The Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu today presented ‘Most Eminent Senior Citizen Award’ to legal luminary, scholar and former Attorney General of India, Shri K. Parasaran at a function at the India International Centre in New Delhi.Shri Parasaran was honored with the Award on the occasion of the Elder’s Day celebration of Age Care India, an organization working for the welfare of the elderly.Conveying his appreciation to Shri Parasaran, the Vice President said, “today, at 92 years, Shri Parasaran stands tall among the entire length and breadth of India in terms of knowledge of law, knowledge of Shastras, erudition and ethics and is rightly referred to as a ‘Pitamaha’ of the Indian Bar”.He said that the Award was a fitting recognition of Shri Parasaran’s exceptional contribution to the field of law and justice as well as his extra ordinary personality and added that today’s event was a celebration of the incredible positive energy of a deeply spiritual legal practitioner, who has tried to blend both “dharma” and “nyaya”. Known for his erudition, discipline, hard work, honesty and ethics, Shri Parasaran’s legal canvas has been wide. With equal felicity, Shri Parasaran, throughout his distinguished career, had handled a wide array of cases-- be they serious constitutional matters or inter-State water disputes”, he added.The Vice President said that Parasaran ji embodied the ideal expressed by poet Kalidasa who had said, in the epic poem, Raghuvamsham, “ vruddhatvam jarasaa vinaa” or the ability to constantly grow in stature without growing old. “He continues to be an ever-passionate and tireless champion of causes dear to his heart”, he added.
The Vice President urged the present generation of lawyers to draw inspiration from Shri Parasaran and imbibe the qualities of professional excellence and ethical orientation which he personified.Pointing out that India was a civilization that has always been proud of the way we treated our elderly, the Vice President said that we have always given the most esteemed and respectful positions in the society to our elders.Referring to the reverence enjoyed by the elderly in the past, Shri Naidu said that they were custodians of righteousness, traditions, family honour, samskara and wisdom. “We must build this inter-generational bond once again”, he added.Expressing concern over the rise in the number of cases of children abandoning their elderly parents, Shri Naidu described this tendency as a social evil. “This is completely unacceptable”, he asserted.Stating that many elderly persons were also facing neglect and physical, verbal and emotional abuse, the Vice President called for a change in the mindset and attitude of the society, especially the younger people, in the treatment of the elderly.He said that children must feel it as their duty to take care of the elders.The Vice President also said that the New Education Policy must include aspects related to Indian tradition, culture, heritage and history to shape a better future for the younger generation and the nation.In his acceptance speech, Shri Parasaran thanked the organizers for bestowing the Award upon him and stressed the need to perform one’s duty with devotion and dedication, without looking into the faults of others.Former Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri N.N Vohra and the President of Age Care India, Dr. Kartikeyan were present on the occasion.