The parents of Harish Rana, the first person to get permission for euthanasia in India, bid farewell to their son on Wednesday, saying not to cry over his demise as he is now in a happy place.
It is noteworthy that Harish’s last rites took place on Wednesday morning at Green Park crematorium in South Delhi, bringing a peaceful end to his 13 years of suffering.
The 31-year-old man died on Tuesday. In 2013, he went into a coma after falling from the fourth floor balcony while studying B.Tech at Panjab University.
During the funeral, Harish’s mother bid an emotional farewell to her son with folded hands and met the people present there, while his father Ashok Rana urged the mourners not to cry, a neighbor told PTI over phone.
Family members as well as representatives of the Brahma Kumaris, a women-led spiritual movement, also attended Harish’s funeral and prayed for him.
Residents of Ghaziabad-based Raj Empire Society, where the Rana family lives, also came to show their support and were joined by various NGOs, AIIMS staff, relatives and friends.
Harish’s mortal remains were taken to the crematorium in an ambulance and the platform was decorated with rose petals. Many mourners folded hands to pay their last respects and some placed saffron garlands on the body before placing it on the pyre. Harish’s younger brother Ashish Rana along with his sister Bhavna lit the pyre.
Sister Lovely of the Brahma Kumaris, who joined the family and accompanied her to the cremation ground, said meditative mantras were chanted during the last rites. He said, “The body is leaving this mortal world, but the soul is immortal and has started a new journey.”
“The family decided to donate Harish’s eyes,” Sister Lovely told PTI.
It could not be confirmed whether other organs were also donated, as family members were not available for further comment.
Additionally, Sister Lovely said that in the coming days, a ‘bhog’ (offering) and prayer ritual will be organized by the Brahma Kumaris, in which food items that Harish likes will be prepared.
He said, “Harish could not eat food for more than a decade. Now his soul has been freed. As a symbolic gesture, we will offer him the food that was dear to his body.”
Earlier, neighbors and well-wishers said the family showed unwavering commitment to Harish’s care despite facing emotional and financial challenges over the years. His parents, Ashok Rana and Nirmala Devi, described the decision to allow passive euthanasia as “extremely painful but necessary”.
According to sources, the family is scheduled to return to their residence in Ghaziabad after completing the last rites and related rituals.
Earlier this month, Harish was shifted from his home in Ghaziabad to the palliative care unit of Delhi’s AIIMS following a landmark Supreme Court order allowing him to be removed from the life support system. He died on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court had clarified that passive euthanasia in their case would involve removal of artificial nutrition, such as a feeding tube, while palliative care would be continued to ensure a dignified natural death. Medical boards had concluded that his condition was irreversible.