The story of a noble man and his noble Mother

HYDERABAD: Kolavennu Venkatesh, the young chess player who fought a bitter legal battle to end his life before a debilitating muscular degeneration killed him, ended his struggle quietly at dawn on Friday. The death came two days after the Andhra Pradesh HC rejected his plea for euthanasia, a move the patient’s mother said would have enabled him to donate his organs before muscular dystrophy rendered them useless.

The 25-year-old man, who fought the disease for 18 years, could only donate his eyes, which were sent to the L V Prasad Eye Institute minutes after he died at 5 am at a private hospital here. His other organs could not be removed. Over the last fortnight, as the HC and medical fraternity agonised over the ethics of euthanasia, his organs were progressively infected.

Apart from his eyes, Venkatesh leaves behind a debate on the ethical and legal aspects of euthanasia in a state whose laws have not yet come to terms with modern notions of death. His mother, K Sujatha, who fought to fulfil his last wish till the very last day, took the passing away stoically. “He tried to say something, but I could not read his lips,” she told reporters. “Though I have always known his life would be short, I can’t believe he is no more. I still feel as if he is in the intensive care unit.”

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/963064.cms

He knew his life was ending soon. Before he died he wanted to donate all his organs for the benefit of others, thereby effectively seeking euthanasia. Under the existing laws the court had no option but to deny his plea. However they referred the matter to a medical board. It was too late.

It stands to reason that every person should have a right to die as he has a right to live. When he is conscious and sane he should be allowed to make his own decision.
It is much more appropriate when the move would have allowed him to save several people.

It is time we took a close look at the Human Organ Transplantation Act in vogue in India and revise it to make it more life friendly.

On a stupid take on this issue ABC Australia (mis) reports:

GEOFF THOMPSON: India’s dominant religion, Hinduism, is divided on the issue of euthanasia. One school of thought maintains that by helping to end a painful life, a person is performing a good deed and therefore fulfilling their moral duties and contributing to good karma.

However, other Hindus believe that helping to end a life, no matter how painful, disturbs the natural cycle of death and rebirth. That same school maintains that keeping a person on a life support system is also bad karma.

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2004/s1267763.htm

It is amazing to observe the amount of mis-information such newspapers can spread!
Everyone today thinks he knows all about Hinduism by reading few translated books and reading from experts(sic) such as “Geoff Thompson”.

Get your facts straight Geoff! Which school are you talking about? This is sheer nonsense.

This has nothing to do with Hinduism. This has to do with the law of the country which applies to Hindus, Moslems and Christians alike. And a change in law would affect everyone.