March 8. “I have it down in my diary that today is International Women’s Day.

I have wished all the women at home including Rani and Mowgli. MoJo is a kid so she won’t understand anything about what this day is all about!”

“Today is actually the 100th year of celebration.”

“Are you doing anything in particular today?”

“No. Do you know anything about the Aruna Shanbaug case?”

“No. What about her? Who is she?”

“Aruna was raped some 30 years back and, after being thrown out by her family, is being taken care of by the nurses of KEM Hospital for the last 27 years. She’s a vegetable now and the Supreme Court has ruled today that she should be allowed to live and not be put to sleep. As a woman, I feel Aruna should be euthanized so she does not have to live this way till she dies a natural death. There’s dignity in that so she does not suffer anymore. She’s deaf, dumb and paralyzed. What dignity can there be in living the way she is at present?”

“What is euthanasia?”

“It’s someone taking one’s own life either because he/she is suffering from a chronic ailment or does not wish to live for some other reason. It could also be somebody else giving a chronically sick person the dignity of death.”

“If I was asked to take a call on someone like Aruna, I’d give my vote for her to be euthanized. That’s no way for someone to live.”

“That’s the way I look at it.”