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By:

C.S. Krishnamurthy

21 June 2025 at 2:15:51 pm

Parents Before Property

The Bombay High Court’s recent decision upholding the cancellation of a gift deed executed by elderly parents in favour of their son is more than a legal victory. It is a timely reminder that parenthood cannot be reduced to a property transaction. By affirming that parents may revoke a property transfer when children fail to honour their obligation of care and support, the Court has reinforced a principle that is both legal and moral. The verdict in the Ashwin Ramesh Soni v. Ramesh Bachaulal...

Parents Before Property

The Bombay High Court’s recent decision upholding the cancellation of a gift deed executed by elderly parents in favour of their son is more than a legal victory. It is a timely reminder that parenthood cannot be reduced to a property transaction. By affirming that parents may revoke a property transfer when children fail to honour their obligation of care and support, the Court has reinforced a principle that is both legal and moral. The verdict in the Ashwin Ramesh Soni v. Ramesh Bachaulal Soni & Ors., reinforces the objective of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007. The Court recognised that when parents transfer property with the legitimate expectation of being cared for, and that expectation is wilfully defeated, the law can restore justice. A gift founded on trust cannot survive when that trust is fundamentally breached. The judgement raises uncomfortable questions. What does it say about society when ageing parents must seek justice against their own children? Why should those who devoted a lifetime to raising families spend their twilight years proving that they deserve dignity? Have we begun to mistake inheritance for entitlement and affection for convenience? Changing Times These are not merely legal questions. They reflect the changing character of Indian families. India takes pride in its tradition of strong family bonds. Close-knit families, cherished traditions and an enduring culture of honouring parents have long defined our collective identity. Such images have long symbolised the country’s cultural strength. But growing reports of elder abuse present a sobering reality. Many parents experience neglect, emotional humiliation or isolation within homes they built. Some are confined to a single room after transferring property. Others are abandoned altogether. The emotional trauma often outweighs the financial loss. The ruling recognises what may be called an unwritten family contract. Parents spend decades sacrificing personal comforts to educate children, fund their ambitions, conduct weddings and build family assets. In return, they expect not luxury but companionship, care, respect and emotional security. By acknowledging that certain family transactions rest on mutual trust rather than legal formalities alone, the Court has reaffirmed that the law will protect vulnerable senior citizens when that trust is exploited. Reports frequently describe retired parents evicted from homes gifted to children, widowed mothers fighting prolonged legal battles for shelter, and elderly couples seeking police protection against their own offspring. Many such cases remain hidden because families fear social stigma more than personal suffering. Family Trust The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 was enacted precisely because traditional family safeguards were proving inadequate. Section 23 empowers authorities to declare property transfers void when they are made on the understanding that the recipient will provide for the transferor's basic needs, but subsequently fails to do so. The verdict has given practical meaning to this safeguard by making it clear that the law will not remain a silent spectator when trust is betrayed. Some critics argue that legal intervention weakens family relationships. The opposite is true. Good laws exist not because every family fails but because some do. Just as traffic laws protect responsible drivers from reckless ones, laws safeguarding parents protect families from exploitation without diminishing genuine affection. But society also has responsibilities. Financial advisers should caution senior citizens against transferring valuable assets prematurely. In many situations, a well-drafted will offers greater protection than an outright gift deed. Where property is transferred during one's lifetime, expectations regarding care and maintenance should be clearly documented to minimise future disputes. Children should remember that caring for ageing parents is not charity. It is gratitude expressed through everyday actions. I recall meeting an elderly gentleman at a bank several years ago. He proudly showed me documents transferring his house to his only son and remarked with complete confidence, “Now I have no worries. My son will take care of everything.” His face reflected absolute trust. Thankfully, countless children justify such trust every day. But when that faith is broken, the emotional consequences can be devastating. Indian culture has long viewed caring for parents as a privilege, not a burden. Honouring parents goes beyond living together. A caring phone call, a visit during illness, financial support or shared moments can bring comfort, dignity and belonging. Loneliness often wounds seniors more deeply than disease. When parents must approach courts for protection from their own children, it is time for society to introspect. (The writer is a retired banker and author. He can be reached at krs1957@hotmail.com. Views personal.)

The Hidden Price of Privacy

There comes a point in a founder’s journey when success stops feeling celebratory and starts feeling weighty. The business is stable, the numbers are respectable, and the world sees achievement. Yet privately, many founders feel an unspoken exhaustion — the quiet awareness of what it took to get here. Years consumed by work. Relationships that adjusted without consent. Personal milestones postponed indefinitely. For some, this reality creates a strong instinct to retreat rather than reveal.


“I don’t want the world to know my story,” a founder once said. Not out of secrecy, but self-preservation. His journey was hard-won. The sacrifices were deeply personal. And he believed that speaking about them would either invite judgement or reduce the seriousness with which he was taken. The company could be marketed. The individual, he felt, should remain in the background. This belief is far more common than it appears.


Across industries, many accomplished entrepreneurs still operate on an older framework of branding promote the company, protect the person. Let the organisation speak. Let the results do the talking. Personal narratives, they believe, blur authority or invite unnecessary scrutiny. In an age where oversharing has become a currency, their resistance feels sensible. But personal branding today is not about exposure. It is about precision.


There is a crucial difference between being an open book and being intentional with one’s story. Personal branding does not require founders to relive their hardships publicly or convert sacrifice into spectacle. It requires discernment — the ability to decide what adds context and what remains private.


The problem begins when founders confuse discretion with disappearance.


In today’s business landscape, people are no longer convinced by outcomes alone. They want to understand the thinking behind decisions, the values behind leadership, and the temperament behind authority. When that context is missing, credibility remains intact — but connection weakens. The brand becomes functional, not magnetic.


This is where many founders unknowingly stall their influence. They are respected, but not deeply sought out. Trusted, but not emotionally anchored. Successful, but not truly differentiated.


Personal branding, when done right, bridges this gap. It allows founders to communicate who they are without surrendering who they protect. It shifts the focus from “what I endured” to “how I think.” From personal pain to professional perspective. From biography to belief system. This distinction matters.


Founders who remain completely silent often find themselves misunderstood. Their restraint is interpreted as distance. Their privacy reads as opacity. Over time, this affects how teams engage, how partners relate, and how markets respond. Growth continues, but influence plateaus.


Ironically, strategic personal branding often benefits founders internally before it does externally.


When leaders consciously shape their narrative, they reclaim authorship over their identity. They are no longer defined solely by numbers or outcomes. They begin to articulate their journey in a way that feels dignified, contained, and aligned. This brings clarity — and often relief. A sense that their years of sacrifice have meaning beyond financial success.


For organisations, the impact is equally powerful. A founder with a clear personal brand strengthens trust at every level. Teams align faster. Clients commit sooner. Conversations move beyond transactions into long-term relationships. The business gains not just visibility, but credibility with depth.


The need of the hour is not more storytelling. It is responsible storytelling. Founders must learn where to draw the line — what to share, what to shield, and what to shape deliberately. Personal branding today is not about being visible everywhere. It is about being understood in the right places.


Those who will lead the next phase of business growth will not be the loudest voices in the room. They will be the most intentional. The ones who understand that keeping everything private may feel safe, but sharing nothing at all quietly limits relevance.


Because in business, people don’t need to know your entire story. They need to know enough to trust your judgment, your leadership, and your intent. That balance — between privacy and presence — is where modern personal branding truly begins.


And if that is what is missing in your journey now, you can reach out to me and we shall work on this together. Book your free consultation call with me on https://www.sprect.com/pro/divyaaadvaani


(The author is a personal branding expert. She has clients from 14+ countries. Views personal.)

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