Cracking Relationships and Rising Inhumanity

May 27, 2026

Punjab is a land of prosperous and robust people. Over the past few years—amidst economic hardships affecting the world, the nation, and the state alike—the influence of materialism has grown to such an extent that reports of inhumane acts have begun pouring in from all directions. Hearing and witnessing these incidents makes one’s heart shudder.

In some places, sons are murdering their fathers for the sake of property; elsewhere, wives have killed their husbands, or husbands have killed their wives. The prevailing atmosphere seems utterly resistant to change.

Police investigations are conducted, and often the culprits are apprehended; however, delays in the delivery of justice and loopholes in the legal system embolden them further.

All in all, the grip of immorality is tightening day by day. A heart-wrenching report has emerged from Mohali, Punjab. Driven to desperation by domestic disputes, a couple—intending to commit mass suicide— tied the hands and feet of their three children with a chunari (scarf) on Sunday afternoon, threw them into the Bhakra Canal, and then jumped in themselves.

In this tragic incident, the children drowned and died. The father somehow managed to survive, while the wife was rescued by bystanders present at the scene. The parents survived, but all three innocent children fell victim to the clutches of death. What was their fault? Before jumping into the canal, the parents had even recorded a one-and-a-quarter-minute video in which they blamed their own parents and sisters for driving them to suicide.

The allegation was that their parents created daily discord, and thus, driven to the brink of endurance, the entire family was choosing to end their lives. It has come to light that, within the couple, the wife did not get along with her in-laws. Consequently, domestic quarrels were a daily occurrence in the household.

Now, the children have departed forever, while the parents have survived—left to live on without their children. This raises a pertinent question: why is the very fabric of families disintegrating? Why have parents themselves begun to appear as enemies? When searching for the underlying causes, one finds that the root lies not solely in poverty, but also in the erosion of moral values. There is also a prevailing sentiment of failing to accord due respect to one’s elders.

Another pressing question arises: have the hearts of parents, too, become so hardened that they are now hesitating to protect their children at any cost? In the blink of an eye, this era has turned so unyielding—so steely—that the value of human life has diminished. Anger and discord have become the destroyers of families. This erosion of moral values in social life is a matter of grave concern. It is imperative that the custodians of society turn their attention to this issue.