This story is from December 16, 2019

They forgive, their children get a chance

Jyotindra and Heeraben Gajjar (names changed), residents of an apartment on Sola Road, were living in a city-based senior citizen home two years ago. The reason was frequent domestic feud after which his son sent the elderly with infrequent maintenance.
They forgive, their children get a chance
Representative image
AHMEDABAD: Jyotindra and Heeraben Gajjar (names changed), residents of an apartment on Sola Road, were living in a city-based senior citizen home two years ago. The reason was frequent domestic feud after which his son sent the elderly with infrequent maintenance.
“The couple in their seventies were incensed about the treatment they had received and had approached the collector office to demand their right — getting their home back.
After nearly six months, they received the positive response and also got police support to get his son’s family out in 2016,” said Suketu Nagarvadiya, managing trustee of Jivan Sandhya Home for Elderly in Naranpura.
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Two years later, the son’s visits increased and the parents, after a patch-up, allowed them to stay. The family, that did not wish to be named - claiming that the past is the past said that they have started afresh.
In past six years, the Ahmedabad district collector office helped about 12 senior citizen couples/single applicants to get their homes back in the city. Except two to three, all have left their original dwellings. Nagarvadiya said that two of the senior citizens have invited their children back. “After all, it’s parents’ heart. We, however, keep in touch with them to ensure that they are not harassed,” he added.
In another instance, a 76-year-old woman got her bungalow back near expressway in Ramol. “She got it back but when her son asked for help, she could not hold back and just kept a room for herself and gave the bungalow again to the son,” said Nagarvadiya.
Mahesh Patel, a former resident at Jivan Sandhya and now living in his native place in Mehsana, said that he fought a battle of three years to get his right. “Once we got the home back, there was no option of inviting the sons. We sold the home in the city and got relocated,” he said.
But it’s not happy ending for all - M V Srinivasan, 78, a resident of Amraiwadi, is living in a city-based old age home for past four years. “Apart from mental harassment, I was also subjected to physical abuse. I am fighting a case against my own son and daughter-in-law. When I won a case, I was charged with harassment by the daughter-in-law, which is still going on,” he said.
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About the Author
Parth Shastri

Parth Shastri is senior correspondent at The Times of India, Ahmedabad. He reports on crime as well as issues related to traffic in the city, forensic investigation, archaeology and emergency medical services.

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