INDIA: Forum on Plight of Seniors Featured in Bhopal Newspaper

BHOPAL (Central Chronicle), May 21, 2006: Central Chronicle of Bhopal, the Madhya Pradesh state capital, recently asked its readers: Is proper attention being given to senior citizens by Government and families? Following are some responses: VC Nilosey: The topic can be discussed in two parts- 1. What help the senior citizen is getting from the Government and the second part probably implies- how much attention a senior citizen gets from his family. So far as the government is concerned, not much help worthy of mention has been given by the government except that all men and women who have attained the age of 60 are labelled as senior citizens. The only help I can recall is that the Government has directed to banks to pay half per cent interest more than others and one pc more on long term deposits. A few years back the Postal department was paying 12pc interest on 6 years deposit (MIS) which is now slashed down to 8pc. No one except the fellow senior citizen will understand the plight they are facing due to reducing interest rate and rise in inflation. Let us bear in mind that only those who have retired from government jobs are pensioners and that pension has increased three to four times in last 15 to 20 years. The sufferers are those who worked in private companies of public undertakings and got a meagre amount of CPF in lieu of pension with the interest rate coming down to almost half, this class of senior citizen is very much depressed. The government is only a helpless spectator in their case. The daily wage earners are the worst hit class as the government has not paid the attention they deserve. The second part deals with whether the senior citizens are being taken care of by their families. Well, this varies from one to another. I can only say that the poor senior citizen will always remain poor in all aspects barring a few exceptions who give proper care to their parents and elders. Syed Zia Ul Hasan Naqvi: Senior citizens are the persons, whose obligations are countless on the nation as well as on their individual family members. So it is incumbent upon all the persons to give proper attention towards these senior citizens. But in actual life these senior citizens are marginalized in such a way that they don't have any importance within their own families. These people don't have any say. These elderly persons are regarded as a burden on the family. In modern families they are kept separate in old age homes, where in isolation they feel very depressed. It is the opinion of psychosomatic experts that due to neglect by kith and kin, these senior citizens often suffer high blood pressure and upset emotions. When we compare the facilities given to senior citizens by our government with other western countries we find a great difference. Facilities by government in western countries are more to these persons. Hence we should have a chin wag for the facilities of our senior citizens and compel the government to take adequate steps for the welfare of these neglected persons of society. Proper attention should be given to senior citizens. It is a general demand. But this demand is being taken by the government by its usual insouciance. Family members should also realise the sacrifices of these respected old persons and give them proper respect in the family. Krishan Chander Mouli: Neither today nor in the past senior citizens were ever looked after well. Any number of examples can be cited here to substantiate this at the level of the government, society and family. This is also not a phenomenon of western influence as is usually portrayed by most of the Indians (Asians). Apathy towards senior citizens is a deep-rooted legacy among Indian families, the society as well as the government. Even if one recalls the Indian epics and history there are not many Sravan Kumars. Barring a few exceptions, senior citizens are always an asset for the family, society and the government. A patriarch could be a friend, philosopher and guide to a family and society. A senior citizen, specially if he was professional, in government service or in some occupational vocation in any discipline and in any category ie -Police, Public Relations, Administration, engineering, forestry, public health, veterinary and animal husbandry, agriculture, education, management, corporate or limited company, banking, taxation etc- can always share with family, society and government his experiences of successes and failures who are an encyclopaedia of case studies. But senior citizens as they are today are written off by the family, society and government branding them as outdated, utopian and not in tune with the current generational trends. The government can enable the senior citizens to carve out a niche for themselves in their respective fields of experience if they are co-opted in matters of governance, administration and development as a matter of state policy. Their contribution can do miracles. Besides senior citizens should be provided the facility of travelling by all modes of transport (road, rail, air, sea) at 75% concessional fares. All types of communication facilities (postal, telegraph, telephone, internet, cell etc) should be available at 50% concessional tarrif. Complete computer systems should be made available at 75% concessional rates. Senior citizens should have an all-India identity card and they must be attended to by doctors (including clinics) and other public health institutions and personnel all over the country free of cost any time. They should also be entitled to pathological and radiological tests at 50% concessional fees all over the country on the production of the all-India identity card issued in their favour. There should be separate counters for all dealings with senior citizens with grace and warmth. These steps would automatically raise his status and importance, which he deserves, as a senior citizen in the society and the family would then start not only respecting them but also look after them with special care. This vision may again sound utopian but the earlier this dream is realized the better would it be for our country in particular and the world in general. NR Dwivedi: The only attention (though not unimportant) that the government gives to senior citizens who are retired government servants is that it sanctions dearness pension to them equal to what it sanctions to its serving employees from time to time although what it gives to them considers a burden on the state exchequer. Besides it has to take care of their health for which cost of medicines purchased for their diseases and treatment in hospitals is although reimbursable on paper, budget provision for the purpose is generally (not exceptionally) not available. As for families, the successor of the