“Kalyug Has Arrived”: Allahabad High Court Laments Legal Battle Between Octogenarian Couple
Last Updated on September 26, 2024 by Amit Patra
The Allahabad High Court recently said, “Kalyug has arrived,” while hearing the dispute over maintenance between an elderly couple in the twilight of their lives. The case, already a talking point in discussions on family values and the role of the judicial system in personal matters, is an instance of an 80-year-old man filing an appeal against the order issued by a family court for him to pay Rs 10,000 per month as maintenance to his wife, aged 76 years.
The dispute began in 2018 over a property-related issue when the marriage of Munesh Kumar Gupta and his wife turned sour. After police interventions and mediation at a family counseling center, the fight continued unabated, and they separated. Thereafter, the wife filed for alimony in family court, which asked Gupta to pay ₹5,000 every month from his pension of about ₹35,000.
Presiding Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery took umbrage over such a situation and remarked, “It appears Kalyug has arrived since a couple of aged about 75-80 years is fighting a legal battle against each other for maintenance.” The above quote reveals the growing concern of the court regarding the breakdown in family ties and increased dependence on the courts to sort out domestic disputes.
In light of the above discussion, some of the relevant issues in this case are the sufficiency of the existing laws to deal appropriately with peculiar problems in disputes arising in marriages involving elderly couples, the function of family courts as reconciling agencies, and the larger impact on society such disputes among elderly citizens have.
In a fond hope for a settlement, the High Court’s decision to schedule a final hearing itself reflects the delicate judicial balance between upholding legal rights and encouraging familial harmony. It also tends to underscore the fact that cases involving elderly litigants do require special ways of handling in view of their physical, emotional, and financial vulnerabilities.
The unfolding of this case eloquently reminds one of the new equations among Indian families and the growing stress on traditional support systems for the elderly. Therefore, it calls for broader introspection of society upon such values as compassion, compromise, and familial duty, particularly with regard to the well-being of senior citizens.
In fact, the candid observation of the Allahabad High Court has underlined the very essence of this case and at the same time, expressed a growing concern over fragmentation in family units in the contemporary society and emphasized the need for rethinking our collective responsibilities towards the elderly.
