Euthanasia
A very small news shot in the Times of India today stated that the Kerala Government plans to pass a resolution to legalise Euthanasia. I am not even going to think of the uproar it is going to cause if this actually is for real. I can already see Kerala renamed – after being named “GOD’s own country” being advertised as “The new paradise of death….. a new destination for a person to DIE. “
Legalising euthanasia is nothing but social, political and cultural suicide of any society or country. The emotional, moral, ethical, social and physical implications of the word itself is very scary. Personally I am scared of the word. Very scared!!! I am scared of death as well. I am scared of people I love dying around me. I don’t believe that Euthanasia is even an option. I know I am being judgemental when I say that for I have no idea how bad it is for the person who is actually asking for death.
Euthanasia or mercy killing as it is commonly called is nothing but legalising suicide. I know that if and when the government passes the law they will make it for certain medical conditions and with a panel et al but the legal system of our country is such that by just a play of words and some small loop holes in the law, a lot of people will get away with ghastly acts.
I do not believe in killing of anything – animals or humans. They are alike to me. Life is the supreme creation of the almighty. We as his creations should be thankful to what the almighty has given to us and I believe that in some cases we should believe in the karmic version of things…… but killing is definitely not an option. There is always another solution, another perspective, another way to think of the issue……. we should try to explore that.
I was brought up to believe in the destiny of a person and that the death of a person is pre-determined and that everyone who has come to earth also comes with an expiry date. Geeta, the Hindu holy book states that death is inevitable………… so do all other religious books. When your time will come you will die. Why try to take away what you have not given??? What right do we have to do that??? I know the target audience for the so called law are people who are suffering physically and have no hope to live. But hope is something that we have to create within ourselves…… the will to survive when the worst comes our way. I am also aware that death is better than living the life of a vegetable. But is it the right choice??? I personally do not believe in death by choice…… I believe that anybody who chose death in this manner is committing suicide. Euthanasia to is me is SUICIDE!!! Morphine and other drug therapies should be used to ease pain and cure……… not kill.
I am not trying to be a sadist and say that people should suffer….. but then the politicians who have the power to legalise euthanasia should consider the implications of its misuse. They should think Macro and of the long term. They should take active measures to eradicate diseases that are getting people in favor of euthanasia. Some months back we heard of a story where a couple had approached the supreme court for clinically elimination of the pregnancy of the woman because of a malfunctioning heart of the child. Months later we hear of another child who with the same predicament was given birth by his mother and after surgical procedures is surviving and is healthy. What I want to say is that there are options we have to look for them. When God gives us a problem it always comes with a solution the onus is on us to look for the solution. Euthanasia is nothing but a short cut….. A disrespect to LIFE.
How many people in our country die of diseases caused by malnourishment, diseases like malaria, and other diseases where the diagnosis is also not made in time. The stress should be made to enhance diagnostic studies and money should be spent in research of diseases which cause people to opt for things like euthanasia. It should be made mandatory for Corporates to invest in research of these near death causing diseases and it should be made mandatory for research students and scholars to research in such fields. The government think on broader perspectives. Legalising Euthanasia is not a solution in a country like India where people are dying for lack of basic ammenities. In such cases Euthanasia is a short term measure which will be broadly misused.
Life is beautiful….. it is precious….. it is to be lived, loved and cherished not killed !!!!
Are you fucking kidding me?!?!?! People are using religion to decide laws for everyone else. You are entitled to your own views but the church and state are separate and using religion as an excuse to have people persist in states of extreme agony is inhumane. Often times medication can be used to ease the pain but they are only allowed so much and for many diseases it does not rid the person of all the pain. Before you make such a biased euthanasia (and dilemma that I might say is well supported by the majority of countries in this world), think about what it would be like to be in excruciating pain and trapped in your own body told that you must stay like this. For able bodied individuals they are allowed to commit suicide, yes allowed as should it fail they will not be prosecuted. So the basic right of someone who is unable to perform the act themselves – even though every able bodied person has that option – takes away the basic right to freedom as humans. One that people worked so hard for. I ask you to do some more research on the topic because even if it is not the right choice for you and your religious convictions, other people with different beliefs should be allowed to choose for themselves!
Hey Varunavi
I had no idea about the morphine thing…. it is so sad that people who need morphine never get it and on the other hand it is greatly misused.
Baba is very close to me. I cant do anything without him. Do link your blog to mine.
om sai ram !!!!
Nice blog ranu,came to ur blog from hitchwriter.The 1st thing i noticed on ur blog is the snap of baba.He is my father, he is one who guides me,he is everything to me, i even named my child “Sai”
I totally agree with u that euthanasia should not be legalised.As you said there are drugs like morphine to reduce the pain of the patients but to my knowledge morpine is not freely available, even if it is available it doesnt reach to the patients who need it, the morphine is misused.The cancer hospitals are always short of morphine, because it is smuggled out.Govt rather than legalising it should find a solution that the morphine reaches to the all the terminally ill patients.
I would like to add a link of your blog to mine.
right dhir nobody should decide on who should live or die.
Sucharita : I am fine thanks!!! and your welcome always glad to be of help. I have no idea why that error happens…. thanks for keeping trying !!!
A very timely post. I have very confused and complicated views on euthanasia, but your post has cleared a lot of ethical doubts clouding my mind. Thanks.
I have been trying to follow your blog every time I visit, but for some reason, Error on Page appears. Anyway, will try and try till I succeed.
Hope you are feeling better now.
I agree, no one should have a right to decide what must live and what must not !!!