Neglected 95-year-old mom wants action against sons

Social worker Manimaran, who brought nonagenarian Anthoniammal, first took her to the Vellore Government Pentland Hospital for first aid. Subsequently, he hired an auto-rickshaw and brought her the Collectorate.

She narrated her plight to Raman with Manimaran’s help. A native of Kozhinjamparai near Kodaikanal in Dindigul district, Antoniammal had 13 children of whom 9, including 4 sons, are alive and married. No one took care of me.

“My son-in-law, who works in the Vellore police department, brought me to his house in Katpadi where I lived till he died recently. Then I moved to the municipal chathram on Filter Bed Road where I used to spend the night,” she said in a broken Tamil.

Raman immediately called the district social welfare officials, who suggested that the woman could be put in an old age home. When officials from three homes in and around Vellore arrived at the collector’s office Anthoniammal objected saying that she preferred to stay at the chathram as a widow there was cordial to her. “She looks after me like her mother,” she said.

When Raman asked her what she wanted, Anthoniammal said, “take action against my four sons, who neglected me. I do not want to see them till my lifetime,”she said.

Finally, it was decided that Anthoniammal would be dropped back at the municipal chathram where she would stay for five days with Manimaran, who will help her in daily chores. “She is like my mother and I will willingly do this for her,” Manimaran said.

Raman then suggested the officials to take the help of the widow at the chathram to convince Anthoniammal’s to join an old age home.