RIGHT TO DIE
‘Sir, my client has
right to die!’
Counsel thundered
with shine in his eyes
And Constitution of
India in his hands
Somehow he knew
This judge was sure
to upheld
Right to die and to
give
A groundbreaking
judgement
Which makes a counsel
Famous star in one single night
His client was
terminally ill
Living on drugs too
painful
‘Have mercy on him
At least let him die
peacefully!’
Counsel argued at
length and length
With plethora of
precedents in his hands
‘No Sir, No.’ shouted
Counsel for the State
‘Don’t give license
to kill to doctors
‘Don’t let husbands
kill their ill wives
‘Don’t let the wives
kill their ill husbands
‘Don’t let sons kill
their ill parents
‘Don’t let parents
kill their ill sons
Don’t legalize
murders and suicides’
Counsel for Sate
argued in air
To justify denial of a natural right
With arguments all
fallacious
All sitting in court
knew pretty well
This judge was sure
to upheld
Everyone’s right to
die
When one is no more
able
To carry one’s cross
Surprised were one
and all
When judge declined
to upheld
Right to die and
dismissed the case
Somewhere after midnight
When moon lit the sky
The judge committed
suicide
Advocates at bar knew
it well
He was in advance
stage
He was terminally ill
He was passing
through
Pains unbearable
He accepted arguments
And still dismissed
the case
For reasons best
known to a judge
As a man he was weak
As a judge he was
strong
(The story is partly true. It was heard that One HC Judge suffering from terminal illness shot himself with revolver. Other parts are imaginary- From my book, "Tomato Soup for Judges and Lawyers")
Right to die is complicated issue. Former Supreme Court Justice Markendey Katju has given a judgement on issue. But in this case woman herself was not the petitioner before court. Court has pondered on several national and International judgements on issue. The Court was also assisted by Senior Most Advocates of Supreme Court. However, I think something there is still missing, that is ability of person to suffer pain.
A Supreme Court lawyer suffered cancer. Doctor asked him not to smoke and not to drink. He told me, "What is there in life if a person is not allowed to smoke and drink. He continued to smoke and drink and died in few months.
Right to die is complicated issue. Former Supreme Court Justice Markendey Katju has given a judgement on issue. But in this case woman herself was not the petitioner before court. Court has pondered on several national and International judgements on issue. The Court was also assisted by Senior Most Advocates of Supreme Court. However, I think something there is still missing, that is ability of person to suffer pain.
A Supreme Court lawyer suffered cancer. Doctor asked him not to smoke and not to drink. He told me, "What is there in life if a person is not allowed to smoke and drink. He continued to smoke and drink and died in few months.
