Hindus have found the recent Ireland Health Service Executive final draft report about death of miscarrying Hindu women as “deficient". Reacting to the reports about this draft report, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that the report did not seem to answer the primary question—why the 31-year old dentist Savita Halappanavar was denied life-saving abortion. Terming her death unnecessary and preventable, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, stated that Ireland needed to do serious soul searching. It was 2013 and in view of its increasingly diverse, pluralistic and multicultural society, Ireland needed to relook at some of its outdated laws dating back to 1861 and introduce reform. Rajan Zed noted that Hindu community worldwide was highly disturbed over Halappanavar's death in University Hospital Galway (Ireland). Ireland should ensure the world that no one would die in similar circumstances in the future. How can one see this tragedy as “pro-life"? Zed asked. Halappanavar appeared to have been forced to abide by a religious doctrine of the majority to which she did not belong, Zed argued. Rajan Zed further said that human rights, women's rights and rights of religious minorities seemed to have been sacrificed for electoral greed in Ireland. Leaders of this country of James Joyce, Robert Boyle, William Butler Yeats, Saint Patrick, U2, Undertones, shamrocks, 40 shades of green, Emerald Isle, should exhibit strong political will and European Union should take tough line on Ireland on this issue. Hindus also wanted public apology from Ireland President Michael Daniel Higgins and Prime Minister Enda Kenny for Halappanavar's reportedly preventable death, Zed said. Although no amount of money could possibly match this tragedy and human loss, but Halappanavar's family should be adequately compensated, Rajan Zed added. BN
