In Hinduism, we have the concept of rebirth as also
moksha ‘the eternal salvation’; to us
the ‘atman’ (soul) is different than the body.
The body can be damaged but the atman cannot be. What happens after
death is always a taunting Question. Most of us have a
Facebook Account and many spend hours in that ....some studies state that those with the most
contacts, those who had invested the most time in the site, were the ones most
likely to be stressed. Even children are
anxious about posting something and about the reaction – of likes and other
things on their post. Catching the
attention of others is what most like to do.
From its beginnings in Feb 2004 to what it is, Facebook certainly has
traversed long attracting millions of youngsters creating their profile,
exchanging messages, notifying things and
pasting up their best photos and what they like most. I had couple of years ago posted on the
(then) new application in FB - “If I
Die” – which allows people to create
their own video or text message that is stored on a secured server until he or
she passes away, at which time “If I Die” posts the video or text message to
his or her Facebook page. To prevent premature posting to the user’s Facebook
profile, “If I Die” requires users to appoint three “trustees” who will be
responsible for verifying the user’s death.
Thus in its own way, FB provided a reason and a chance to die peacefully
!
Inheritance
is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations
upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human
societies. In law, an heir is a person who is entitled to receive a share of
the deceased's (the person who died) property.
Down Under in New
Zealand, Stuff Co NZ reports that a son's battle with charities to claw back a
contested inheritance has failed, with a High Court ruling he has no right to
the money. According to the report, Neil Palmer, who now lives in Australia,
argued that proceeds from some of his late mother's property should have gone
to him, not the three charities who were bequeathed the money in her husband's
will. Palmer's mother Elsie Burton-Whiting, met fellow octogenarian Eric Burton
in 2005. They wed in January 2007 and in December that year Burton bought a house
for them. Elsie died only days later. Burton died in March 2012 and, in a will
he prepared a month before his death, left his estate to be split evenly among
three charities: the Hawke's Bay branches of the Heart Foundation, the RSPCA
and Cranford Hospice in Hastings.
Palmer and his wife
Heather did not discover that Burton had died until a Christmas card was
returned to them last year. Palmer is the executor and beneficiary of his
mother's estate and he claimed that any chattels she took with her into the new
house should have been part of her estate. He claimed that after his mother's
death he had told Burton he could continue to use her furniture and household
chattels such as pottery for the rest of his life. Palmer said Burton replied
that he would leave everything, including his house and car, to Palmer in his
will. By the time Palmer found out about Burton's death all the chattels
belonging to Burton and his wife had been sold for $11,542. The house and car
sold for about $400,000. When the Palmers found that they were not
beneficiaries of Burton's estate, they brought a claim for the house and the
car.
Despite being outside
the time frame for such a claim, in December a judge granted an extension
allowing them to do so. This decision was appealed against in the High Court by
the Heart Foundation and the RSPCA. The Palmers believed that that claim was
questionable and felt that at least some of the chattels should have been
separate property. But in a judgment reached last month, Justice Sarah Katz allowed
the appeal, finding against the Palmers. Katz said Palmer never had any rights
to his mother's chattels, as they were Burton's, and the Palmers could not
reasonably show that Burton owed them for the loan of the chattels. Hawke's Bay
RSPCA manager Bruce Wills said the legal action cost thousands of dollars
"that we'd much rather had gone to the animals it was intended for, but we
do acknowledge the right of people to challenge wills". A Heart Foundation
spokeswoman said the charity was pleased with the decision.
Different
people – different decisions .... news courtesy : stuff.co.nz. ~ and away from
this melee, there is something known as ‘digital inheritance’ – which is the
process of handing over (personal) digital assets to (human) beneficiaries.
These digital assets include digital estates and the right to use them. Digital
assets are (in contrast to physical assets) more dynamic in appearance and
fugacity. Data sets that can be inherited can include passwords, instructive memos,
digital contracts, digital receipts, pictures, medical information – while some
have the policy of deleting an account upon knowledge of their death – only few
are thinking of passing it on to their legal heirs for usage
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
28th Aug
2014
Society Magazine
