According to a Tamil saying, Parents are Super Gods who deserve the best attention, care and help because from the time of the birth of a baby till it grows into a man or woman they have to undergo lot of difficulties both financially and mentally. Unlike other animals human beings cannot abandon their off springs to their fate after taking care of them for a short time initially. Most of the animals can fend for themselves, but it is only the human beings that depend upon their parents till they grow up.
Recently, an elderly parent approached the Madras High Court with the complaint that his son was not caring for him and providing him with food, shelter and help. The Hon’ble Court has adversely criticized the errant son and directed him to look after his old and ailing father notwithstanding the fact that the son was not very well to do. It is not a single case. In India, many children plead inability to maintain their parents due to shortage of income while some others do not want to spend on the parents although they are earning enough to look after their own families. The worst of the lot are children who take up lucrative assignments in foreign countries and earn enough to lead a luxurious life but leave their parents in the old age homes and do not mind spending any amount of money on them. They do not realize that the old parents would be happy to share any adverse circumstances with their children than lead a comfortable life in the old age homes. In the olden days, families used to remain united and joint families ensured that members and family in all age groups were taken care of.
It is a fact that more than 80 percent of the elderly parents with no income of their own are being humiliated and are leading a life under sub-human conditions.
Thanks to the efforts of the former US President Bill Clinton that the importance of maintaining elderly parents comfortably has been realized. He declared 5th July as the Parents’ day and also declared that day as a holiday. It is not enough to celebrate a single day as parents’ day and condemn the old parents to their fate. Government should take efforts to make children realize their responsibility for the aged, ailing, helpless and destitute parents so that they lead a fairly comfortable life during the twilight years of their life. Certainly this article does not imply that almost all the children behave in a manner which cannot be appreciated. There are hundreds of thousands of children who undergo all difficulties to keep their parents in a very happy and healthy condition. Those who fail to take care of them should be made to realize the need and importance of making their parents live in comfort.

Aakash Ravichandran
X-B,
Bhavan's Mehta Vidyalaya
New Delhi

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