Assault on girl children and women

Not a day passes without any rape news happening across the country and Delhi proving to be the rape capital of the country .The PM, the President and the leaders of the ruling party and the opposition parties  expressed shock and concern over the raping of five year old Delhi girl child .. But what is the use of their reaction when rape incidents happen unabated in spite of the recent , "anti-rape law" which has put in place a slew of new provisions and tougher punishments? The recent rape reports  proves the point  that the   solution to sexual assault on women can not be solved by laws alone. Laws  have been ineffective in the face of a patriarchal culture. A combination of several measures have to attempted urgently, if we are really ashamed of the  poll result of 370 gender specialists around the world that voted ,India ,as the worst place for women among  all the G20 countries . What is the use of death sentence, sacking of the police commissioner of Delhi or advising girls to be careful in several matters?  These incidents mostly happen within homes . It is the mind set of boys and men that has to undergo drastic change  . the responsibility for this lies on parents , teachers and film makers . It is true it will take a longer time. But better late than never . Till then the quick solution is sensitising the lower lever police personnel who are slow in filing FIR and speedy justice system . More over , the sexual assault crimes must be declared as non bailable offence.

Tens things which Indians seems to be fond of doing .

• Arguing endlessly about any matter through print, electronic and social media without offering concrete solutions just to prove  title, “argumentative and talkative Indians and talkative Indians.

• Mercilessly bargaining with poor vendors during purchases, but , paying grandly, without even a murmur the unreasonable charges of the big hotels and the stores .
• Talking loudly and endlessly private matters in public places through cell phones with least botheration about  in convenience to others
• Spitting, urinating and throwing garbage  anywhere and everywhere with least concern for environmental cleanliness
• Exchanging  dresses and accessories  bought from the shops on the previous day just because of even one unfavorable comment from others .
• Comparing children’s performance in any field with outer better performers with least concern for the impact it creates in children’s minds
• Accumulating all the used and unwanted things at home,  in the hope, one day it might be useful.
• Keeping their own homes with utmost cleanliness and bother least about environmental cleanliness.
• Participating in corruption discussions actively and attack the bribe takers while remaining  silent about their role in bribe giving.
• Complimenting anything  related to foreign countries and condemn  everything related to India 

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Senior citizen’s homes in India -A bane or boon?

Few decades  back Indians  would not have dreamt that the concept of old age homes or senior citizens shelters will become a part of our social life .It is still not   a readily acceptable notion  to many. Those who  have a biased opinion about the old age homes should  understand the simple principles of life exhibited brilliantly in the following poem, written by Khalil Gibran , so that   acceptability of  the senior homes becomes easier.

Your children are not your children.
 They are the sons and daughters of life .
They come through  you , but not from you.
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
 You may give them your love , but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
 You may house their bodies , but not their souls.
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow , which you can not visit, not even in your dreams .
You may strive to be like them , but seek not to make them like you.

This poem talks about philosophy of life in simple words. If it is properly understood the complexities in human relation ship especially between children and parents will not continue to exist in such intensity as it is prevailing now

Before discussing whether old age homes are boon or bane let
us analyse the data  regarding life expectancy at birth in India so that we get an idea about the social and economic burden of longevity of the population

The number of 60 plus population in India

1851                       21millions
1981                                              43 millions
1991                                              54.7 millions
2001                                              76 millions
2025(projected)      117 millions    

 The growing number of the elders has become a development issue due to the social and economic cost involved in taking care of the elders.It is true that taking care of the old parents and grand parents is the immediate responsibility of the family . But the changes in the  social circumstances due to the spread of the global  village concept has made the care of the elders by the family very difficult .The joint family system which has taken care of the elders, widows and orphans had disappeared  in India due to migration of the children necessitated by economic compulsions.
If children of to day do not respect values such as “let you be the one who worships mother, father, teachers and the guest,”  there are reasons for it.

Who trains them to become ambitious in goal setting? Who  makes all the sacrifices to give them high quality education preferably, foreign education ? Who encourages them to become competitive in this world? Who coax them to go abroad to get maximum possible earning? Who gives them the ideas that the parents can manage on their own during their absence in the home country? Who teaches them to have independent thinking ability? Who decides to hide from them all the efforts and suffering undergone by the parents  to  put them on higher plat form ? Who has  moulded them to be materialistic?

There is no justification  in blaming the youngsters of today for  their  indifference attitude towards the elders of the family after  Grooming   them  to be what they are today i.e.,; self centered , insensitive to the needs of the parents, materialistic in attitude,ambitious  in carrier growth , least regard for mother country’s problems etc,. .Therefore the elders should accept the reality of the situation, especially , when the children are settled in a far off country or even in a far off states with in  India. It is not possible for them to migrate the parents , to their living places due to immigration problems or climatic  differences. Elders too would not prefer to constant migration and adjustment to variations in culture and environment,  language, food habits etc,. due to  the constant juggling  in carriers of their  children .Of cours,the eternal conflicts  between daughter in laws and son in laws and the parents in laws also have  taught the elders that maintenance of some distance between children and them which  is called “spacing”  is better for the maintenance of  smooth family relationship. Hence many of the elders, either volunteer to stay alone or forced to stay alone and this has resulted in growing number of elders living alone, causing stress to the children  and to the elders them selves. If they stay with relatives, after some times cracks in relationship appear. If they stay with servants, security problems arise. If they stay alone, life becomes a burden due to the difficulty in coping up  with the house hold management. In recent times, the media is reporting about growing number of attacks and murders of  senior citizens who live alone. Hence even the state governments  are concerned about their safety.

It may be possible to live alone as long as the seniors are healthy i.e. may be up to the age of 65 due to good health practices and proper medial care. But life becomes a burden after the age of 70 and that  too if they succumb to dreaded diseases like alzheimer or paralysis attack or cancer . Then who should take care of them? In the lower strata of society, if the elders are starved ,abused, ignored and denied medical care or sent out of homes where should they turn to? Here comes the role of   citizens homes as an alternative institutional arrangement

They are of two types viz,. free and paid homes. The free homes are run by the government by the social welfare department and there are nearly 1000 of them in India and the NGOs also  run such homes and are providing  the basic  facilities and amenities .Though they  are not providing satisfactory quality care, it is better than allowing the poor seniors wander in the streets as destitute and have a pathetic end.

The paid home’s facilities vary according to the fees they charge. But under one roof holistic care of varying qualities are available according to the fees they pay ranging between Rs 5000 to 10000 every month.. In these well paid homes they get independent dwelling units,   balanced and timely food ,periodic medical check ups, emergency care and facilities for communication with their kith and kin through phones  and internet and the library , recreation , exercise facilities .and even  the funeral arrangements if the elders are childless or if their children are unwilling or unable to come for a decent farewell. More over the  sheer thought of being surrounded by people of their age help in easy interaction and exchange of their personal experiences, that is the lonely feeling with which living alone seniors suffer is not there and the  fear for their safety also is non existent. The sons and daughters  also can also live in peace after arranging for them ,good senior citizens homes. After realizing the potentiality of profit in running high class senior homes, many real estate organizations have entered into this sector and providing state of the facilities   in them. The Children do not mind bearing the cost of their stay in such high class homes, because in that way they can satisfy their conscience. The retired  academics, bureaucrats, scientists etc who get very decent pension, also increasingly opt  for such homes, because they are aware that they will become victims of grand dumping if they are attacked by serious , terminal diseases when they depend on relatives.

Therefore the elders homes are an intermediate arrangement between living alone without any assistance or with institutional facilities and companions of the same age. it can never be compared with  home facilities.But there are advantages also if they are run properly taking into consideration the special requirements of the elders.  Staying in an old age home is not any more a stigma or blot on the family values. Of course the pain  of living away from the near and dear ones and with staying with strangers will haunt the seniors for ever. But  the seniors should become sagacious , accept the realty of the situation , the change in the attitude of their children towards parents ,the erosion in family values and go to the senior citizens home with  clear mindset and mentally prepared  to adjust to any changes in their life pattern. Because change is the only permanent thing in life and Khalil Gibran’s philosophy of life should be properly understood and adopted in day to day life, so that their sun set years become peaceful.

