Euthanasia-"To do or not to do"

With the India Supreme Court ruling that attempted suicide cannot be treated as crime, it has opened up a debate on Euthanasia. Personally, I don’t think the two are the same and can be compared or meted equal treatment. What I am going to attempt to do is dissect the two and make some sense of it
Suicide: Suicide originate from the Latin word ‘Suicidium’ meaning to kill oneself. It is the act of taking one’s own life. The reasons for suicide could be many like depression, hurt, pain, anger, and frustration, real or perceived difficulties in life. Suicide can be attempted or it can be a gesture or it can be ideation. What this means is that an one can attempt to kill oneself and may have been unsuccessful for various reasons, a gesture is a try with the hope and thought that one will ultimately be rescued and ideation is the thought of suicide which plagues a person’s mind- this thought can be vague or detailed. There are about a million people who die of suicide each year and about 10 to 20million who attempt it.
A lot of Religions like Islam, Christianity and Hinduism which consider it a dishonorable act and condone suicide. The reason behind it could be to help people or prevent people from taking their lives and not use it as a tool to threaten them.
People who attempt suicide are ill mentally and are crying out for help. To try these people for attempt to life and treat them like criminals is the worst possible punishment that can be meted out. What they need is healing, treatment and help which is why I think the Supreme Court’s decision should be hailed and put into practice immediately.
Euthanasia: Euthanasia originates from the Greek words ‘EU’ and ‘Thanatos’ which mean means ‘Good death’ or ‘Dying Well’. To understand euthanasia and the implications of legalizing or not legalizing the same, we need to understand the different aspects of Euthanasia-medical, legal and social. Euthanasia can be voluntary, involuntary, passive, non-aggressive or aggressive. Voluntary Euthanasia refers to a situation wherein a person has given his consent for the same, involuntary euthanasia refers to a relative or close associate taking a decision on behalf of the person who is rendered incapable of deciding. Passive, aggressive and non-aggressive are the various means by which euthanasia can be carried out.
Medically a lot of doctors may not be in favor of euthanasia since it goes against the Hippocratic Oath. Legally, there is always a case of misuse which is possible. In a world where everything is for sale, wont be to difficult to get someone euthanized for material gains, revenge etc if legalized. Socially, it ruffles a lot of feathers since many relegions believe it to be a dishonorable act.
Everyone has a right to die with dignity- to let some whose bones can crack with just a hug continue living for long when every breath itself is a punishment. I think the best way would be to allow euthanasia for those who can give voluntary consent. WRT cases where voluntary consent is not possible it is best to have mix of guidelines to help reach a decision.
There can be no absolute answer for it, euthanasia cannot be viewed as just right or wrong, black or white-just like life it is grey.

My Hero

As a child everyone asked me who do you idolize, well I said nobody. That’s true, but I had a hero-maybe a little unusual for most people but I adore him- Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw. Why am I stating it today? My hero died last night. The man took seven rounds of bullets in his stomach and but continued to fight so his men were not left leaderless in the 1942 world war. He was the architect of India’s Victory against Pakistan in the 1971 war which lead to the creation of Bangladesh.
He was no stranger to controversy and managed to rub a lot of politicians and Bureaucrats the wrong way-it seems his outspokenness and refusal to toe the line landed him in serious trouble with Defence Minister V K Menon. Gouhar Khan son of Former Pakistani President Ayub Khan had insinuated that Sam Bahadur had sold India’s war plan of 1965 to the Pakistani Army- shame that even then Pakistan couldn’t win. No surprises that he released his father’s biography a few months later of making the statement. From whatever I have read and heard about him he was a task master, but very humane and had a wry sense of humor.
Wish I had written to him to let him he was my hero. Maybe you could try reading Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Soldiering with Dignity.

Violence-Not the last resort

Violence is not a last resort anymore to getting yourself heard, instead its become a stepping stone into pushing your demands in the limelight. The minute you stop trains, hold the common man to ransom it brings the entire circus out-the cameras, the media, politicians everyone.
The Gujjars, stopping the train, MNS breaking cars, the Ambedkar supporters taking to the street and the new kids on the block-the Sikhs attacking trains, breaking vehicles and what not. The Gujjar agitation cost us Rs.7000 crores, does anyone care? Its my hard earned money going down the drain and I care-but the government doesn’t. The Gujjars got what they wanted. What has it lead to? One of the Sikh leader on the news channel declared that if Baba Ram Rahim was not arrested by 24th June, they would start Rail Roko. How’s that! The Government has shown everyone the way-hold common man to ransom, stop trains, destroy public property and you will get what you want.
Every doctor says that when a child throws a tantrum ignore him or you will be succumbing to their demands forever-maybe someone needs to remind the Government of this. If the Government and State machineries don’t take a tough stance, we will always face a threat from groups within India and also terrorists always. Was thinking maybe I should try a rail roko to get this point across… Any volunteers?

Another example of how badly the reservation policy is impacting the system and individuals. 12 students expelled from IIT-D for poor performance. They state its a case of discrimination since they belong to the SC/ST category. If they are right its a shame, but it just shows that you can't force institutions and people to adopt policies they done believe in. If the students are wrong, it's a bigger shame that the students can use the 'discrimination' plank to continue occupying seats they may not deserve.
For all those who fight for reservations, remember you need to learn to live with discrimination-sometimes in your favor, sometimes against you.

Side-effects of reservation

Times of India carried this piece of news that two more people tried to get a house in MAHADA (for all those not aware MAHADA is an initiate by the Maharashtra Government to provide low cost housing)on the basis of a false caste certificate. They must have been the unlucky one who would have been caught, am sure there are score of people who have been seeking housing, education and maybe jobs on the basis of false certificates but have been lucky not to get caught.
Am not really surprised considering politicians have been very happily fighting for reservations in all aspects of life, without understanding the impact or fall out of mass scale reservations. Looking forward to see the effect of reservations in jobs and then again a stupendous proposal by our Social Justice Minister (incidentally I think the ministry should be renamed, Social Inequality and Injustice Ministry) who thinks cash incentive should be provided to people opting for inter-caste marriage. I can see the potential of a lucrative business here :)

Someone sent across this really beautiful poem by Khalil Gibran on relationships. Really loved it, so wanted to share it with everyone. Here goes...

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow