Satyamev Jayate: It's all about loving your parents

New Delhi: After touching a series of important issues, eleventh episode of Aamir Khan’s popular TV show ‘Satyamev Jayate’ pointed its anger towards the problems of senior citizens. The actor-producer talked about the fears attached to old age and the difficult survival of elderly members of the society.

Aging parents and their plights are not new; the society has been witnessing these things since long, however a significant development has taken place in last couple of decades. Arrival of the concept of old age homes has made children shy away from their responsibilities without experiencing the moral crisis, but the question is still the same. Can any shelter be a substitute of home?

Conventional Indian society has not accepted the western concept of ‘on your own’ yet. In middle class scenario, higher education still commands more respect than working right after the graduation. A child needs the most sincere support during that period which a parent tries his or her best to provide, but the problems start after the education is over. One finds it difficult to strike a balance between the professional and personal lives, without realising that when they are going places, their parents are getting old.

People who appeared on Aamir Khan's television show have instantly become famous.
Amisha Yagnik, a call center employee in Ahmedabad is the mother of a six-year-old girl.

She appeared on the first episode of 'Satyamev Jayate', which focussed on female foeticide. She had to go through six abortions in eight years.
Parveen Khan, Mauraina, Madhya Pradesh

Parveen's husband distorted her face as she failed to delivered two baby girls.
Dr Mitu Khurana from New Delhi also shared her story during the first episode. Her in-laws forced her to opt for an abortion when they found out that she is pregnant with twin girls. Mitu had to go through a lot of physical and mental torture during her pregnancy. She takes care of both her daughters now.
Second episode of the show focussed on child sexual abuse. Cindrella Prakash from Mumbai was sexually abused by one of her family friends. Despite being unmarried, she came on the show and shared her story.
Harish Iyer from Mumbai was abused by one of his relatives for eleven years. He tried to convey this to his mother twice, but she didn't believe him. Finally, at the age of 18, he could sum up the courage to say no.
Nazneen Tonse was abused for almost 13 years by one of her relatives. Becaused of depression, she got addicted to drugs and alcohol. Nazneen is now on medication for depression. She is from Bengaluru.
Ganesh Nallari is a textile and fashion designer from Hyderabad. From the age of 6 to 17, Ganesh was abused by one of his relatives. He is 34, but is still scared of getting into a relationship.
Aamir talked about dowry system in the third episode of his show. Komal Sethi from New Delhi was his first guest. She was tortured by her husband and in-laws for dowry. Her husband left her alone in the house to starve for days in USA. At the end, she had to seek help from the women's cell.
On Aamir's show, Santosh Kumar from Nawada, Bihar narrated the story of his 'Pakdawa Byah'. He was kidnapped while going to the college and was forced to get married. However, he is living happily with the same girl now.
Paramjeet Kaur Moom from Karimpur, Punjab.

Her parents had to take a loan to pay for her dowry. Her husband went abroad just a week after the wedding. He earlier promised to take her along. He now wants a divorce from her. Paramjeet is trying to get his passport cancelled.
Days before the wedding her in-laws demanded cash and a car from her parents. She convinced her family and conducted a sting operation on them.
Pawan saw Rani in the sting operation video aired on TV and decided to meet her. Both of them are happily married now.

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$Satyamev Jayate: It\'s about loving your parents$

It\'s difficult to find \'Thalaikoothal\' in today\'s society but it certainly exists in different forms.

The typical Indian mindset is also responsible for it to some extent. The theory of ‘Kamaata bachchon ke liye hi toh hoon’ (I earn for my children only) causes a lot of problems. The children feel that they have absolute and justified right on their parents’ wealth and the atrocities start when they don’t get it normally.

One guest on the show Himanshu Rath went to the roots of the issue, he asked parents to share their happiness but not their wealth with children in very clear terms. This may sound awkward to many, but this can prevent the problem from spreading.

Senior citizens also need to show some courage like forming more dada-dadi parks and finding a partner. The marriage of Marathi Mr Joshi to a Malayalam woman should be seen as an ideal example to follow. What’s the point of spending the life without any thing to cheer about?

If Chandro can device her own methods to beat resourceful opponents at such an age, then others can too. Her mantra of ‘Mooh me Ram, haath me kaam’ is simple and fruitful.

It’s difficult to find ‘Thalaikoothal’ in today’s society but it certainly exists in different forms. Haven’t we heard of parents’ murder for a compensatory job?

Activists couldn’t be expected to come up with solutions of this problem as this is directly related to a family’s inside condition. Sympathy alone wouldn’t solve it, children should understand the social system first, and then they need to find out a way through which the aging parents can contribute and fit into that system.