A heartbreaking story from Haryana's Sonipat has gone viral after a father who dedicated his life to raising and educating his three daughters died in an old-age home, with none of them attending his funeral in person.
A heartbreaking story from Haryana's Sonipat has gone viral after a father who dedicated his life to raising and educating his three daughters died in an old-age home, with none of them attending his funeral in person. Instead, the daughters watched their father's final rites through a video call from Nepal, Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai.
Shivcharan Ram Ratan Gupta, a former textile trader from Mumbai, had been living at an old-age home operated 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 passed away earlier. Gupta died at around 3:30 am on Tuesday after battling a prolonged illness.
Following his death, the old-age home informed all three daughters and offered to make arrangements if they wished to travel to Sonipat. However, they were unable to attend the funeral. The cremation was eventually conducted by the old-age home management with the support of local residents, while the daughters joined the ceremony remotely through a video call.
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Daughters watch father's final farewell online
According to old-age home administrator Anand Kumar, Gupta remained emotionally connected to his daughters and regularly spoke to them using a phone he kept at the facility. However, as his health deteriorated, those conversations became increasingly rare.
"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.
He added that the daughters had been informed nearly 20 days before Gupta's death about his worsening condition, but none visited him. Even after his passing, the management told them arrangements could be made if they travelled to Sonipat. According to Kumar, they replied that they did not have the time to make the journey.
The daughters ultimately attended the cremation through a video call. Anita, the eldest daughter, who lives in Nepal and works as a teacher, transferred Rs 5,100 online and requested that her father's last rites be performed with dignity.
After the cremation, the daughters reportedly asked the old-age home to send them videos of the funeral proceedings. During the call, one of them was heard saying, "How much longer will this take? We have to eat and bathe."
A father devoted to his daughters
Despite spending his life ensuring his daughters received a quality education, Gupta spent his final days away from his family. The old-age home management said he often spoke proudly of his daughters' accomplishments, especially the fact that two of them had become teachers.
His eldest daughter Anita lives in Nepal, Nisha resides in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, and the youngest, Priya, lives in Mumbai. All three are married and have families of their own.
The family initially requested that Gupta's ashes be preserved. Later, they informed the old-age home that they would not be able to travel to Sonipat and asked the management to immerse his ashes in the Ganga on their behalf.
Eyes donated after death
In accordance with the family's wishes, Gupta's eyes were donated after his death, allowing him to give the gift of sight to those in need even in his final act of generosity.
Ultimately, the responsibility of performing Gupta's last rites fell upon the old-age home staff and members of the local community, while his daughters bid him farewell through a mobile phone screen from different cities and across the border in Nepal.