 (written by Rameeze. Rasheed and  published in Sulekha. com with the pen name litewait )

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Conflict of interest between the teachers and the students

In the globalised scenario, higher education is a costly commodity, teachers are the service providers, and the students are the consumers. Naturally the high paying consumers expect high quality service.

Recently I happened to see a talk show in one of the Tamil channels, in which the teachers and the students were positioned as opposite groups. Through out the talk show, the students were very articulate in pin pointing the causes of their disappointment over the teacher’s performance.  In comparison to their arguments, the teacher’s reply to their remarks on their performance was repetitive and vague and not convincing. This talk show threw some light on the basic reasons for indiscipline in the class rooms, frequent absenteeism and the lack of connectivity between the students and the teachers. It was very surprising to know that the teachers didn’t understand what the students meant by vibrant class room discussion or interactive session. They understood it as questioning and answering sessions and one student had to explain to them what they mean by the academic discussion after the lecture is over. The students even listed the reasons for boredom in the class room and found fault with the teacher’s habit of dumping on them the course materials directly lifted from the prescribed text book.  They even seemed to know the tricks of the teachers who come unprepared to the class room.

The present day students are very worried about un employability than actual unemployment. They know about the skills the corporate sector expects from them and they are disappointed when the college teachers do not help them in acquiring those skills such as deep knowledge in the basic concepts of the chosen subjects, analytical skills, logical reasoning and communication skill. The past generation students didn’t face a tough competitive   job market as the current age students do. Hence there is a huge mismatch between what is expected of the teachers and what they are providing to the students. Hence there are growing complaints about quality of teaching. Their disappointment over the teacher’s performance has resulted in spoiling the beautiful relationship that existed all along between the teachers and the taught. .  

In the past, the teachers were held in high esteem. The students considered them as friends, philosophers and guides. Even the parents considered them as the second parents and fully trusted the teachers in shaping the personality and character of their children. But somehow, in course of time, the respect the teachers commanded among the students and the society has disappeared. Is it not true that, we have fond memories of yester year’s teachers, hold them in high esteem and owe our expertise in our respective professions to the foundation they have laid during our knowledge seeking process? Don’t we rush to greet our teachers wherever we meet them, what ever position we hold in life today and introduce them as “my teacher” with pride to others? Why such respectability and nobility attached to the teaching profession has disappeared now?

It is due to few reasons. Firstly, majority of the teachers have no real aptitude for teaching and teaching is the last resort in the job ladder. Hence there is no attempt on the part of the teachers to enhance their quality after taking up the job. They still follow outdated pedagogic methods; they stick to the prescribed text books and do not encourage the students to do extra reference by not recognising original contribution made by a student during examination and thereby encourage rote learning. The students look forward to vibrant class room discussions in which the lectures are related to real life situations i.e., they expect a practical oriented teaching, but what they get is only a theory based knowledge. They expect participative learning, but what they get is only teacher centric knowledge. They do not want to waste time in notes taking. They can zerox them if one copy of the course material is given to them. They want a post lecture discussion where they can clear their doubts, give their opinion and thereby improve their communication skill. They believe such a participative learning will encourage them to do more reference work, kindle their thinking process, analytical skill and logical reasoning power. How many of the teachers provide such opportunities to the students?

Let not the teachers put the blame on large sized classes, heavy syllabus and the need to satisfy Academic Performance Indictors (API) that is going to evaluate the teacher’s performance, for the lack of time for post lecture interaction. Let the teachers engage in soul searching and self analysis to get an answer to the poor image they have in the students mind as illustrated through the above mentioned talk show.

