INDIA: Government Bill Backs Senior Citizens

NDTV. COM The number of senior citizens in India is close to 80 million and is growing by the day. In another two decades, it is expected to touch 137 million, due to rising life expectancy. The burgeoning old age homes is enough indication that all is not well in the Indian family scenario. Traditionally, Indian families place a lot of importance to caring for the parents. Since time immemorial, elders in India have enjoyed a prominent position in society and in the microcosm of the family as well. But with the advent of the nuclear family, things are very different today. Changing social needs, stress on individuality, need for personal space and freedom, has led to senior citizens being sidelined. Since nuclear family is the preferred system, most older citizens are being left on their own to fend for themselves. It is in view of these changing demographic patterns that the government is introducing a new legislation to provide for their needs. It plans to enact the Older Persons (Maintenance, Care and Protection) Bill 2005 to look after need-based maintenance, ensure minimum level of financial security and provide for the adequate old-age pension of elderly people in the country. The move became necessary when an increasing number of cases about ill treatment of senior citizens by their own children, came to light. Most of them were being denied food, shelter and basic amenities even in their own house. There were also many cases where older denizens were being forced to move into old age homes. With no one to take care of their needs vis-à-vis emotional and physical health, maintenance and security, the problem of elderly neglect has reached magnified proportions. Community discrimination? Section 20 (3) of the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956 makes it obligatory for a person to maintain his or her aged or infirm parent. But considering the social scene today, the government decided to come up with a legislation, which is not only binding, but also comprehensive in its intent and scope. However, this legislation proposes to leave the Christian and Muslim community out of its ambit, on grounds that both these communities have their own personal laws to address the issue. But if the Bill claims to ensure that the rights of older citizens are protected, it should not be excluding any community. The government needs to do a rethink on how justified is the exclusion of Muslims and Christians from this new legislation. By Amrita Sharma NDTV.com July 2005