Summary of this article
MP proposes affidavit for parental support.
Passport cancellation idea sparks national debate.
Migration raises senior care concerns.
In a recent statement made by Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh, a painful, visible reality has sparked a nationwide conversation. Elderly parents in India are being left and abandoned while their children get to settle abroad. His proposal, which was shared during the Budget Session of Parliament, has garnered both support and strong dissent. It was about responsibility, migration and changing family values in the Indian diaspora.
According to Agarwal, India has millions of citizens living abroad, and in many cases, their parents continue to live in India. What he shared was heartbreaking, incidents where elderly parents died alone while their children remained abroad and oblivious. He called this situation a growing social crisis that requires urgent attention and action. His concerns reflect stories that many families are experiencing but not acknowledging.
Measures to Address the Issue
Agarwal suggested several strong measures to address this issue. He proposed that individuals who plan to move abroad should sign an affidavit that promises parental support and allocation of a fixed portion of their income to support their parents’ welfare. He said there should be a six-month “Certificate of Fulfilled Obligation”, signed by the parents confirming that they are being cared for properly. He even suggested strict legal consequences, such as passport cancellation and being asked to return to India if they failed to meet their obligations.
At the core of this argument lies an emotional and moral appeal to the youth. Many parents spend their savings, sell property, and even sacrifice their comfort for their children, so they can avail quality education and opportunities abroad. When those same parents grow old in loneliness, the sense of abandonment grows deeply painful. He went further with criticising the existing legal protections for senior citizens, stating that they are often ineffective because the elderly parents must approach the courts themselves, something they are unwilling to do in most cases.
Loneliness for Parents
Migration has transformed Indian families over the past few decades. Going abroad for education and work opportunities has been a symbol of success, but the social cost is becoming visible. Parents who are left behind often face struggles with loneliness, health emergencies, financial insecurity and social isolation during their later years. However, this proposal raises questions related to its complexities. Critics argue that emotional relationships and moral duties cannot be legislated into laws and legal penalties.
