While going through your story “Mahatma Gandhi and his mean next generations” (May 17), it seems there is something missing somewhere and truth needs to be unveiled. It is surprising that Gandhi’s grandson Kanubhai Ramdas Gandhi, a former NASA scientist and an MIT graduate after living four decades in US has to spend his retirement life in an old age home on the outskirts of Delhi. It is expected that married couple who has spent all their working lives by performing lucrative jobs in the US might be drawing pension from the Federal Government to lead a comfortable life. There is no clarity about why he remains isolated, poor and has to stay in destitute home, that too after retiring from his job in USA. Like Kanubhai there are thousands of freedom fighters’ family, whose whereabouts are not known, are struggling hard to meet their day to day minimum needs. Even for those who are “clueless and helpless” there are NGOs and social service organizations in US that offer all forms of assistance. It shows love for the mother land has brought them to India but they have to face hardships during old age. However, the couple have the courage to overcome all obstacles which shows their remarkable spirit. The grandson of the Father of the Nation ought to be given proper accommodation and other amenities for spending his remaining life in India. Government should extend all basic facilities to these homes and their infrastructure should be upgraded so that they can live a happy life.
Vinod C. Dixit
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
