RESPONSIBILITY OF SOCIETY

I felt so sad to read in today’s newspaper about a 30 years old specialist doctor working in AIIMS having committed suicide. My heart goes out to her 2 years old daughter. As per newspapers her in laws and husband used to harass her. Instead of feeling proud of having a daughter in law who is so qualified and working for well being of people, they used to blame her for neglecting household work due to her busy schedule. I know the in laws will blame her of being quarrelsome but if it was so, would she have committed suicide considering her being so qualified and intelligent? It is said that in laws, who had taken her daughter away, did not let her meet her for a couple of months. One cannot bring her back to life but should now see that her so young daughter is brought up with love and affection. I feel some reputed NGO, if not government itself, should monitor her bringing up. 

WHY TARGET THE POOR ONLY?

Yesterday I saw in TV news workers of MNS in Mumbai upturning hand cart of a poor fruit seller thus throwing all fruit on road as he was non-maharashtrian. This makes me wonder if they want or their leader wants all non-maharashtrian to leave Mumbai then why target only poor. Why does he not speak against those who are rich, like people of film industry? Why does not he ask famous film stars most of whom are non-maharashtrian to leave Mumbai? Or the rich industrialists? Come to think of it, it is said that even he is from a non-maharashtrian family who migrated from Bihar to Bombay a couple of generations ago.

SOME REFLECTIONS

Well, on turning 71 I spent some time to reflect on times gone by. 

I am living in a rented accommodation with wife. Our both children are away. Daughter is married and living separately with her children and her husband is posted to another town. Son with his wife & children is in Canada for the last over 2 1/2 years. So we two take care of each other. By God's grace I earn reasonable sufficient pension to look after ourselves at the fag end of life. People do wonder as to how come I did not make a house for ourselves. I did make one but sold it off to take care of more important needs of our children.Now we do not wish to intrude into their life. But I do feel that having own accommodation does make a lot of difference as you do not have to run around to find another house for rent once lease for current one is getting over. We could check into some decent Old Age Home but we can not at present as we have a 10 1/2 years old dog. She needs a lot of care & love. We do not wish to abandon her. Also I am not sure about standards of such Homes. I have lived a decent life, earned respect of people who I came in contact. Even today if I meet anyone from my organisation, I get a lot of attention and respect. Still I feel that own accommodation as well as some regular source of income is a must for old age as we should not have any expectations from our children.

So my advice at this age to you who are still young is that do take care of your children, give them the BEST but at the same time CATER for your old age also.