The Dying Pigeon and my perspective on Euthanasia
Four days ago, around midday, I was driving back from a meeting towards my office, I spotted a pigeon lying smack in the middle of the road. Usually, when you’re driving, you expect birds to fly off. This one did not. I carefully drove past it in such a way as to avoid it.
On most days, this would’ve been the end of the encounter for me and I would’ve gone on to continue my day’s work. This time though for some reason, I chose to park my car to the side and I felt morally obliged to do something.
Right after I parked my car, a couple of other cars swerved and swayed in similar ways that I had. After 30 sec of consternation, the road was empty enough to allow me to go pick the bird up.
Let’s call this pigeon “Kabootar”. So Kabootar was in bad shape. His eyes had the look of an animal taking it’s last few breaths, it’s breathing was laboured and no signs of movement of its limbs or wings were visible.
I did a quick analysis in my head. Can I do something to help kabootar recover? It seemed unlikely. I took him to a side and the next thought in my head was should I end it’s misery. Here’s an animal about to die, might be eaten by other animals giving it more pain. Should I end its life to rid it of its pain?
As I picked a rock up to do that, a chowkidaar in the vicinity hollered: “Sir mat karein, gunah lageyga” (Don’t do this, it would be a bad deed). This call gave me a chance to pause. I dropped the rock that I had in my hand.
I dropped the rock not out of fear of a misdeed because when I was going to end Kabootar’s life I thought I was doing him a favour. I paused because I questioned myself, Mohsin are you trying to play God here?
The answer was yes, who was I to decide how Kabootar’s life ended. In my perspective what I could do and what my humanity calls for is to give him a dignified passing on and to respect the life it had.
I placed Kabootar in an empty parking lot, supported by two rocks on either side and prayed it had an easy passing on and bid him farewell. He’s most certainly gone by now and I hope by my action instead of being trampled to death under a car wheel the end of its life had a more dignified close.
As I care for a close relative who’s suffering from a terminal illness, it makes me reflect about the shift on my perspective on euthanasia. When I was in medical school, I was a strong proponent of taking action to make life pain- free for our patients even if it meant taking their life away through active means.
Over the years life and time has taught me that there are deeper emotions and experiences than physical pain. Dignity and respect are to be prized, there is nature’s plan that is to be respected. You as a human being display your humanity by alleviating the pain of a person who is ailing but the moment you try to end life you go into the space of playing God and that’s where humanity ends and arrogance begins.
Kabootar made me reflect on my shift in perspective and I thought I would share it with you today, may you rest in peace my friend.
