The Legacy of Litigations in Indian Families

What does an Indian child inherit from his or her parents? An old ancestral house, perhaps? A piece of land, maybe? A precious piece of family jewelry, possibly? Or, in a more dismal and distressing reality, an unending court case? Welcome to the absurd theatre of the Indian legal system, where often, the torch passed down generations isn't one of wisdom or heritage but of ceaseless litigations, worry, and anxiety. 

Take the case of Anil, a third-generation Mumbai resident, whose family's dispute over a property has spanned a whopping 50 years. His grandfather's dream of building a house has been confined to dusty court files and endless rounds of legal proceedings. Anil, like his father before him, has grown up not with lullabies but with the relentless echoes of legal jargon. His is an inheritance of uncertainty, one that has marred his present and clouded his future. The property, once perceived as an asset, has transformed into an albatross around the neck of his family, robbing them of their peace of mind.

Anil's story isn't unique or isolated. It's the tale of countless Indian families caught in the unrelenting whirl of property disputes. Instead of reaping the benefits of their assets, they're burdened by court dates and litigation costs. Their lives are enmeshed in the tug-of-war of property rights, the roar of which drowns out the melodies of everyday joys and serenity.

Think about it. What kind of legacy are we leaving behind for our children? An incessant wrestle with legal complexities that drain their time, resources, and mental peace! Is this the priceless heritage we want our future generations to inherit?

What's intriguing, or rather ironical, is how this "inheritance" contradicts the essence of inheritance itself. An inheritance is meant to provide a safety net, a cushion for future generations. But in the peculiar theatre of Indian property disputes, it transforms into a springboard of relentless anxiety and sleepless nights.

Perhaps it's time to reevaluate the age-old adage, "property is prosperity." For many Indian families, the statement reads more accurately as "property is perpetual litigation." And a system that fosters such a grim reworking of a hopeful proverb is worth examining, and yes, criticizing.

As we sit down to dinner with our families tonight, let's ponder over this. What legacy are we passing on to our children? Assets or anxieties? Can we reimagine a future where our children inherit not our disputes, but our resolutions? Where the courts are not graveyards of generations-old cases, but the cradles of timely justice?

It's high time we addressed these uncomfortable questions. After all, what we pass down to our future generations should be a cause for joy and security, not a source of perennial disquiet. Our legacy should be one that safeguards their peace of mind, not one that shatters it. The big question is, are we prepared to change the narrative of this inheritance?