Legalise mercy killing, Law Commission tells Govt

MERCY KILLING: Euthanasia is still a matter of debate in countries like India and the US.

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New Delhi: When 25-year-old Venkatesh from Hyderabad died in 2004, it made headlines. Not so much because he was a former national chess-champion, but because he had pleaded that his life support system be switched off. However, this amounted to euthanasia or mercy killling which is illegal in India.

Max hospital Emergency Head, Dr Talat Halim says, "There are many factors that need to be considered in such a case. These are very sensitive issues."

Euthanasia is advocated in cases of coma - a persistent vegetative state or brain death. The Law Commission has now decided to recommend to the Government to allow such terminally ill patients to end their lives.

However, if experts are to be believed, euthanasia is secretly practised in most hospitals in India.

Supreme Court Senior Advocate, Colin Gonsalves says, "Mercy killing is done all the time. It is one of the best kept secrets of Indian hospitals. Patients and families do it, doctors do it. It's time the law catches up with this reality. But law should regulate it so that its not misused."

While euthanasia is legal in countries like Belgium, Luxemburg, Netherlands and Switzerland, under the assistance of physicians, it's still a matter of debate in countries like India and the US.

In US, mercy killing was advocated in the famous Terry Schavio case. However, her emergence from coma again highlighted the debate. Experts agree that much can be said on either sides

Dr Talat Halim says, "Mercy killing may be a good idea if same resources are used for more needy people."

But for some, it indicates failure of the state to provide security.

Sociologist Rajiv Gupta says, "It is a bad idea, especially for the elderly. They may be deliberately victimised."

Mahatma Gandhi once said, death is a friend, it relieves man of agony. But the debate of mercy killing is not one that can be resolved so easily - despite what Mahatama Gandhi may have said.