Lecture on euthanasia held at PU

A special lecture by Professor Sehdev Kumar from the School of Continuing Studies,University of Toronto...

A special lecture by Professor (Emeritus) Sehdev Kumar from the School of Continuing Studies,University of Toronto,Canada,on the topic Euthanasia: Right to die,with or without a doctor was organised by the Department of Lifelong Learning and Extension (DLL),Panjab University on Tuesday.

Professor Ajaib Singh,director,DLL,expressed apprehensions and doubts about the legitimacy and legality of mercy killing and cautioned the audience against the practice. He,however,asserted that the issue being vital,it was considered apt for discussion.

The director also thanked Vice-Chancellor Professor R C Sobti for facilitating a series of special lectures to be delivered by Professor Kumar in Panjab University.

The expert from Canada dwelled upon a wide spectrum of issues relating to the socio-cultural aspects in European and other countries vis-à-vis India,and quoted Malthus essay on population.

With life expectancy in most of countries having increased from 33 years to above 80 years,the number of cases of old and fragile citizens has also increased. Coupled with it is the will to live or conversely the will to die, he said.

Professor Kumar endorsed the idea of the living will.

He commended religions like Jainism and Buddhism as these second the idea of living by will and consider death only as a transitional phase,which amounts to celebrating death rather than considering it as an end.

He added that while 20 million people world over try to commit suicide every year,only one million succeed.

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