A woman whose opinion was once authoritative in the village council, resolving disputes and making agreements between families, is now spending her final days in a nursing home, far from her own family. This elderly resident of the village in Haryana, known as Virmati, served as the village elder for many years, taking on responsibilities in managing the panchayat, resolving residents' conflicts, and listening to their problems.
However, over time, her life changed in a way she may never have imagined. She had to leave her own home and go to a nursing home. When asked why the woman, who once led the village, had to end up in such an institution, she replied that she left the house herself, and the village remains her home; she has not forgotten it.
Nevertheless, she said that her children betrayed her. According to the elderly woman, her children beat her. The first time this happened, she forgave them, believing it was a mistake and that family conflict could be resolved within the family. But after that incident, they started using violence against her again.
The victim claims that this time her children, along with their daughters-in-law, attacked her. After this trauma, she could not cope with the situation. She noted that while she managed the entire village and resolved disputes, she could not even take care of two daughters-in-law in her own home. Eventually, she decided to leave the house. After leaving the residence, she went four days without food or water, and none of her children came to her—neither son nor daughter called.
Speaking about this, pain was evident on her face. She received such treatment from the family she trusted the most, which forced her to leave her home. The woman mentioned that she has brothers and sisters, as well as relatives in the village. Her brother visits her, and her sister also comes. They offer her to go with them and live together, but she refuses.
She believes that her children 'have lost their minds.' She hopes that one day God will hear her words. She cares for the age of her brothers and sisters, noting that they are also aging. She fears that if something happens to them, the responsibility will fall on her children. Furthermore, she is afraid that any disgrace might fall upon her brothers and sisters. Therefore, she decided to spend her remaining life in a nursing home.
She feels it is better to spend her life there because at least they provide services there. When asked about the nursing home, she said that the service there is good. However, she admits that a person has to convince themselves of the necessity of living in such an institution and must think about themselves.
The story of this elderly woman emerged at a time when the death of 74-year-old textile merchant Shivacharan Ramratna Gupta from Mumbai raised questions about the lives of the elderly in nursing homes. Shivacharan Gupta had lived in a nursing home for the last three years. His death occurred on August 4, and his wife passed away in the same ashram about two years ago.
According to the ashram administration, all three of his daughters were informed of Shivacharan Gupta's death. One of the daughters viewed her father's farewell via video call and sent ₹5100 online for funeral rites. The ashram administration states that it has no information about the other two daughters. According to the management, none of the three daughters attended their mother's funeral.
