Dear God,
A recent discussion led to forced euthanasia in India, predominantly practiced in the villages of Tamil Nadu. Thalaikoothal, a barbaric and a stone-age practice is the killing of the elderly who are now a burden on the family. It involves an early morning oil-bath followed by a diet of just coconut water. The victim is not given anything else to eat or drink. The result is high fever and death in 2 days. I gathered that some others have also been fed mud, congesting the alimentary canal and therefore leading to death....
I believe this practice exists, or did at one point, in many parts of the world. In ancient Japan, the elderly were taken to the mountains and abandoned to die of starvation! The impacted section - aged 70 or above.
A Tehelka sting brings to light the plight of one who escapes certain death by overhearing the scheming family in time. Yet, she doesn't whine or ire over her plight. Instead, she empathizes with the family's hardships and inability to take care of her. Another elderly would also have been a certain victim had he not run away from his family in time. Tehelka notes that this practice is endemic to the poverty-stricken villages in TN.
This is the treatment meted out to the bearers of a glorious past, to the ones who have handed down our culture, values and systems, and to the ones who may have sacrificed so much for what we are today. This, in a country that prides on respect for elders and attributes well-being and good fortune to the presence of elders in the family.
While on this, I read about a Japanese movie from 1983 - a moving tale of a mother being led to her fate by her son. En route, she leaves twigs so her son can find his way back. Truly moving! Cares for her offspring even during the last journey.
What can I say!
A recent discussion led to forced euthanasia in India, predominantly practiced in the villages of Tamil Nadu. Thalaikoothal, a barbaric and a stone-age practice is the killing of the elderly who are now a burden on the family. It involves an early morning oil-bath followed by a diet of just coconut water. The victim is not given anything else to eat or drink. The result is high fever and death in 2 days. I gathered that some others have also been fed mud, congesting the alimentary canal and therefore leading to death....
I believe this practice exists, or did at one point, in many parts of the world. In ancient Japan, the elderly were taken to the mountains and abandoned to die of starvation! The impacted section - aged 70 or above.
A Tehelka sting brings to light the plight of one who escapes certain death by overhearing the scheming family in time. Yet, she doesn't whine or ire over her plight. Instead, she empathizes with the family's hardships and inability to take care of her. Another elderly would also have been a certain victim had he not run away from his family in time. Tehelka notes that this practice is endemic to the poverty-stricken villages in TN.
This is the treatment meted out to the bearers of a glorious past, to the ones who have handed down our culture, values and systems, and to the ones who may have sacrificed so much for what we are today. This, in a country that prides on respect for elders and attributes well-being and good fortune to the presence of elders in the family.
While on this, I read about a Japanese movie from 1983 - a moving tale of a mother being led to her fate by her son. En route, she leaves twigs so her son can find his way back. Truly moving! Cares for her offspring even during the last journey.
What can I say!
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