What are your comments on this legislation in India?

Question

The Loksabha (lower house) passed a bill 'THE MAINTENANCE & WELFARE OF PARENTS AND SENIOR CITIZENS BILL 2007' wherein grownup children would be punished for not taking care of their parents.

The social fabric is very different in India because there is no social security as in other countries and hence with growing social problems and isolation of aging parents i believe the legislation is relevant.

Answer 1

Yes I fully agree with you. Although we in India are advancing at a study phase in Science & Technology, Business Management both national & international, the sectors like insurance both social & medical are still very much under developed. Our national budget leaving aside Railway's show deficit, we are unable to provide any financial help for aged & ailing citizens from national exchequer hence it is now for the children to provide for such parents & if they fail to do so strict legal action should be taken against them, keeping in mind the misery the old & ailing parents go through this is a right step towards providing care towards them. It has been seen that in old age many parents have to live alone in a destitute condition as their children avoid keeping them with them, may be because of the pressure from their spouse’s or because of other social or personal reasons. Usually these parents are those who had spent their whole life earning for the studies & marriage of their children & even handed over their self owed left over property to their children. These parents are left with nothing but suffering. This provision for aged parents was in need for many years & it should have been enacted long back when such provisions as section 498A Indian Penal Code relating to cruelty, amendments in the anti dowry enactment was been brought about & Protection of Woman From Domestic Violence Act were being enacted all these basically for the protection of married women from any physical or harassment for the purpose of dowry or for any other purpose against their husband & other in laws including parent in laws. During the last few years it has been seen that many married women had used these provisions against their parent in laws to turn them out of their house & forced their son to live alone with them. In doing so these women even did not allow the their husband to even provide minimum maintenance to their parents, just to prevent such situation to happen now this enactment was conceived where both the spouses will be made responsible for the care of the old parents. Even the daughters will be bound to take care or provide maintenance to their parents if there is no son or even if son is there but for some financial reasons unable to provide such help for the ailing old parents. Any such children who fail to follow this enactment can be forced to do so & for that they can even loose their own property or face imprisonment. At least for such enactment I can say better late then never.