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April 19, 2009
The issue of euthanasia involves two aspects-passive and active. Passive euthanasia would be the right to refuse medical treatment which merely prolongs life technically but holds no possibility of a cure or a resumption of normal activity. It is something that many people have done. It would be far more dignified to die peacefully and naturally, free of the myriad tubes and pipes sticking out of one’s body in an attempt to keep oneself artificially alive. There are circumstances when patients in a coma or in an unfit condition may not be in a position to make known their wish to forego further medical treatment. In such cases, there should be some legal provision. It is when we come to the active aspect of euthanasia which involves not merely a refusal to be medicated but a conscious and deliberate decision to end one’s life in case of terminal illness, and beyond that, the right of doctors to be protected from prosecution if they accede to a patient’s request for mercy killing. Active euthanasia, in its essence, comes down to legalized suicide or abetment to suicide. Whether one takes the decision oneself or others have to take the decision, the issue is fraught with moral considerations.
