To make a dignified exit from this world is everyone’s wish.
But seldom does one muster enough courage to accept the inevitable and plan for it. A city-based doctor, however, has planned it to the last detail by setting aside funds for a proper funeral for himself.
Senior nephrologist Pradeep Deshpande has taken out an insurance policy to exclusively cover his last rites. According to him, such a policy will ensure proper last rites without depending on the whims and fancies of one’s kith and kin.
Planning funeral arrangements will provide the satisfaction and peace of mind for someone who is on the verge of death, he says. In a way, such planning will unfetter the near and dear ones from financial burden too, he hastens to add.
“I have come across instances when children, even in well-to-do families, do not contribute generously to funeral expenses. So why can’t one plan his own funeral arrangements? It can be done by setting aside some money,” argues the former Principal of Gandhi Medical College.
To make his idea work, the doctor approached Bank of Maharashtra. “I deposited Rs.61,000 that can’t be withdrawn in my lifetime. The bank agreed to release the amount with interest to the nominated person after my demise. This way, one can surely have control, if not fully, over the way the funeral is to performed,” he points out.
Dr. Desphande says that there is a need to spread awareness among the public on the need to set aside some money for one’s last rites. The doctor is also working with private organisations to set-up exclusive funeral homes in colonies that will be dedicated to last rites. “The cost of funerals will continue to increase in future. By saving money now, one will definitely do favours to their children,” he adds.
