The daughters of a Haryana man who passed away in an assisted living facility did not attend his funeral. A debate concerning elder seclusion and shifting family ties has been triggered by the burial, which was handled by staff and locals while the daughters watched via video connection.
After an elderly man who spent his life teaching and providing for his daughters passed away in an assisted living facility without any of them attending his last rites, a very touching incident from Sonipat, Haryana, has spurred discussion about shifting family values.
Shivcharan Ratan Gupta was a textile businessman who battled a protracted illness and passed away while yearning to see his daughters one more time, according to staff at the old-age facility. Even after learning of his passing, none of his three daughters visited the assisted living facility or went to his funeral.
Rather, they asked that a video of their father’s final ceremonies be delivered to them on their phones and contributed Rs 5,100 to cover the burial costs.
Images from the event included a picture of Gupta, followed by others from the neighbourhood and the assisted living facility performing his final ceremonies. In a different video, the girls were seen witnessing the cremation via a video call as the funeral was taking place. In the absence of any immediate relatives, community members were also observed carrying out the rites at the cremation site.
Watch the video here:
The elderly home’s administrator, Anand Kumar, discussed the incident and stated that Gupta had spent his last days there after becoming unwell. He continued by saying that the old man had hoped his daughters would visit him and frequently wanted to meet them.
Kumar claims that Gupta was a textile trader who made significant educational investments for his daughters. He made sure they finished their education, and two of them went on to become teachers.
According to others who knew him at the assisted living facility, he felt he had fulfilled his parental duties and was quite proud of his daughters’ accomplishments.
But the family did not show up when it was time to say goodbye. The elderly home and locals assumed responsibility for carrying out the final ceremonies with respect when they received the funds for the funeral.
Many locals and social media users have expressed regret at the circumstances surrounding Gupta’s dying moments as a result of the tragedy.
Some saw the incident as a reminder of the value of being there for loved ones during life’s most trying times, while others felt it highlighted the increasing loneliness experienced by many ageing parents.
Many have questioned how family relationships are evolving and whether contemporary obligations are increasingly coming at the expense of personal ties after seeing images of an elderly father’s funeral attended by strangers as his children watched from a distance.
