[sadhuji]

It was saddening to learn of an 80 plus year old lady being driven out of the house of one of her sons where she had been staying. When she approached her remaining five sons in the same city, none wanted to keep her. Finally, she had to depend on a rickshaw driver who came to her rescue. The sons are well off but refused to take her responsibility.

There are regular news in the media of parents who are at the receiving end of ill treatment at the hand of their children. The Government has enacted rules to ensure that such incidents do not happen but these remain on paper. What drives the children to take such extreme steps is never revealed; in case well wishers pursue the cases, at time there is reconciliation. But, more often than not, the elders live a miserable existence. There are children who rush their parents off to old age homes on some excuse or the other, mostly these relate to inability to get on with the daughter-in-laws.

At times the parents opt for the homes on their own to escape continuous bickering and nagging at the hands of their near and dear ones. When one of the parents dies, the life of the other becomes still more miserable. That is the time when the children should repay their debts for all the sufferings and hardships that they had endured to bring them up, the sleepless nights they underwent when the child fell sick – but, the children conveniently forget these basic philosophies. They have to remember that they also would come to the same condition in due course of time. What will happen then?

[vandy]

Thanks sadhuji,

Not only is this Sad but I also find it DISGUSTING.  

There are Child Abuse laws But no Parent Abuse Laws, WHY ?  

vandy  

[priya]

How terribly sad

I have no idea what the homes for the aged are like in India, but here the old folk are, by and large, very will cared for in these homes.  If the children are finding their parents too much of a burden, surely a home or a shelter is a kinder alternative than just driving her out to live on the street.  It is appalling that children are treating their old folk in this manner.........."there but for the grace of.........."

[sadhuji]

priya, on May 29 2008, 08:19 AM, said:

.... I have no idea what the homes for the aged are like in India, but here the old folk are, by and large, very will cared for in these homes.  ...

some of the old age homes are good places for the aged persons - especially for those whose children reside abroad. but, there are children who at times rush off the old persons to a home and try to forget their existance. that hurts.

[priya]

Yes, of course it must hurt. - I just hope these cases are in the minority.