After decades of relentless advocacy, 85-year-old H.B. Karibasamma, a retired schoolteacher, is on the verge of becoming Karnataka’s first recipient of the “right to die with dignity.” Following the state government’s January 30 announcement of granting this right to terminally ill patients, Karibasamma now eagerly awaits the procedures that will allow her to fulfill her wish.
Karibasamma’s path has been marked by resolute determination. She endured a slipped disc for over 30 years and was recently diagnosed with cancer. Despite her declining health, she spent the past 24 years tirelessly advocating for the right to die with dignity in India, sending letters to leaders like the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, President, and even the Supreme Court. While the court legalized passive euthanasia in 2018, it is only now that Karnataka has acted to offer the right to die with dignity, clarified by the state’s health minister, Dinesh Gundu Rao, who stressed it applies only to patients on life support and unresponsive to treatments.
Karibasamma has lost much in her fight—her property, finances, and relationships—yet she remains steadfast in her belief that those suffering from terminal illnesses should have the right to end their lives with dignity. She lives in an old-age home with her husband and has given away her last savings of Rs. 6 lakh to BSF welfare. Her quest for this cause, however, led her to be estranged from her relatives. “I want to be the first to avail this right,” she stated, standing firm in her commitment to those like her.