Protecting old people

The government has taken a welcome step by promulgating an ordinance to prevent the eviction of old parents from homes. The ordinance will also make the offspring treat old parents with respect. In our country, the vast majority of people care for old parents, but the tendency to eject old parents and to treat them as something unwanted is discernible. The Protection of Parents Ordinance 2021 has declared turning out parents from homes illegal. Those found guilty of the offence shall be sentenced to one-year rigorous imprisonment with fine, or both.

The ordinance gives full protection to parents from being ejected from home. It will apply irrespective of whether the child owns or has rented the space. Parents can expel the offspring from the home owned by them. The parents shall have to serve a seven-day notice to the child to vacate the premises. If the child fails to comply with the notice, it shall be jailed for a maximum of one month and a maximum fine of Rs50,000, or both. The deputy commissioners have been given the authority to proceed if the child does not leave the home before the expiry of the notice period. If the official is satisfied that the parents are the legal owners of the house, the child shall have to vacate the premises despite the latter’s plea that it paid for the construction or purchase of the property. The guilty are liable to be arrested by the police. The parties can appeal within 30 days against the relevant authority’s decision.

The ordinance is unclear whether it applies to both male and female child. This creates confusion. It has also been left for the authorities to devise means to protect parents in cases where the house was built with the funds of parents or grandparents but was registered in the names of the offspring. The ordinance has come at a time when there is emptiness between time past and time future.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2021.

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