Teaching profession can gain back the lost glory only when the teacher’s recruitment methods become scientific.  The born teacher concept is outdated. Teaching is an art and can be perfected with dedicated service. It is true that in the globalised scenario higher education is a costly commodity, teachers are the service providers and the students are consumers. Naturally the high paying consumers expect high quality service and it has to be provided at all costs. The globalised atmosphere has turned upside down many values. Hence the teachers can not expect blind obedience and demand respect. Thay have to command them by the quality of the service.  If the teachers do not satisfy the needs of the students, they have to deal with students who find the classes boring and choose to cut such classes or attend them for attendance sake and indulge in indiscipline or decide to be physically present and mentally absent in the class rooms. or fly away to foreign universities.  Teachers today are dealing with thinking generation and hence many chllenges are thrown on them 

API alone can not succeed in measuring the performnane of the teachers. It is the student’s opinion of their performnane which is relevant. Let not the teachers “work to rule”with a clerical menrtality and underestimate the knowledge level of the present day youth. Let them remember that they are dealing with vibirant youth who are more bothered about unemployability than unemployment per se. The rote learning methods, rhetoric lectures, cut and pasted course materials irritate the students. These are the sources of conflict of interests between the teacher and the taught. Let the teachers accept the reality of disconnect between them and the students and take suitable measures to gain back the respect attached to the teaching profession.

  

talk shows

                             Talk shows or break shows?

Talk shows are becoming popular among the television viewers. Those who are fed up with too much cinema events found them interesting. The success and popularity of a talk show depends on the anchor’s efficiency in leading the discussions, without losing the thread of the thought process which revolves around the theme of the talk show.   Usually they are conducted on topical issues. The general practice adopted is to divide the participants into two groups, holding opposite views on the topic   of discussion so that the viewers are able to understand the different perspectives of a particular problem. But the recent trend in talk shows seems to be the analysis of the relationships   between the family members such as, husband and wife, siblings, parents and chidden, mother and daughter in laws, fathering laws and son in-laws or between the teachers and the taught, employers and employees and girls and boys.

 It is agreed that talk shows can’t be conducted all the time on serious topical issues. We need relaxation to the mind through discussions on lighter topics too. But three is a danger when the strength of close relationships are tested before the television camera and telecast to the world if the anchor or the director is not careful. Human relationships are built more on sentiment and emotion than on practicality. Once it is cracked it is difficult to mend it. In a bid to make the show vibrant an anchor may encourage participants to reveal more and more of private matters in public and during such times the person who was thus exposed may feel humiliated and hurt and there is a chance that hurt turns into anger and spoil the relationship between the victim and the offender?   When family members participate in  a  talk show, get into a mood of uncontrolled talk for the sake  of 5 minutes popularity or just because he/ she was goaded by the anchor a danger likely to happen.  After the end of the shooting they have to back to the same home and face others about whom they exposed in the talk show. Not every one will take the exposures lightly. Even the adverse comments made liberally in such talk shows about relatives and friends might destroy human relationships

 Every talk show is has a theme. It starts with simple exchange of ideas related to the theme .  But as the discussion proceeds, the two groups become like war groups vehemently opposing each other. Sometimes,   the limits of privacy and decency are violated. Both the parties are goaded by the questions thrown by the anchor that compels them to articulate about their innermost opinion about family members seated in the opposite group. Sometimes they are coaxed more and more to come out with even actions or words done or said in the privacy   of a home. When such private matters are discussed in public by one party, the other party who was exposed in public is very embarrassed. The viewers often wonder how a wife or a husband after humiliating in pubic each other will go back home and continue to live with harmony. After describing the relative' behavior in the worst manner possible before a huge audience how it would be possible to continue the social intewrction with them?  Daughters expose freely the behavior of restrictive mothers and mothers expose the defects of daughters without any hesitation.  In one of the talk shows a mother was asked to   talk about the action of her married son which has caused her utmost distress. She started telling about an incident related to a personal help rendered by her son to his wife when both of them were getting ready to go to office with that she stopped. But the anchor didn’t leave her and continued to push her to reveal about her mental turmoil at that time. She was unwilling to talk further, because her daughter in law was seated opposite to her and was sitting with an shocked expression because she couldn’t belives that her docile looking mother in law will state before TV camera a simple act of help which her husband did to her with in the four walls her home as the act which has caused her mother in law maximum pain.  The camera focused on the mother in law for a long time until she broke down. It was very clear to the viewers that she had been driven to that situation and was afraid of thinking of the consequences on relationship with her son. All the viewers would have felt sorry for that mother, the daughter in law and the son.  When talk shows proceed in this manner there is neither information nor entertainment.  It only creates uneasy feelings among the audience

