This refers to the editorial, “Matters of life, death” (March 12). The issue of euthanasia, mercy killing, has caught legal and public attention all over the world. India is one such country which allows euthanasia under specific conditions. In a landmark verdict, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra pronounced the verdict on whether ‘living will’ of a person should be recognised in which a person can make a statement in advance that his/her life should not be prolonged by putting him/her on a ventilator or artificial support system by allowing the same. Though to many, the move might appear be a bid to control hospitals and nursing establishments that prolong hospitalisation with the objective of inflating bills, this development will help those whose lives are beyond painful and also the near and dear ones who are forced to share the pain.
The question of legalising euthanasia has been widely discussed, but opinions on the matter differ vastly. People will benefit from the legalisation of active euthanasia. The word, ‘euthanasia’, means ‘good death’ in Greek. Most of us do not subscribe to the idea that mercy killings devalues human life. It should be remembered that euthanasia provides relief when expectation of a person’s life is very low. Is it not cruel to make a terminally ill patient undergo unnecessary pain instead of ending her/his suffering, which can be both physical and mentalIJ Active euthanasia, practised responsibly, can give a sick individual much-needed peace. The choice to die should be part of the rights of all citizens in an advanced society.