Ailing Indian family asks to die

By Narayan Bareth
BBC News, Jaipur

The family of six sitting on a fast (Pic: Shahzad Khan)

Six members of the same family in the western Indian state of Rajasthan have written to President APJ Abdul Kalam seeking permission to end their lives.

All six suffer from a debilitating illness and say they are tired of leading a "crippled life".

"We want to end our lives, it is hard living in such miserable conditions," says Mukesh, one of the family.

Euthanasia is illegal in India. A court refused a terminally-ill patient's plea for mercy killing two years ago.

Unable to walk

Doctors have been unable to diagnose the disorder which the six family members developed a decade ago. It has affected their legs, leaving them unable to walk.

Mukesh, his 60-year-old mother Bishani Devi and four of his siblings live in an abandoned house in the state capital, Jaipur.

They began a fast on Monday.

The family earlier owned a small shop which was removed by the state administration as part of a drive against unregistered properties.

Now, they live in abject poverty.

"Our only income is the 800 rupees ($18) which we receive as pension from the government. We cannot survive with that. We are unable to bear the financial burden of our treatment," says Mukesh.

Although the state government has now said it will provide all help needed to them, the family says it has lost all hope.

"This illness has ruined our lives. It is better if the government allows us to die on our own," says Mukesh.

Euthanasia is outlawed in India and two years ago a court rejected a terminally-ill chess champion's plea to have his life support system turned off so that he could donate his organs before they were irreparably damaged.

Venkatesh, 25, was suffering from a genetic neurological disorder and later died in hospital.