Should Aruna Shanbaug be allowed to die?

Just a day before the world is celebrating the 100th International Women's Day, the Supreme Court verdict on a petition for the mercy killing of Aruna Shanbaug has sparked a debate, both online and offline, about mercy killing.

Shanbaug, now 63, has been in a "persistent vegetative state" after being sodomized by a hospital sweeper November 27, 1973, where she was working as a nurse. The court, however, permitted passive euthanasia if this was allowed by a high court.

While netizens took no time to flood the social networking space with their comments on the Supreme Court's decision, the debate has resulted in the emergence of a few communities like “Aruna Shanbaug Will Live Till Justice Community” on Facebook.

Responding to the verdict, Jitendra Parmar from Ahmedabad commented on Facebook, “Tomorrow is international women's day. KEM hospital staff welcome supreme court's decision. They told if Aruna wants death by mercy killing then they don't have any problem but how can she tell? She is in coma.”

“I believe if all of us have the right to live, we have the right to die as well. As family members, they will always try to protect and not want this to happen, but the final decision should vest with the human being herself/himself. I support her dignified death, let life move on for others and her soul,” added Ankur Jain from Bangalore.

“When Aruna Shanbaug herself cannot make appeal, nor people who are caring her, why other want to make decision for her?” asked a tweet.

“Disturbing to see tweets favoring euthanasia, not distinguishing fact that appeal is not by Aruna Shanbaug herself nor people caring her,” said another.

On the other hand, Amit Srivastava who is an entrepreneur in IT, went a step further in his tweet. “The case of Aruna Shanbaug is very interesting.. The offender's crime was down played using caste politics and blame on Aruna,” he said.

Observing that Aruna's right to die in dignity has been denied, Abhinay Verma tweeted from New York “Aruna Shanbaug cannot be allowed to die with dignity. She must suffer for being born in this country.”

Same is the view shared by Seemi Pasha, a journalist from New Delhi, too. “Why think that SC will allow Aruna to die with dignity? She must suffer 4 being born in a country with a judicial system like ours.” 

Added Nayanthara in a tweet. “37 years living in vegetative state, Oh my God!! This is too much..I strongly protest against the verdict.” 

The petition was moved on Shanbaug's behalf by her friend and social activist Pinki Virani, who has even written a book on Shanbaug, who remains under care in Mumbai's King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEM).

Even though the blogosphere is more or less against the court verdict, rejecting the petition for the mercy killing of Aruna Shanbaug, the medical fraternity is almost unanimously of the opinion that the nurse had a right to live.

Sanjay Bourde, a surgeon at Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital, said that euthanasia should be given only to patients who have multiple complications and are brain-dead. 

"I will not advocate euthanasia in Aruna Shanbaug's case. She is neither on a ventilator nor is her treatment too expensive. All she needs is a little care," Borude told IANS. 

Niranjan Chavan from Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital agreed with this view. He said nobody has the right to take a life.

"If I had to decide, I would decide even against passive euthanasia. Aruna Shanbaug has the right to live till she dies of natural causes," he said. 

Pramila Kushre, a nurse who treated Shanbaug at the KEM, told the media: "I am very happy to know that Aruna is going to live longer because I was very closely attached to her. She responds with a smile whenever one attends her."

In the days to come there is likely to be heated debates on mercy killing. But, after all, Shanbaug too deserves some mercy.