Abandoned mother fights for her rights

When she and her husband slogged day and night to provide the best for their four children, Ramilaben Patel (name changed) did not even complain once. For, she knew that in her old age she could lean on her three sons and a daughter. She had envisaged her sunset years to be spent in the company of her grandchildren and other loved ones.

Instead Patel, 84, a widow and a resident of an old age home, is busy knocking on the doors of the court to force her sons to pay for her maintenance. Recently, she had a victory of sorts when the court issued notices to her son ordering them to pay for her maintenance.

But it is a small victory for a woman who fears being left all alone at her old age home in 'Jivan Sandhya' where she has been residing for the last nine years.

Patel on Saturday celebrated her 84th birthday with her new family and friends at the old age home.

But the birthday gift she was expecting, a call from her sons, never came. Her daughter did turn up to wish her and celebrate the day.
Two of Patel's sons are settled in the United States of America (USA) where they work as a chemical and civil engineer. The third one stays at her house with his family. "My sons are good but it is their wives who refused to stay with me. My second daughter-in-law left me at the old age home. Earlier I used to live with my daughter for four years, but my daughter-in-law send me here so that they would not have to pay for my expense," she said.

"Tired of being neglected I decided to approach the court to seek help for my monthly maintenance and medical expense. My sons took away my husband's property and gold. I don't have the means to take care of myself. I have no money for my medicine either," Patel stated.

In her application seeking maintenance from her sons she said that her husband was a farmer who ensured that his family was well taken care of.

"We educated our sons and worked very hard to provide for them. My husband had also managed to build some assets and a good bank balance. Later when my husband died, two of my elder sons coaxed me and took over the properties. They disposed it to fund their US dream," Patel narrated.

She said that whatever else she had in her account was taken by her daughter in law. But Patel admits that more than the maintenance money, she still looks forward to seeing her family if they bother to turn up.