It is so sensitive issue that nothing would prevent it from being called an intended murder even if minor (micro, nano) error in medical or psychological understandings and considerations occur. A life thus ended could never be bought back, who would carry the responsibility of that minute error resulting in death of the concerned person?
In India, nothing would follow it but exhumation, autopsy and closed files, these would be more of indignity for the deceased. Who can deny the possibility of organ transplant scam in the name of euthanasia? This question if put in India would prove to be a direct disaster on the very first human right ‘life’. The very word ‘life’ would literally be euthanized in that debate in India.
India has retained its sovereignty even after so many years, what about our reach in the field of medical science and medical research after so many years of sovereignty? Is Sovereignty the only parameter required to take into consideration the issue of euthanasia in India?
Let’s analyse, how much India has contributed in the field of medical science, medical research, anatomy, surgery, drugs, psychology, since independence, since our sovereignty? With what maturity India stands in the world today in field of medical science and research? What is quota for medical science and research in our annual union budget 2014 and individual state budgets? Where does this quota stand in comparison to the quota allotted for medical field in countries where euthanasia is allowed?
People talk about right to die with dignity in India. Rather, the question should be whether prior to dying with dignity, was there anything about living with dignity in India? Millions and millions of Indians live below poverty line, under extreme poverty. Million of Indians starve to death, millions of Indians have no access to drinking water, and millions of Indians go without food on daily basis. Millions of infants die in a couple of year since birth; millions of mothers die of childbirths.
Millions of Indians are extremely malnourished. Millions of Indians die due to extreme weathers. Millions of Indians have no place to call home. Millions of Indians sleep under open sky on footpaths in the night. Millions of Indians live in most un-hygienic environment. Millions of Indians are exposed to deadly pollution; millions are exposed to various carcinogenic factors due to radiations, water, air and sound pollutions.
Millions of Indians don’t know how to read and write, millions of Indians toil all day, sweating under scorching sun to earn two loaves of breads. Millions of Indian and millions of Indian children beg on streets, they beg, beg and beg, they beg in front of European and American tourists, around a monument, any place where foreigners could be found.
Millions of Indian girls are forced into trafficking, into prostitution. Millions of Indians girls are raped, assaulted, molested, gang-raped. Millions are murdered or left to die of wounds and trauma. Due to trafficking and rapes, millions of Indian girls are exposed to deadly disease ‘AIDS’, they would obviously want to die with dignity what about the indignity they faced in life?
Millions of cognizable criminal cases go un-registered; even if they are bought to notice of Indian police. Murdered in the name of encounters by police is not a new thing to hear in India. Millions of Indians are decaying in Indian jails since years, years over years, because of slow judicial trials.
Millions of villages are without hospitals, electricity, elementary schools, and primary schools, forget about colleges and universities. Millions of Indians suffer due to absurd dictats of ‘Khap Panchayats’, millions of Indians are murdered in the name of ‘honour killings’. Millions of Indians die in rail accidents, many in road accidents due un-maintained roads and railways.
India is still under need of medical facilities, proper drug supply. Millions of Indian can’t afford life saving drugs because of costs. India is in dire need of hospitals. India has a terrific shortage of medical colleges, and trained doctors, on the other hands medical seats are sold. We have a lot of scams of fake medical degree being granted on payment. This is where we stand with our bejewelled intact crown of sovereignty.
If this is the situation after so many years of sovereignty, we must conclude that Indian governments in all forms have failed to serve our citizens.
Today, Indian first need, a right to live a life with dignity. A person, who has received death blows all his life due to various national systems and procedures, and due to inefficiency of governments in various stages of his life, would definitely ask for death with dignity. But this death with dignity is not because of love of evident death, but because of frustration of indignity of life the person has lived because of inefficiency of governments.
Who would answer if Indians are made to live with dignity, how many Indians would ask for a death with dignity (euthanasia). An irrevocable patient may have been irrevocable because lack of medical aid during his entire life, may be because of police inefficiency in saving his life, may be because the patient was raped and assaulted due to inefficient system. May be so because he received nothing but dates in legal struggle of his life, this 'may be' has no limits, but the reasons are our government, official and constitutional agencies in no matter what form. The system pushes the citizen where he begins to ask for death with dignity.
To conclude, we may be sovereign enough to legislate on the issue of Euthanasia in India, but our Parliament and State Assemblies are not mature enough to even comprehend the gravity of euthanasia. Today, if euthanasia is legalised in India, it would mean just an official genocide, genocide of poor, genocide of unfortunate Indians who never ever practically tasted or experienced the fruits of our Constitution.
