The government should be complimented for laying down that the suicide bid is not a criminal action. Delhi High Court took the first step in this direction as early as 1981 condemning Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code criminalizing suicide bids as unworthy of society. The Supreme Court in 1994 called it irrational and cruel. The law was however reinstated in 1996. Now the government has decided that attempted suicides do not constitute crime. In India, suicide is the second highest cause of deaths. In 2008, the Law Commission stated that those who tried to take their own lives deserved compassion and emotional support. Unless suicide bids cease to be crime, such compassion cannot be extended. An enlightened section of society in this country supports euthanasia in cases of terminal illness. In 1994 the Supreme Court held that Article 21 of the Constitution which guaranteed the right to life and liberty also included the right to die.
France is the first country to decriminalize attempted suicide after the French Revolution. French philosopher Albert Camus who committed suicide in mid-19th century said that suicide was the highest form of cerebration. It was in fact an extension of the Japanese cult of hara-kiri among the samurai, the warrior community. All European and North American countries have followed the example of France. Indian philosophy, especially Hinduism and Jainism, advocated self-extinction in ancient times. However, a word of caution should be put in. Suicide is sometimes prompted by hidden persuaders bearing ill-will. In the case of euthanasia, it is not always clear if it is caused by the near ones to relieve the suffering of the patient or their own. It is also necessary to create awareness of the value of life.
