Place where elderly are not respected is doomed to suffer: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: A place where the elderly are not respected is doomed to suffer and "even God does not forgive" those who mete out harsh treatment to the aged, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday as he regretted that old-age homes have to be created in India to rehabilitate the infirm.

The Home Minister said this during an event organised to honour and initiate projects to help the elderly, and added that a decent and educated society is expected to take care of its old people.

He also said that it was important for the country to emerge as a global teacher (vishwa guru) rather than aspiring to be a super power. Revoking the teachings from the Ramayana, Singh said following one's principles like Lord Ram is a unique quality, which everyone should learn and imbibe.

Lord Ram kept his principles intact and even went for 14 years in exile to keep his father's word and respect, Singh said.

"A decent, educated and developed society is expected to take care of its old people. I do not know whom to hold guilty for the loss of life values in the society... should we hold the education system responsible for it or something else...I don't know," he said.

He also urged youngsters and others to take inspiration from age-old Indian traditions and values, to not only help the old but also to make the country strong in this process. The Home Minister after honouring a number of old people from different walks of life, also said that he is a firm believer of God's powers and also of the concept of life getting influenced by the good or bad done in the past.