Er. Vikram Gour
Aging has suddenly become a matter of concern the world over, with rising life expectancy and changing socio-economic dimensions and its implications nation wise and internationally. The member countries of the United Nations agreed in 1990 to observe ‘International Day of Older Persons’ on 1st of Oct. and in 1997, World Elders Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on 15th June every year to draw attention to special needs and concerns of Senior Citizens.
A community is known by the way it treats its vulnerable sections of the society such as Elders. Traditionally, in India, it has been a part of our culture for society and family to take care of older persons. Senior citizens (SC) are held in high esteem and given priority and respect in all matters.
A demographic revolution is under way throughout the world. Today world-wide there are over 600-million aged persons above 60-years and over. This figure is going to double by 2025 and will reach virtually 2-billions; vast majority of them in developing countries.
Today, rapid urbanization and compulsions of modern working conditions have lead to a breakdown of the traditional joint-family system resulting in the growth of nuclear families. Better medical facilities have lead to increase in longevity. Like over all population of the country, the population of Senior Citizens (SC) is also growing at a fast rate. As on today, we the senior citizens constitute about 9% of the total population i.e. over 11-crores. In percentage terms our population is projected to rise to about 12.4% by 2026 i.e. 176.1 millions.
What exactly is the situation in our state of J&K we do not know for sure? The SC/Elders can generally be categorized into two groups.
* Educated and Retired older persons from service or business or any such organization that takes care of their financial needs. This class of Elders can spend for all their requirements and would only need physical assistance to manage their day to day affairs. For this purpose Corporate/ Business Houses, NGOs or even the government can come forward to build and organize ‘Pay and Stay Homes’ with all the required facilities by initially financing such projects. The inmates can subsequently make the payment on regular basis.
* The Uneducated and totally dependent on their progeny/heirs/society for their upkeep both physically and financially. Majority of elders of the second kind are in the rural areas. This class of SCs is totally dependent upon Social Welfare Department of the government, the NGOs that may be working in the field with funding from the various government agencies or even the Civil Society that may be running old age homes with donations from public for providing relief to the older persons.
Here in our state of J&K government agencies under the Social Welfare deptt have made no noticeable effort to take part in any such programs for the welfare of the Elders and to improve their lot (at least for those of our members who are financially week and cannot manage their daily living both within or outside their family circle), although there are several centrally sponsored schemes available for taking care of medical and socio-economic conditions of older persons under various schemes both with Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, GOI and the state Social Welfare Deptt.
A Joint Memorandum highlighting some of the problems being faced by the Senior Citizens in the society and ways & means to provide some relief to help improve the plight of the hapless Elders was submitted to the Government during the Governor’s rule in 2008. Some of the important points in the memorandum to the governor were:-
* Adoption of National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP) 1999 & Maintenance of parents Act 2007 by the state government. Both these Acts have been adopted by 25-states in the country except J&K.
* Formation of State Level Advisory Council to study and project problems of the SC for formulation of state policy on Older Persons.
* Lay special emphasis on health-care of Elders with separate and especial facilities in medical institutions both private and that of government.
* Provisions of Shelters and/or Day Care Centers and Pay & Stay accommodation for SC.
* Making Public Services User Friendly for Elders.
* Utilizing skills and experience of SC in government works for formulation, evaluation, monitoring, review etc to give them a feeling of being useful to the society.
* Creation of a ‘Trust for Health-Care’ of the Elders of the state.
* Ensuring Safety and Security of the Older Persons living alone.
* Encouraging the NGOs working in the field for older persons and provide working accommodation to the NGOs.
As NGO we assured the govt. that Association for Welfare of senior Citizens (AWSC) shall provide full cooperation in implementing such schemes. Acting on one of the submissions made in the memorandum the then Governor (N N Vohra) constituted a State Level Advisory Council for Welfare of Senior Citizens under his Chairmanship vide GO No. 1428-GAD 0f 2008, dated 29.10.2008 and expressed his desire to hold first meeting immediately. But soon after the so called popular government came into being that had their own priorities. Inspite of repeated requests/reminders to the Governor, Chief Minister, Minister for Social Welfare no meeting was arranged even to discuss the problems of the SC.
A deputation of the Members of the Advisory Committee members from Jammu met N N Vohra in April, 2011 and requested him to facilitate holding of the meeting of the Advisory Council, at least to highlight the problems of the SC. In a very cordial meeting the Governor assured for immediate convening of the Council meeting to discuss the SC/Elders problems but till date no such meeting could be held to at least discuss their problems not to talk finding solutions.
Recently, almost a month back after the imposition of Governor’s rule in J&K (with again N N Vohra as Governor) AWSC again wrote to the Governor to hold a meeting of the ‘State Level Advisory Council’ to discuss and find solution of the problems being faced by Elders. But surprisingly till date AWSC is still waiting for a call from the Governor in reply to our request for a meeting.
This may be the ways of the government’s dealing with common man’s (Elder in this case) problems but ultimately we the Senior Citizens have to face the problems ourselves and SC/Elders must organize themselves into NGOs and small bodies and jointly fight for the common cause. Such groups, when formed, can easily force the official agencies to help them in need.
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