 Some young members talk uncontrollably in their anxiety to become more articulate in a talk show. We also find that boys are more restrained in expressing their views than the girls. In the name of liberty of expression the youngsters convey their opinion on every matter with least regard to values of life.  Al present   India is facing social crisis. The joint family system has  disappeared ,  gender conflicts are rising, the divorce rate is increasing,  respect towards  elders is dwindling , family bond  has weakened , the  in laws are always viewed as outlaws  and  there is trust deficit among relatives and neighbors ..  In short, the social and community harmony are weakening, for which India was so famous until a few decades ago. Let not the talk shows conducted only with an eye on TRP rating with least regard for breaking up of   human relationship.

Sanjay Dutt and pardon from punishment

The reasons given by eminent persons  for the pardon to actor Sanjay Dutt is very amusing. All along we  were thinking that, every one is equal before law  and with that principle as basis only the highest court has awarded  the punishment to Actor Sanjay Dutt. But  we have come to know  that the celebrities have escape route from verdicts of punishment ,only after justice Markanda kadju rushed to offer guidance to Sanjay Dutt . Thousands  of youth who were arrested on mere suspicion of terrorism are languishing in jail for years together. But none of the VIPs have rushed to the media   to talk on their behalf and suggested to them ways to come out of prisons . At least Sanjay Dutt had the privilege to remain free for twenty years , pursue his carrier  and be with his family, thanks to the delayed justice delivery system in India . Think about other poor accused persons who were arrested immediately  on mere suspicion.

Challenges faced by the senior citizens ----India

                     Challenges faced by the senior citizens ----India

India, a sub-continent that carries 15 per cent of the world’s population, is gradually

undergoing a demographic change as a result of many factors. With decline in fertility and mortality rates accompanied by an improvement in child survival and increased life expectancy, a significant feature of demographic change is the progressive increase in the number of elderly persons. 1/8th of the Worlds Elderly Population lives in India.

As per the 2001 census data there were 77million elders in India i.e. 7.5 % of the population. It was then projected that by 2051 it would reach 331 million i.e. 17. 3% of the population. Every country is burdened with growing dependent elders. Yet, the world is celebrating the International Elders Day (October 1st) through out this month. and uses the occasion to raise some issues concerning the elderly population

The elders live in constant worry related to three matters, viz., deceases, poverty and loneliness. There is no escape from the first problem because, it is the result of natural process of aging, The second problem is either due to poverty or poor financial management during earning time that has resulted in the absence of saved funds or income yielding investment in the sunset years and the third problem is either due to loss of spouse or NRI children or deliberate abandonment by the children.

In general, the diseases are to be tackled through, holistic health care, i.e. paying attention to the preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative aspects of health care. But regarding senior citizens, only the last two aspects will be beneficial since the aging process would result weakening of body parts resulting in constant aches and pains and they might become victims of some   serious diseases too. The analysis of National Sample Survey data for 1986-87 reveals that about 45 per cent of the rural elderly are chronically ill among whom 45.01 per cent are men and 45.85 per cent are women. In the urban areas, 44.82 per cent of the elderly (45.49 per cent women and 44.34 per cent men) are chronically ill. High blood pressure, heart disease and urinary problems are more common among the elderly in the urban areas. As far as physical disabilities are concerned, in the rural areas, 5.4 per cent of all the elderly are physically disabled while in the urban areas, 5.5 per cent of all the elderly are physically disabled. The official statistics reveal that large segments of the elderly in India are illiterate, out of work force, partially or totally dependent on others and suffering from health problems or physical disabilities.

