EUTHANASIA and Two Recent Bengali Stage Productions

EUTHANASIA and Two Recent Bengali Stage Productions

 [Euthanasia is being discussed throughout the world on its moral, legal and social implications.  Euthanasia conducted with the consent of the patient is termed voluntary euthanasia. Active voluntary euthanasia is legal in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. This particular practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve one from unbearable pain has not got legal sanctions in our country in spite of the long struggle initiated long back by Minoo Masani. This system has its mentions in the old scriptures especially in Mahabharat but as the social norms, religious beliefs and the legal implications do not see eye to eye, we have found a partial sanction granted by Supreme Court in March last year in the case of Aruna Shanbag where passive euthanasia had been allowed. Passive voluntary euthanasia is legal throughout the U.S. In some places like in Switzerland and the U.S. states of Oregon, Washington and Montana the patient brings about his or her own death with the assistance of a physician and the term assisted suicide is used. Non-voluntary euthanasia is illegal in all countries.]

Interestingly, two recent Bengali productions have dealt with the theme of euthanasia that has not been handled on the Bengali stage till date though has been a familiar subject for long in literature and also in cinema.

Much has been said, written and argued but different countries have their own set of views regarding this intentional ending of a life in order to relieve someone suffering from pain and afflictions and have different laws. And as theatre is a mirror of the happenings, apprehensions, ecstasies and expectations of life and epitomises the optimistic approach to living a meaningful life, it is quite natural that such a subject be explored by the people of the theatre. It was quite interesting to find two groups almost at the same time produced two plays which had this subject at the core. Ha-Ja-Ba-Ra-La presented Mrityuheena sometimes in the early part of February while Natakwala presented Maranre Ichhamtityu Ebong.... in mid February.

Ha-Ja-Ba-Ra-La’s production, Mrityuheena, is a stage presentation of the group’s mentor Chandan Sen’s play of the same name. Sen is surely the first Bengali playwright to focus on the theme of mercy death. He very forcefully argues the case of an aged elocutionist who would like to gift his terminally ill beloved wife who has lost her voice, a peaceful death. He has brought in an intriguing sub-plot that fits well with the theme of the play. But the plea of a person to relieve someone whom he loves his heart out and who is painfully in the death bed with no hopes of recovery, by giving her a peaceful death distresses the viewer at the end of the day with the question of how far we are ready to accept such pleas. The human values and the social framing particularly in our Indian context make such decisions difficult.

This problem has further been dealt with in the Natakwala presentation of Maranre Ichhamtityu Ebong.... , a play written and directed by Shyamal Kumar Chakraborty. In this production the story centres on a retired justice who has no one to fall back upon and has been suffering from a painful incurable ailment and has been contemplating death with dignity. At this point of time his childhood friend and now a widow comes to him for help in the treatment of her son who had gone into a comatose state.  The subplot gives a different interpretation of the theme and poised the viewer with some hard-hitting questions. The play is so gripping that the production scores a high marks and is set to get a standing applause of the house.   

The fact that the Bengali theatre scene is throbbing with life is once again proved by these two productions which do not shy away to focus on such issues that are disturbing for the viewers yet are significant.