A deeply distressing incident has come to light at the Subhadra Manav Kalyan Sewa Sansthan in Karnal, exposing the grim reality of strained familial relationships in modern times. A 78-year-old elderly man, currently residing at the old-age home, was visited by his family after a gap of roughly 23 years. However, instead of taking him back home, the family told the shelter manager that they could not take a sick person with them and bluntly asked to be informed if he dies so they could perform his last rites.
Living Away From Family for 23 Years
According to available details, the elderly resident at the Karnal shelter is 78 years old and had been living away from his family for nearly 23 years. For about 15 of those years, he managed to make a living by pulling a rickshaw. Eventually, advancing age and failing health left him completely helpless. Struggling with old age and suffering from tuberculosis, he found it impossible to sustain himself on his own. Consequently, the shelter provided him refuge around six months ago.
Family Summoned Due Deteriorating Health
When his health took a turn for the worse recently, the elderly man expressed a desire to see his family, and the shelter facilitated their arrival. Upon seeing his wife, son, and daughters, tears welled up in the elderly man's eyes. He folded his hands in front of his family and pleaded with them to take him home. Yet, the family members remained unmoved. Reports indicate that his wife, two daughters, and son had arrived to meet him, but they flatly stated that keeping a sick individual with them was out of the question.
Shelter Manager Pleaded With the Relatives
Neelu, the director of the institution, made extensive efforts to reason with the relatives. He urged them to take the elderly man home during the final phase of his life. The institution even assured them of all possible assistance, but the relatives cited his illness as an excuse and refused to take him along. The wife and elder daughter claimed that the younger son and daughter were already unsupportive, managing household expenses was extremely difficult, and bearing the responsibility of a sick elder was beyond their capacity. Before leaving, they handed their phone number to the shelter manager, instructing him to make a call if anything happened to him. The heart-wrenching incident left other residents and staff at the shelter in tears. At present, the elderly man continues to receive medical treatment at the facility, where the organization is looking after him.
