The Danger Of Pro-Death Thinking In Different Cultural Contexts

This is a thoughtful Indian response to the considerable lethal potential of assisted suicide and euthanasia being let loose in a cultural context where it might be embraced for all kinds of very bad reasons.

Are we ready for euthanasia?

Of late, the debate on mercy killing or euthanasia seems to have resurfaced. With UK and the US legalising the practice (albeit to a few states only), the buzz about euthanasia is catching up in India too. A few months ago, Supreme Court denied mercy killing for a 59 -years-old lady Aruna Shanbagh, who was laying unconscious in a K.E.M Hospital Mumbai (after being sexually assaulted). Similarly, the Patna High Court dismissed Tarakeshwar Chandravanshi’s request of mercy killing his 25-year-old wife and in another plea the Kerala High Court rejected the request of BK Pillai.

In India, where the right of life under article 21 of the Constitution is considered the utopia of fundamental rights, the whole issue about right to death would not fetch much acceptability. However, it is not about the issue of legalising euthanasia but actually about the fact – is India ready for such concept per se? more