Ugly Face of Society

September 9, 2026

A heart-wrenching incident in the village of Amargarh Kaler, Jagraon (Punjab), has brought a grim reality to light. Has the face of society become so distorted that people have forgotten the value of relationships? Have emotions, empathy, and affection died out? Gurkirat Singh, now 24, lost his parents when he was just two years old, leaving him an orphan. His maternal grandmother, Manjit Kaur, raised him for 22 years. Three years ago, she even arranged his marriage. Gurkirat worked as a daily wage laborer; some say he was addicted to drugs. His 65-year-old grandmother, Manjit Kaur, owned a house. As he entered adulthood, Gurkirat began pressuring her to transfer the house into his name. When she refused, he started physically abusing her. On September 3, after dropping his wife and children off at her parents’ home, he stayed with his grandmother and again demanded she transfer the property to him. When she refused, Gurkirat beat her and then strangled her to death. The story does not end there. At his grandmother’s funeral, Gurkirat appeared to be wailing and grieving inconsolably. Villagers began questioning the circumstances of Manjit Kaur’s death. Gurkirat’s aunt, Kulwinder Kaur, had suspected from the start that there was something suspicious about her mother’s passing. A neighbor’s CCTV camera captured footage showing Gurkirat beating his grandmother and then smothering her by pressing down on her mouth and throat. After examining the CCTV footage, the police altered the course of the investigation; they charged Gurkirat with murder and arrested him. In police custody, Gurkirat confessed to killing his grandmother, Manjit Kaur, and is now expressing remorse. This now appears to be nothing more than a charade. This incident highlights the fact that, today, wealth and property have become paramount; love and affection hold no value, and the spirit of service and devotion has vanished. Remorse expressed after the fact is merely a theatrical act—it cannot mask the crime. Such ungrateful individuals have tainted society. In these changing times, we witness incidents where, driven by greed for property and disregarding all familial bonds, people go so far as to beat or even murder their own parents. This ugly face of society cries out for reform.