Reforming our families is easier said than done. Woman-led, child-focused and elderly-sensitive families are the need of the hour
We celebrated the International Day of Families on May 15. The increasing cases of murders of live-in partners, news items about family feuds leading to violent attacks on spouses or other family members and suicide among aspiring youths barely in their teens present a scary scenario. In a way, these are the symptoms of societal ill-health. Every case merits independent analysis and hence, generalisations may not be advisable. Yet, a majority of these cases unmistakably point towards the enfeeblement of our traditional family system. And, this is something that we cannot afford to ignore. Moreover, studies conducted all over the world point to the primacy of families. An increasing number of children taking to crime also mirrors the disruptions in the age-old family system in India and elsewhere.