The better off elders, have to be careful about   timely and regular medical care, control over their diet, follow prescribed exercises strictly and maintain calmness of mind through mediation. They should remember that, non compliance with these precautions would result in burdening their care takers and that situation might tilt the existing harmonious relationship that prevails within in the family. It is because; we are living in the century when no one has time for others due strains and stresses of modern life. However, with very little awareness and even fewer options to help those diagnosed with Alzheimer decease, the onus of handling the patient falls on the caregiver or the family. “It is very tough for caregivers, as they have to face mental, physical and financial strain,” says Dr Shirin Barodawala, honorary secretary, Alzheimer’s & Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI), an organisation devoted to Alzheimer’s patients and their families.Dignity foundation runs dementia day care centre at Dadar, chembur and Neral , where patients are picked up and dropped, fed with suitable lunch, kept occupied with occupational therapy. This gives family member’s immense relief from 24 hours care which they find extremely difficult, all over the counter such day care centers are needed  But such facilities have not spread  to many states in India.

The number of living alone seniors has increased in recent times due to various reasons.  The childless and the spouseless seniors and the seniors with NRI children or non NRI but out of stationed children are forced to live alone. The seniors with decent investments and pension also prefer to live alone if they find it difficult to adjust with their immediate family and want to live with dignity and independence .they are categorized as active seniors capable of self management of their affairs. . These seniors initially are happy, enjoying their independence, solitude and leisurely life after decades of hard and pressurized life. Some of them pursue their hobbies or involve in community work or take up part-time jobs   . But ,as they grow older,  as  solitude and leisure  become excessive, as  contact with children , relatives and friends become  infrequent .When   illnesses attach  frequently, they are depressed worrying  about their hospitalization, connected  expenses ,  immobility and death.  They find self management of their life difficult. Management of outside affairs becomes a challenge and memory loss results in loss of valuables. They are exposed to dangers from strangers and service providers. .

  In this materialistic world, where every body is busy with their own activities, it amounts to too much expectation if such seniors expect their kith and kin to rush to attend to their requirements or even to pay them frequent visits.   As the visits become infrequent, they have to satisfy themselves only with the company of television, books, phone, radio and the computer. They are non living things and can not be substitutes for human company and with them sad and happy moments can not be shared.  .Hence, the elders are phychologically affected and then self pity and depression sets in.  The enforced idleness and loneliness aggravate their agony.   They suffer thinking of the past days when they were full of hope and aspirations for their children and tried hard to make their future secure. When, the well settled children are just satisfied with periodical phone calls and make the aged parents live on their own, (which is almost near abandonment), they immerse in self pity and suffer in silence, thinking of the purposeless and idle life a Such suffering are more for the active, educated seniors .The continuation of such a situation affect their mental, physical, emotional and psychological health aspects. . Such seniors should either opt to join paid senior citizen homes with good facilities or keep some relative at home or join their children if there is such a possibility. But before they decide to live with their children they should resolve to follow the three principles viz., “talk not, hear not and see not.” unnecessarily.   Only then they can live with harmony and   dignity 

Another problem faced by the living alone seniors is the security of life. The elderly form one of the most vulnerable groups in the society. Police files report skyrocketing crime rates against them The Mumbai police helpline for senior folks gets over 80 calls a day. .  They have to depend on lot of service providers and mange their out side activities too alone. They are exposed to risks when unknown persons attend to their needs and also through thieves. They are brutally attacked and even murdered or loose their valuables. Dementia affected senior’s loose lot of valuables when they operate their bank works and use credit cards or ATM cards. Such seniors should follow several precautionary measures such as, keeping a thoroughly checked reliable servant at home, living near relatives and  friends, having  the phone numbers  family auditor, doctor and lawyer to reach in times of need, fixing  high technology locks and grill gates in the needy places ,maintaining  good relationship with the neighbors and meeting them regularly and exchanging their  phone numbers, preparing   a will regarding their worldly possessions and registering  it , not gossiping about their possessions with strangers or while traveling, arranging for regular supply of food through a caterer who will supply food as per the needs of the seniors, so that they  wont subject themselves to the cooking hazards and risks involved in it and  keeping all the relevant document and valuables in the  safety lockers.

