by Deepa BHOOKHUN

The minister for Women?s rights made a bold statement about abortion in her first press interview a few days after she had taken up office. She said that, despite her own principles regarding the right to life, she believes abortion should be allowed in specific cases. Unless my memory fails me, there has rarely been a minister in office who?s ever been that outspoken on this issue where taboo often prevails over courage and common sense.

This example of outspokenness outrages many and has been enough to spark off yet another debate on the issue of abortion: should we, shouldn?t we?

This debate is, however, in danger of going on forever. I have to admit I have never understood the rationale behind the argument of ?life?. Granted I get the point of certain over-zealous militants who will tell you it is just a matter of choosing life over death, that people who are for abortion are heartless criminals, that everybody has a right to life.

But these arguments, religious arguments surely, still stand regardless of whether abortion is legalised or not. Am I missing a point here? Legalising something does not mean encouraging it. How hard is it to comprehend the simplicity of this? Abortions take place on a daily basis. Women die of abortions performed on the backstreets. Legal or not, women abort.

Giving women the choice to have a baby or not to have a baby. What?s so wrong in this? What does the choice of ?life? mean to the self-righteous? That the woman who has no concept of contraception, will keep on getting pregnant and, after ten deliveries and no partner in sight, the woman will have ten mouths to feed, no job (how could she when she?s busy delivering babies so others feel no crime has been perpetrated), no time to look after them, no money to send them to school.

The children left to their own devices will grow up, however they can, probably start sniffing glue at some early age, getting into fights, breaking the law, going to prison, getting into prostitution, drugs; and the vicious circle goes on and on. Is this the choice of ?life?? Give us a break.

Everybody has a right to life? Everybody has a right to a GOOD life. When they can?t have a good life, will the holier-than-thou take the children in, give them all they need? I don?t think so. Those who abort are criminals? According to whom? God? Whose God? What in Heaven?s name gives anyone besides a government people have voted in, to whom the people have given legitimacy, the right to decide in our name?

It has been said before; it needs to be said again. No religion has the right to dictate laws to a secular government. The Church does not rule us, temples do not rule us, mosques do not rule us, and pagodas do not rule us. A government that has been elected by us, the people, rules us. If the government is not sure what to do, let them hold a referendum and ask the people what they think.

So this sterile debate that has no pregnancy in meaning can be aborted. Pun intended.