Date:13/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/13/stories/2009011353180300.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Euthanasia is right to murder: rights activist

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Opposition has been raised against the recommendations made by the Law Reforms Commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge V.R. Krishna Iyer, to legalise euthanasia and decriminalise suicide attempt.

Anoop Anandayogi, chairperson of the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice, Kozhikode, told the media here that legalising euthanasia would only lead to more murders. “Euthanasia is not the right to die, but the right to murder,” he said.

Citing statistics, he said that the Netherlands, the only country where euthanasia is legal, had 42.6 per cent of its total deaths in 1995 listed as mercy killing. Similar statistics are available from Oregon State of the U.S., where physician-assisted suicide is allowed. Legalising euthanasia will have far-reaching social consequences and its worst victims would be the elderly, mentally-challenged, mentally-ill patients and those suffering from AIDS and cancer, he said.

Similarly, suicide tendency is a disease that needs to be treated. If suicide is decriminalised, it would lead to more deaths, even by those under depression and those with slight mental instabilities. The Centre for Human Rights and Justice will conduct a survey and scientific study on euthanasia among terminally-ill patients in hospitals across the State by the last week of January. Mass petitions will be submitted to the government and the Law Reforms Commission this week.