Amidst hue and cry of the world, a small news item might have slipped your attention. Recently, there was a referendum conducted in Switzerland. The question was- whether or not Switzerland should accept and promote suicide tourism?

We were told; by the omnipresent media that Switzerland has the highest living standard in the world. A large percentage of the population of this nation feels that they should have the right to decide the time and mode of their death. A person should have the right to decide how much pain she or he has to endure; how much illness she or he can take; how much loneliness she or he can endure and so on. 

As a solution, many suicide-clubs have sprung. People go for assisted suicide. The family members, who assist the death of their loved ones, later come on television shows with watery eyes, photographs spread all over, recount the unbearable condition of the deceased, and share the glory of reducing pain on this planet. Now, it so happens, that the stinking rich and boringly saturated of this world, find this to be the ultimate idea. They go to Switzerland, decide the mode of their exit and say, 'bye-bye'. So, sweet! The referendum was on making Switzerland the suicide capital of the world.

Is this not man playing God? Is this not the victory of death-wish over life force? Is this not heinous? Is this not criminal? This, in fact, is the plight of prosperity. 

Imperfection, struggle, hardships are part and parcel of human existence. You take away these things from life and see what happens. All energy focuses itself on death.

It is good when life has something to be desired. The chase goes on. The struggle goes on. In fact, it must go on. Life is the other name of 'going on'. Man should not be allowed to say, 'stop'. Why man should not be allowed to say 'stop'? Simply because it won't stop at any point. Any reason will be good enough to say good bye. It will make a joke of life itself. We must not forget that we are animals. We are at the helm of the life-chart. But we are animals, progeny of chimpanzees. We are, perhaps living an abnormal pattern of life.

We love to live. We fight to live. We want to survive and not die. Extinction is inconceivable whether at the micro or at the macro level. The micro constitutes the macro. The struggle must go on.

Comfort and luxuries have this chilling effect on human sensibilities. As the apt saying goes, 'An empty mind is the devil's workshop'. When you do not have anything to do, you will do such things. When your living standard is the highest in the world, when there is nothing to be craved for, you crave to become God. This is what the devil did. He wanted to become God. 

Therefore, say cheers to life. Problems are part of life. Trying to overcome those problems is the essence of life.  

Note: The above is a compilation by the "Zenith" team edited by the author.