A father who spent his life educating and supporting his three daughters died in a Sonipat old-age home, with none of them able to attend his final rites in person. Instead, the daughters joined their father’s cremation through a video call from Nepal, Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai.
Shivcharan Ram Ratan Gupta, originally from Mumbai and a former textile trader, had been living at an old-age home run by the Samaj Kalyan Shiksha Samiti in West Ram Nagar, Sonipat, for nearly one-and-a-half years. He had moved there with his wife Meena, who died earlier.
Gupta breathed his last at around 3:30 am on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. Following his death, the old-age home management contacted his three daughters.
The daughters could not reach Sonipat for the funeral and instead joined the last rites through a video call. The cremation was carried out with the help of the old-age home management and members of the local community.
DAUGHTERS WATCH FATHER’S LAST RITES ONLINE
According to old-age home administrator Anand Kumar, Gupta had been informed about his daughters and often spoke to them over a phone he kept at the facility. However, his calls with them had reduced after he fell ill.
Kumar said the daughters had been informed about their father’s deteriorating health around 20 days before his death, but they did not come to see him.
“Shivcharan had a phone through which he used to talk to his daughters. After he became ill, their calls stopped. We informed them about his condition, but they still could not come,” Kumar said.
After Gupta died, the management again contacted the daughters and told them that arrangements could be made if they were coming to Sonipat. However, they said they did not have the time to travel, according to Kumar.
The daughters subsequently joined the cremation through video call and watched their father’s final rites remotely.
Anita, who lives in Nepal and works as a teacher, also sent Rs 5,100 online and requested that her father’s last rites be performed properly.
After the cremation, the daughters asked the old-age home to send them videos of the funeral proceedings.
Watch the video here:
HE HAD EDUCATED ALL THREE DAUGHTERS
Gupta had no son and had devoted himself to raising and educating his three daughters. According to the old-age home management, he ensured that they received a good education and was particularly proud of their achievements. Two of his daughters went on to become teachers.
His eldest daughter Anita lives in Nepal, Nisha lives in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, while the youngest, Priya, lives in Mumbai. All three are married and have families of their own.
The family had initially asked that Gupta’s ashes be kept. They later told the old-age home that they did not have the time to return, and requested the management to immerse the ashes in the Ganga.
EYES DONATED AFTER HIS DEATH
In another significant aspect of the case, Gupta’s eyes were donated after his death in accordance with his family’s wishes.
The donation means his eyes could help bring sight to people in need even after his death. The family chose to honour his wish through the eye donation, adding another dimension to his final farewell.
Gupta’s last rites were ultimately carried out by the old-age home management and local residents, while his three daughters watched the proceedings through a video call from different parts of the country and Nepal.
– Ends
