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Mar192009
Jade Goody and the Sanctity of Death
I have always been fascinated by the Jain practice of Santhara. In this practice, when some one from the Jain community believes that he or she has lived a full life and has fulfilled all their social and familial obligations, they can opt to voluntarily hasten the process of death by going on a fast which lasts till death. Unlike the fasts that Gandhiji popularized and others have also undertaken, this fast is not a protest fast; these men and women are not having any demands that they want met.
Although this practice has some times been understood as suicide; Santhara has none of the emotional turbulence that is typically associated with the term best translated as atma hatya - the taking of one’s life. Here death is welcomed through a peaceful, tranquil process providing peace of mind for everyone involved and is a ritual of great dignity.
The question of how private and how dignified should death be is an important one and the question has been raised before. Probably in recent times, it was first raised while reflecting on the media coverage of the death of Princess Diana in an accident. The editors of many of the leading British tabloids had agreed that they had helped create a mood in which the paparazzi, who were hounding Diana when her car crashed in a Paris underpass, were out of control. Phil Hall, who was editor of the News of the World, said it was a circle of culpability involving the readers who demanded more photographs, the photographers who chased her and the newspapers that published the pictures. “A big Diana story could add 150,000 sales. So we were all responsible,” he said.
I guess that that began the commercialization of death and there has been no looking back ever since. But even so, death and the private life of individuals has been some thing that the Indian media has generally not intruded into. But the rules seem to be changing.
Times Now, the news channel has literally been giving a ball by ball commentary of Jade Goody on her death bed; which really looks macabre. Of course unlike the Diana episode, all this is happening with Jade’s full consent. As she herself says, I’ve lived in front of the restraint cameras. And maybe I’ll die in front of them. And I know some people don’t like what I’m doing but at this point I really don’t care what other people think. Now, it’s about what I want.” And since what Jade really wants is to earn enough cash for her children even in her dying days, the picture is some what complicated.
But while the motives may some what blur the issue of the sanctity of death, it does not obliterate it. A death bed scene cannot really be telecast like a 20-20 cricket match of the IPL. There was a time when terminal illness was treated with a decorum that mirrored a society which was, for all its faults, essentially at peace with itself in respect to the eternal truths of life and death. But today, in a bizarre circus that is scarcely imaginable, tributes to Jade Goody are printed while she still lives, there was an interest in filming her as she breathed her last and apparently her reality show producer, Max Clifford is planning stories as he in true vulture fashion , waits for her death. Even the venerable BBC is readying itself to cover the event when it occurs. It has long been said of our time that we have lost the sanctity of life; now it would appear that we have lost the sanctity for death too.
The views expressed in this post are those of the writer and are not necessarily endorsed by Mutiny.in
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Neelam Pant
001
6:47 am
this topic has been really bothering me a lot recently. Seeing her picture everywhere, all media focussed on her in her deathbed, it is quite sickening actually, this commercialisation. I have been following her story, not that living here, we have a choice, her marriage to her boy-friend when he came out of jail, her trips to the hospital, I mean she is not a saint or heroine of some sort that she needs this attention.
She is banking on the publicity to make money for her children, and though I feel sorry for her plight, I feel this kind of stunts and publicity is not needed.
Anaggh A. Desai
002
1:53 pm
Disgusting is the only way I can describe this. And that too at a time when there are more important & relevant matters on the anvil for the world to worry about.
ayush
003
5:46 pm
Well, she is making a lot of money! See, u follow her story.. u watch her shows and know wat all she does.. tat works well for business.. and she makes the money for her husband and children… u r a part of the problem u know., if u think it is a problem.
SimplyLife
004
12:35 pm
This has become a farce. Jade Goody, is materialistic. She wants the money for the betterment of her children. A noble cause, I think. Some people say, she makes a lot of money, but for what? She definitely is dieing, but for what use?
Further, she was recently baptised (a Christian ritual) along with her children. She is reverting to faith as well.
She does what she knows best, she lived for reality show, she will die for reality TV.
I do not grudge her anything. See my write up on this also.