If elders are ignored, there will be an earthquake in civilization: Justice Surya Kant

New Delhi: Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant said on Monday that the weakening relations between generations in the country and lack of care for the elderly are a serious threat to the social fabric. He warned that India ‘risked losing the old world’ that kept society humane. He called it an ‘earthquake in civilization’ and said that prosperity has increased distances and the warmth of relationships has decreased. Justice Surya Kant was speaking at a special program on ‘Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act’.

‘We have achieved a new world, but…’

Justice Surya Kant said, ‘Prosperity has quietly replaced proximity. Young people go to work in the new world, but the door between generations remains closed. He said that once in India, old age was not considered a decline but an upgrade and the elderly members used to play the role of ‘conscience of the story’ in the family and culture, but modernity has weakened these structures. He said, ‘We have achieved the new world, but we are on the verge of losing the old world, the world that used to keep us human.’

‘The widow kept making rounds of the court for 50 years’

Justice Surya Kant mentioned a recent case in which a widow kept fighting for maintenance for almost 50 years. The Supreme Court got his property back under its special powers (Article 142). Justice Surya Kant said, ‘Justice is not served merely by being technically correct. The right to dignity does not end with age. No institution can replace people, the bridge between the old and the new is built by the youth. Be it helping in digital transactions, sitting together and talking or not leaving you alone in the queue. These small things give the elderly a reason to live.

‘Old-age home was never in our culture’

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar said, ‘Old-age home was never in our culture. Our culture is rooted in respect for elders. They are the foundation of society. But urbanization and changing lifestyle have broken families. Children go away for jobs, parents are left alone. He recalled visiting Brahma Kumari’s old-age home in Mount Abu where educated elders like doctors, lawyers, engineers live, whose children are abroad. The minister said, ‘Money is important, but money is not everything.’

‘Many parents write off property to their children, then…’

The minister said that many parents give away property to their children and then the children leave them. The government is ready to get their property back, but most mothers say, ‘Don’t file a case against my son.’ He said that even after suffering, mother’s love does not diminish. Social Justice Secretary Amit Yadav said that at present there are 10.38 crore elderly people in the country, by 2050 this number will increase to 34 crore. He said, ‘Old age is not weakness, it should come with respect and security.’ (PTI)

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