Yes, the title is quite controversial: Times of India brought to our notice a few days ago that a failed attempt at suicide is a crime under current legislation (a successful attempt has its own rewards, perhaps). But it begs us to ask this question: People who are suicidal are tired of their lives and just want a way out - Without making a judgement on their bravery (or lack thereof), you have to ask: If you are tired of your life and try to kill yourself and fail, you land up in jail.
How does that make sense? It'll make people even more depressed and want to kill themselves even more unless a revelation changes their mind in jail completely.
Is that even a viable plan? If you try to kill yourself we'll put you in jail. If you don't, you're stuck. What about democracy? What about the freedom to choose? What we need is suicide helplines and self-help groups. Not stupid laws that are counter-intuitive.
India plans to make that law obsolete soon, but why was something like that put into place? I'm not sure if either of the options - make suicide a crime or create self help groups - will help undo the damage in a person's life, but the latter is far more of a better option.
Even so, if somebody wants to kill themselves, I think they have all the right to. Of course things always get better, but that's just one of many perceptions.
How does that make sense? It'll make people even more depressed and want to kill themselves even more unless a revelation changes their mind in jail completely.
Is that even a viable plan? If you try to kill yourself we'll put you in jail. If you don't, you're stuck. What about democracy? What about the freedom to choose? What we need is suicide helplines and self-help groups. Not stupid laws that are counter-intuitive.
India plans to make that law obsolete soon, but why was something like that put into place? I'm not sure if either of the options - make suicide a crime or create self help groups - will help undo the damage in a person's life, but the latter is far more of a better option.
Even so, if somebody wants to kill themselves, I think they have all the right to. Of course things always get better, but that's just one of many perceptions.
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