Father Raised 4 Children Alone, Yet None Attended His Final Farewell

A 70-year-old man who spent his final four years at an old-age home in Bhopal died on August 4 without any of his four children arriving to see him. The management of Apna Ghar waited for two days and repeatedly contacted his family, but no one came to claim his body, according to the home's manager Madhuri Mishra.

Ghanshyam had raised two sons and two daughters after his wife died when their children were young. He had earned a living running a small bicycle tyre-and-tube business and owned a modest house in Indore. According to Mishra, the property was later sold and the proceeds were divided among his children. Ghanshyam eventually became partially paralysed and struggled to speak and walk.

According to the old-age home's account, Ghanshyam was not brought there by his children. He reached Bhopal's ISBT, where social workers found him and took him to Apna Ghar. The home subsequently became his residence for around four years. Staff members reportedly contacted his family whenever his health deteriorated and took him to hospital when required, but the family did not visit him.

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Mishra said the home had also tried contacting a number provided by Ghanshyam as an emergency contact. The person who answered reportedly denied having any connection with him. After Ghanshyam's death, the home again attempted to reach his family, including at an address in Indore, but could not get anyone to come to Bhopal. After waiting for two days, the management performed his last rites with police assistance.

Mishra also alleged that differences over Ghanshyam's property had contributed to the estrangement. According to her, one daughter questioned the division of the property and maintained that she had received nothing, while his sons questioned what their father had done for them. The old-age home has not provided the death certificate to the family, with Mishra arguing that those who did not visit Ghanshyam during his illness or after his death should not receive it merely after his passing.

Ghanshyam's death has brought attention to the circumstances of elderly people who become separated from their families in later life. His story, as recounted by the old-age home, reflects a prolonged period of isolation that began before his death and continued after it. While his funeral has been completed, the dispute over his death certificate and the circumstances surrounding his final years remain unresolved.

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