senior citizens seize all sources of their income leaving them penniless and in lieu give them simple `dal roti'. They hardly take care of their health. I would quote one instance. A retired under secretary who had a son, daughter in law and grandsons came to me on a rickshaw and asked me to take him to a doctor. This I did. It is clear that he did not expect his son to take him to a doctor. As for senior citizens of private sector, very few have been granted old age pensions. As for their families, they generally without perhaps exception behave in the fashion mentioned about families of retired senior citizens. The philosophy of the gone by days when families of old people used to be almost worshipped and looked after properly has under the present civilization disappeared completely. In sum and substance therefore it cannot be said that proper attention is being given to them by either of the two. RK Kutty: The very concept of doing something for senior citizens or our elders originated ever since the concept of nuclear families came to the fore from the earlier joint family system. In fact, nuclear families are now literally feeling the pinch of absence of their aged ones in their midst which is creating not only big generation gap but also contributing to a great extent the young generation indulging in utter immoralities and other anti-social activities day by day. An old adage goes 'saner advises of the aged ones are bitter pills at first but turn sweeter late '. Concepts like old age homes, destitute care centres, concern of the governments for senior citizens et al came in to being when the joint family system collapsed over distribution of assets, When the small family culture and the mad race for amassing more and more wealth by individuals became the fashion, parents in their old age became the worst casualty. Even if they may be holding money to take care of themselves, the age factor and the added in-capabilities connected there with makes them more and more vulnerable. On the other hand, the nuclear families, particularly those who are settled outside their homes in metros, large cities and even those working abroad, finds it difficult to take care of their aged ones due to obvious pressures in all respect. Recently, we heard of a Kerala couple, travelling in an AI flight bound to US fought each other over the issue of carrying the husband's parents with them. The plane had to come back to off load the whole family, which was quite disheartening. So, we can imagine how much pitiable is the plight of the aged ones in this age when the mammon rules the roost. As far as the government's doing something for the senior citizens is concerned, there are several schemes in which relief is provided to senior citizens above 60 years in travel, incentives in saving schemes, 50% concessions in air travels etc. Only such bonanzas can be given by the government. But nobody can compensate the loss by way of love, care, compassion which they must receive from their own kith and kin. In that way, the old joint family system was good but sadly there is the least possibility now to revert back to that concept, as long as mammon remain the master. KY Jacob: At Government level, many facilities / benefits are given to Senior Citizens by different Ministries/Departments. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is the nodal Ministry responsible for welfare of the Senior Citizens. It has announced the National Policy on Older Persons which tries to ensure older persons that their concerns are national concerns and they will not live unprotected, ignored and marginalized. The National Policy aims to strengthen their legitimate place in the society and to help them to live their last stage of life with purpose, dignity and peace. This policy also proposes financial support and security, health care and nutrition, shelter, emphasis upon education, training and information needs, provision of concessions, rebates and discounts, special facilities, etc to them and special attention to protect and strengthen their legal rights such as to safeguard their life and property. The Ministry is implementing schemes for their benefits such as (1) The Scheme of Assistance to Punchayati Raj Institutions/Voluntary Organizations/Self Help Groups for construction of Old Age Homes/Multi-Service Centers for older persons and (2) An integrated programme for the Welfare of the aged with financial assistance up to 90% of the project cost to NGOs for establishing and maintaining old age homes, day care centres, mobile medicare units and to provide non-institutional services to them. The Ministry of Rural Development provides monthly pensions and food grains(wheat or rice) up to 10 kg per month to destitute older persons. The Ministry of Finance provides income tax rebates, higher rates of interest on saving schemes, separate counters for filing income tax returns, etc. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued directions to all State Governments to provide separate queues for older persons in hospitals for registration and clinical examination. The Indian Railways provide 30% concession in all classes and trains for old age people above 60 years with facility of separate counters for purchase/ booking/ cancellation of tickets. Indian Airlines/ Jet Airways and Sahara India Airlines are providing 50% discount on basic fare for all domestic flights in Economy Class for senior citizens. Under the direction of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, reservation of two seats for them in front row of the buses of the State Road Transport Undertakings. Telephone connection is given on priority to senior citizens of above 65 years. The Hon'ble Chief Justice of India has advised Chief Justices of all High Courts in the country to accord priority to cases involving older persons and ensure their expeditious disposal. It is worth appreciable here to state that many NGOs/Socio-Religions Organizations are running Old Age Homes, Day Care Centers, Mobile Medicare Units, etc. in the country. At family level, proper care and support are generally given to their old aged persons by their family members as their prime responsibility. But in some cases it is noticed that in the case of their children or near relatives being far away from them or very poor, old aged persons are subjected to face many ifficulties/hardships at their sick stage and even come to tragic ends. It has also come to notice that some old sick persons are subjected to live in locked rooms. In such cases it is necessary to find out ways and means to take care of or give support and protection to their lives. This is a matter of serious concern being noticed now-a-days for which special attention of the Government as well as family members is required. © Central Chronicle 2006.