which gives birth to the necessity of a stringent law and such an arrangement where a committee would verify each and every case and the claims made by the family or the person which can be instrumental in ensuring both “Right to life” and “Right to die with dignity” at the same time.
Hence, I propose that euthanasia should be made legal and should be strictly restricted to cases involving terminally ill patients and patients who have suffered irreversible damage in accidents because of which one cannot function at all and should be practiced only and only when the patient himself in case of active euthanasia or the blood relative of the patient give consent in case of passive euthanasia after complete verification. Here, clarification of the fact that euthanasia is different from suicide is required and so, I do not support practices like Santhara where a person in full consciousness gives up food to give up his life or the practice like Talaikootal where elderly people are forcefully killed by some means or the other. So, let’s take a step to make the lives of some unfortunate souls better.
