INDIA: Hope for Seniors in Ranchi Home for Aged

. Senior citizens relax at the Vanprasth Ashram. Picture by Hardeep Singh

RANCHI (The Telegraph, Jamshedpur), February 14, 2007:

After enjoying 92 springs of his life, Om Prakash Aeron did not want to spend the rest of his days within the confines of an old-age home. But deserted by his family-members, Aeron’s only hope of finding shelter and a new way of life lay in Vanprasth Ashram in Bariatu, where Aeron found many others in the same plight.

Spurred by its success, the old-age home, run by the Arya Gyan Prachar Samiti, is coming up with 25 rooms in its sprawling campus for people over 60 years who have been deserted by their family.

The new building spread over 13,000 square feet will house at least 50 senior citizens. The 7-acre piece of land has been donated by Kolkata-based Marwari Relief Society.

The seniors have to pay a sum of Rs 1,000 per month for food and other expenses.
Senior citizens who have been deserted or have been compelled to walk out from their homes and do not have any income could stay in the home for free.

The Ashram was started 10 years ago by late Radheshyam Gupta, a businessmen and social worker. His wife, Gayatri Devi, will now inaugurate the new building on February 16, said Shatrughna Gupta, senior functionary of Arya Gyan Prachar Samiti.

Gupta said they already have 15 inmates and five fresh applications are with them. They will soon be shifted to the new venue.

“The new building has a marble finish, attached bathrooms and toilets with geyser facilities, a satsang bhavan (common prayer hall), an open verandah to enjoy sun-light during winters and a library and television. The wards of the senior citizens have to pay an amount of Rs 10,000 as refundable security money with the trust,” said Gupta. Though there is no attached hospital, necessary medical arrangements will be available to the boarders.

Interestingly, once the home receives an application, they approach the family members of the senior citizen and try their best to resolve any dispute between them.
“Sometimes it works and senior citizens continue to live with their children,” the samiti members said.

One of the boarders, O.P. Lohia (69) rued the state government’s failure to provide senior citizens with enough pensions so as to help them meet their day-to-day requirements. “Once the government officials visited us and assured us that we will get some pension. But the promises are yet to be fulfilled,” he said.

The boarders here at present mostly belong to financially affluent families, claimed samiti members.

“But few children spare time out of their businesses and other professions to look after their aged parents. Married daughters do come in at regular intervals to meet their parents. The senior citizens here have the freedom to return to their homes if they are accepted by their wards,” Gupta said.

However, the samiti performs the last rites if no body claims their bodies, he added.

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