 The poor seniors are the worst affected. Rural Affairs Minister , Jeyaram Ramesh  has to be congratulated for writing to the  PM about the need to enhance the pension amount to the poor seniors  so that they can live with dignity. But his recommendation of Rs 400 to them will not ensure  dignified living in these days of hyper inflationThe elderly population constitute 10 per cent of the total population, but 80 per cent of  them come under BPL they are dependent seniors and their families are also poor. But the, benefits are not reaching the aged living Below Poverty Line (BPL) as it is meant to be, due to the intervention of local politicos, alleged Federation of Senior Citizens’ Associations of Tamilnadu (FOSCATAN).T he representatives urged the government to implement the National Policy on Senior Citizens immediately. Majority of the elderly in both rural (50.78 per cent) and urban (57.35 per cent) areas are totally dependent on others for economic support. About 15.20 per cent of the elderly in rural areas and 13.71 per cent of the elderly in the urban areas are partially dependent on others.  The poor seniors suffer due to inadequate and unsuitable and untimely food, lack of timely medical care, mental trauma due to constant verbal abuse. The pension provided by the state governments is inadequate (since it is only Rs200 or 400 per month in most of the states) to their requirement due to inflation and many of them are forced to take up jobs to help their families and to maintain their dignity. A large number of their family members are forced to migrate to cities and they usually leave behind their aged parents and forget their existence. In other words, they are abandoned. Their condition is very pathetic. They are severely sick, starving and left unattended.   They either turn into beggars or subjected to mercy killing.  As per a Help age India’s study, ninety-two per cent of Delhi’s elderly citizens are suffering in silence because they are ashamed or afraid to share their experiences. It is better for the very poor seniors to move to free senior citizen homes. It is true that they are not run satisfactorily. But recently the government has started regulating them.

The abused seniors are either unaware of there rights or the provisions of the  “Maintenance of the Welfare  of Parents and Senior citizens Act”  or chose not to seek protection under it since they do not want to cut off their relationship with their care givers. In the developed countries the governments take care of the social security of the senior citizens. But in developing countries, the families are expected to take care of them. The middle class families in urban areas are becoming nuclear and smaller, as a result there are a few people available in the house to provide care and comfort to the aged. Those who are available are torn apart by the stresses of urban living. Women too in urban areas are now working outside the family. They have fixed schedules of work and have other pressures on them. Children are loaded with their studies. The post globalised generation has no time to attend to the emotional needs of their aged parents, because they are busy chasing their material dreams. If the elders want to be with the family they have to adjust a lot otherwise they would be bundled to the senior citizens homes. .

A review of the Indian government’s Five Year Plans shows very limited and inconsistent concern for the elderly. The only welfare measure for the elderly considered by the government until the Seventh Five Year Plan was the running of old age homes. The Eighth and Ninth Plans, however, incorporated fairly more specific and comprehensive welfare measures for the elderly y. Yet health care for the poor elders is not satisfactory. What the Indian government is doing for elders care can best be described as a situation of “vast undone and little done.”  Kerela has introduced some services for the elders such as the starting of day care centers for elderly. It is boon to the care takers   Therefore, starting of more number of day care centers in the urban areas and mobile clinics in the rural areas   is an urgent need. Senior friendly public transport and toilets is another need. Sensitising children regarding care of the elderly through schools is an urgent measure needed. Lack of hospitals for terminally ill and Alzheimer affected elders is another gap in India.  There is huge gap in the supply and demand position of personnel for palliative care and home nursing and it needs immediate attention. Let the government acknowledge the fact the elders of to day have contributed to the growth and culture of the country and let youngsters realise that their sacrifice and efforts have laid the foundation for their current position and hence it is the responsibility of the government and the family members to take care of the elder’s needs instead of considering their prolonged life as a burden