family affair
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A case between Indian parents and their son who refuses to have a child is causing a stir. It is above all the symptom of a rise in individualism and a disruption of morals.
The case may seem absurd, yet it is revealing of the changes in Indian society and its generational fractures. In the state of Uttarakhand, in the north of the country, parents have filed a complaint against their son and his wife for “mental harassment”. What do they accuse them of? Not having given them a grandchild after six years of marriage. the Times of India, which relates this story, explains that this retired couple is asking their son and daughter-in-law to have a child within the year. Or 50 million rupees (620,000 euros), the sum that the parents say they have invested in the education of the child they consider very ungrateful…
The sociologist at the University of Paris-Descartes Anne Gagnant is interested in the contemporary transformations of Indian society. She notes that in this country, which does not have a real social security or pension system, the family is the basis of the social structure. “The idea of intergenerational reciprocity is extremely significant. Much more than elsewhere, the family is seen as a guarantor: you do everything for your children and when you get older, you expect them in return. she explains to Release. Except that in the case of this family, the son does not fulfill his part of the contract according to his…