Should euthanasia or mercy killing be legalised ?

Should euthanasia or mercy killing be legalised ?

          It is the wish of many to die a painless death. Dying by inches is a very horrible idea. Some believe that law should permit euthanasia under medical supervision. On the other hand some believe that man has no right to decide when his life must end. Euthanasia is simply the Greek word for good death. The basic concept of good death means that a man should use free will to choose between alternatives offered in life. At the same time word euthanasia does not mean the irresponsible ending of any one's life. However mercy killing is not a new concept. It has been in existence for centuries. Our sages ended their life at their will, when they realized that they had lived their lives to the fullest. In India the right to die has always been accepted. In the West the attitude to death is one of denial because the idea of death is not easily digestible to them. For Indians death is a transition from this world to eternity. Even the Puranas advise that in the case of terminal diseases one must have a right to put an end to one's life. Those who are against mercy killing argue that by ending a person's life, one is playing God. Besides, killing is considered a damnable sin. But one must not forget that freedom from pain is the greatest pleasure in life. No doubt modern medicine is highly effective in relieving man of unbearable pain. Legalizing euthanasia will prevent unmitigating sufferings of the patients, unnecessary expenditure leaving the surviving members in the state of poverty and avoidable worry to the attending members of the family. There is no fun if a person carries on living a paralytic life on the bed causing unnecessary cares and worries for the members of the family. However, mercy killing should not be allowed to be misused because the chances of misuse are undoubtedly high.