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| Respect of elders fading as the time goes by, courtesy pseudo culture | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu Oct 2:- The withering down of human life in right perspective has an ethical dispensation that always has an important family cliché supporting his or her journey past the last milestone but the things at times become odd for all human beings as the life goes by.
It brings along collateral reasons standing besides that may devotedly help him/her transit into the next world, however contemporary environs are totally contrasting. Infact problems of the increasing population of the senior citizens needs to be addressed before it is too late as there were good old days, when respect and honor were doled upon withered faces which is less or rare in these days.
Ironically the situation has drastically changed and the traditional pattern seems to be changing in view of the fast-paced life of today.
It has been observed that in western countries, old age is not a curse because the government gives a handsome pension and those over 60 are not allowed to do any type of work but the things in India are completely different .
In India the condition of such old people is pitiable as there are no provisions for the social security of senior citizens, leave alone their entertainment.
According to some population related reports , the elderly population has grown by 285 per cent in the last 50 years and the figure is expected to double in the next 25 years but sadly part of the story is that nearly 90 per cent of the elderly have no form of official social security and over 40 per cent live below the poverty line. While the number of aged has gone up, the quality of life has gone down, the report said.
Though the Survey report is only on papers but a bunch of withered and wrinkled faces sitting in the courtyard of Old and Infirm Home in Jammu present a picture of desolation and despair. Many still hoping that someday their kin may come and take them back to their home. Although a remote possibility but it is there in many minds.
Life of some 62 disowned and abandoned feeble creatures in their twilight years goes like this since they don’t know anything about the Grand Parents Day, but all are haunted by isolation.
Just sit by them and one will certainly find a tragic human and emotionally surcharged story of their own - a story of deceit, torture, estranged relations, neglect and even financial exploitation. It’s not that constraint financial sources forced their families to dump them here but in most of the cases inmates hail from affluent families .
In some cases, inmates are physically challenged also but in most of the cases cynical behavior of daughters-in-law is described the reason that brought them here.
“There is no difference between children and oldies, what one requires is little love and concern,” opines Pritam Chand (33), who is associated with the home and has devoted his life for the cause of disowned people for the past 15 years.
“There are many e here who want to meet their family members at least once before they close their eyes,” said Pritam further adding, “We take care of every thing concerning them and even organize pilgrimages for them,” he says and adds, “People generously donate and often visit here on special occasion to share feeling of the inmates.”
An 80-year-elder, who did not want to be named, said, “I am living here for the past 10 years and now all inmates here are my family and for me all my children are no worth than strangers to me as none cares about the elders; they forget that one day they too will be old. “My life is comfortable here. We get food, medical care and affection, but in the heart of hearts we miss our family,” he added.
“This year, the government gave us an amount of Rs 50,000 only. You tell me how it is possible for 62 people to manage a full year with such meager amount?” he asks.
“Their daughters pay visit but sons hardly bother,” he says and adds in the same breath that in exceptional cases the latter have come to take them back too.
According to Rahul Gupta, an engineer from joint family, opines that a natural support system, has almost crumbled. The fast pace of life and the increasing number of nuclear families have added to the woes of the aged, compelling many of them to live alone and resulting in an increase in cases of abuse. There is need for government and NGOs to provide an effective support system for this segment of population.
The time of the senior citizens should be utilized in meaningful ways he says further adding that they should not vbe treated as burden to society or a family.
A poet has rightly said:
Yah khuda, tune yeh kya sitam kar diya
Dil jawan rehne diya aur jism burha kar diya
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