An Agra resident has been forced to take a drastic step to end the suffering of his six children, who suffer from a rare neurological disease; he wants to euthanise them.
Mohd Nazir, who owns a sweet shop in Agra, has written to India's President Pranab Mukherjee to seek his permission to end the lives of his children.
The children suffer from Canavan, a neurological disorder that gradually paralyzes the body, leads to seizures and even affects vision and hearing.
"I am tired of taking care of my children. I'm a normal sweet shop owner, there's only so much I can do for them. That is when I decided to write to the President of India, pleading euthanasia for my children," Nazir told NDTV.
In a few years, Nazir's six children will lose the ability to even walk or do any other normal activity unless they are treated. However, the modest family does not have the ability to finance the treatment.
"If not euthanasia, I would request the President to give me financial assistance for the treatment of my children," he said.
After the heart-wrenching case of Aruna Shanbaug, who remained in a vegetative state for over four decades before she passed away last month, this case has once again thrown light on the issue of euthanasia in the country.
Nazir's request for mercy killing does not fall under the Supreme Court's 2011 guidelines that allow for withdrawal of life-prolonging medical treatment for terminally-ill patients.
Local authorities have now come to the aid of the distraught family.
"CMO officials did visit the family. They are getting their Aadhar card and BPL card made and will soon give them the required help," Rajesh Srivastava, Additional District Magistrate of Agra, told NDTV.
