Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Terri Schiavo's case

Sir, — The question arising from Terri Schiavo's death is not whether one has the right to die. It is whether others have the right to decide on someone's behalf. Speaking from the point of view of Hindu dharma, a person may be sacrificed for the sake of a larger good, say for safeguarding the community, but certainly not for his/her own sake. Even taking one's own life has no sanction.

Jayasree Saranathan,
Mysore

Sir, — Terri's death could be viewed as the end point of the fight between the conservative religious activists and the religious modernists (liberationists). But this is a high-profile argument in the field of medical ethics. One can justify one's argument from the ethical, legal, social or religious point of view. Neither any court nor any socio-religious institution can take any decision satisfying all the arguments. What is meaningful is that after her death, some sang hymns in her honour and the members of the Florida Senate observed a moment of silence.

Malhia Joshua,
Vellore, T.N.

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