Old age is difficult as it is. See our grandparents – from hearing problems to decreased sight, joint pains to loss of memory – they are battling one too many struggles at the same time. On top of that, if they get abandoned by their families or are neglected by them, whom would they turn to?
70-year-old Saktipada Mishra who lives in a remote village in Odisha was abandoned by his children and left to fend for himself in his old age. The same was the case with 65-year-old Tejaswini Mandal, who lost her husband a few years back and was abandoned by her three sons. She was left to look after herself in her village while her sons moved to bigger cities.
However, fate had other plans for the two elderly people. According to The New Indian Express, Tejaswini used to sell earthen pots to earn a living and it was during that time that she met Saktipada. They got to know each other and started to enjoy each other’s company. Having gone through similar heartbreaks in life, the two found solace, companionship and love in each other.
Recently, Saktipada proposed to marry Tejaswini and the two got married traditionally in a small yet austere ceremony in the village’s Jagannath temple.
“Saktipada did the right thing by remarrying a like-minded person. Now after the demise of Saktipada, his wife will inherit his property,” said Subash Das, a local lawyer.
We think it is important to mention that according to Sections 7 and 15 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, it is the duty of children to look after their elderly parents. In case sons mistreat their parents and evict them from the house, they can face legal action. According to our country’s law, a senior citizen has the legal right to evict their adult kids from the house if they please, reports TNIE.
So glad that the two elderly people now have somebody to spend the rest of their lives with. 🙂