Plight of Tamil Nadu citizens

Tamil Nadu citizens are spared from non stop coverage of AIADMK affairs from the day Jeyalaitha’s was hospitalized till the rain havoc has created problems for the daily life of the people . We are so fed up of shallow and contradictory explanations given by the spokes persons of the ruling party for any question thrown to them by the anchors of news channels . We  wonder how Jeyalalitha has kept all these big mouths silent till she was in power. We do not know how long the central government is going to punish the Tamil Nadu people by prolonging the life of   this government  which is not bothered about   least governance  but, busy with celebrations for various reasons in grand manner with cut outs, flex boards  convoy of cars and gathered audience lured with material benefits . They are least bothered about peoples sufferings  due to absence of local governments, rain havoc, protests of people over certain central government schemes affecting the  cultivable lands, grievances of the farmers, students employees of various categories and medias vigilance on corrupt activities. We are waiting for clear whether after prolonged dark clouds  .

Tamil Nadu has become a turmoil Nadu

Some one in the tv media recently said that,  Tamilnadu  has become” turmoil Nadu”. Very  true. People are loosing patience over the lack of governance on Tamil Nadu ever since Jeya lalitha was admitted in the hospital .

How long the election commission will take to decide on various matters referred to them for a decision by various political parties and by the various factions of the AIADMK?

 How long the judiciary will take  to declare verdicts on various urgent matters referred to it  by various individuals and parties to prove the r strength of the current ruling government decision ?

How long the central government has taken  to appoint a full time governor to this big state  ?

 In how many matters the ruling AIADMK will surrender the rights  of Tamil Nadu  to The BJP government out of fear of legal actions on them for various offenses?

Anita's suicide

It is true that Anitha”s suicide can not be supported . But, she was driven to the wall after waiting for justice from the state , central and governments and the highest court  of this land . The state should have given one  assurance  to all the meritorious , poor and village students who were relying very hopefully on  the promises given by the state ministers, the central ministers and the local BJP leaders and disappointed by the courts verdict   that, the government would sponsor their coaching for NEET examination  for next year  for the poor  and  highly meritorious village children on whose behalf they were taking efforts  all these months  . That assurance would have given such hard working  students with medical course dreams some consolation and given them a purpose in life. Teachers should  counsel the students regarding the need to build up the ability to face challenges in life and the uselessness of suicides .

An analysis of the specific Problems of women senior citizens in India ( published in the souvenir of Elders Fest and expo-2017)

The ageing of population is on the increase world over in recent times.  The gendered nature of aging reveals that women tend to live longer than men. India’s elderly population has already crossed 100 million marks during 2011. As per the census 2011, the total Indian population sex ratio is in favor of male population in ratio 940:1000. Bur for   elderly at (60+) population it’s in favor of elderly women by1022:1000. Elderly population analysis shows that in upper age groups, population of older women is increasing remarkably. At the age of 65, 70, 75 & 80 there are 1310, 1590, 1758 & 1980 elderly women respectively per 1000 elderly men. But along with longevity of senior women, their problems have multiplied.

Good health, economic and social security and adequate housing are essential requirements of aging with dignity, but older women in both developed and developing countries face difficulties in accessing these on a basis of equality with men. Both men and women face discrimination due to old age, but women face special problems in old age due to their dependency on men from childhood till death .Their economic dependency on men render them as useless and as burden in old age. In addition, widowhood, divorce, lack of care- givers for older women, post menopausal difficulties and absence of geriatric medicine and health care are other grounds of discrimination that prohibit older women from enjoying their human rights. Older women in prison, older sex workers and older disabled women face severe neglect and abuse as they age

 Problems of older women

·         Most of the women do not own property and even when they own it they do not manage it. Their ownership of, or access to, land may be restricted due to discriminatory inheritance laws and practices, they would have been prevented from higher education and employment with decent salaries in their  younger age and thus made to live economic dependency on men i.e. , on fathers during  younger days  , on husbands after marriage and on sons in old age. Hence left penniless in old age.

·         Common health problems affecting elderly women are-, arthritis, osteoporosis and hypertension, cervical and breast cancer, anemia, and most of all depression. The rich educated women may be self-sufficient but could be facing problems of emotional insecurity and physical vulnerability. Even these women are often exposed to threats of crime and fraud by their own relatives or children.⁹ The elderly women have to face so many mental stresses like, unemployment  and  marriage of their children, family quarrels, loneliness of self, abuse by family members,  property disputes ,bad relations with relatives etc.,

·         Older women, who are still living with their sons/daughters and grand-children are also suffering from emotional alienation. Due to fast changing socio-economic scenario of the country, fast paced modern life style & rapid urbanization across the country younger generations hardy interact with their elderly family members. Popularity of nuclear family system has virtually crushed strong traditional bond between grand-children & grandmothers. The rural aged women are in better position in this matter since; the joint family system still survives to a certain extent.

·         Even if many older women have property/money, they cannot possibly use the money or take financial decisions on their own. Social traditions don’t allow them to use their ancestral property / money for their own welfare. They may be rich or poor but, they always have to act according to others directives. Since they are habitual of sacrificing their own interests for the good of other family members throughout their life, in old age they don’t want to ask for their share. At times, financial dependency   causes mental stress to them.

·         Due to negligence, lack of awareness, financial dependency and religious mindset of women, older women often neglect the early symptoms of diseases and   have to face acute medical problems later.    Most of their health problems remain unnoticed, since their families fail to recognize them in time, thinking they are common ailments in old age. Most of the elderly women do not want to impose financial burden to their care takers and prefer to suffer in silence than taking timely medical care. Besides, most of them believe more in divine powers instead of medical science and prefer to have home remedies till the medical problem becomes serious.

·         Due to migration of their children to other cities or counties most of the aged live alone. Among them, the widows are the mostly emotionally deprived lot. It is because, the mothers have always been emotionally attached to their children and  suddenly, when they are faced with migration of their children to far nations and that too permanently, they are highly distressed  and develop certain health problems like higher blood pressure due to constant worries over the separation  and the compelling need  to live alone .

·          Many single women seniors find it difficult to  management of  financial matters , domestic servants, service providers , food and house hold management and their health issues , because  they have never been  trained by their late husband’s in these matters  .  All these responsibilities make them emotionally  insecure and illnesses aggravate this situation and plunge them into deep depression

·         Indian women have always been introvert by nature, that’s why they are vulnerable and soft target of wrong doers.  Majority of cases of Human Rights violation are due to poverty of older women. Older women have to face age related discrimination, mistreatment, harassment and elder abuse in their life due to disharmony with daughter or son in laws disconnect with grand children.  This seems to be an international problem. These women do not have awareness about the human rights of elders and even if they know, they have no idea about supporting groups. They just tolerate abuse due to poverty of their care takers and turn towards religious activities, pilgrimage, etc.  When men in poor families migrate to urban areas in search of jobs they leave their aged elders in villages under the care of their relatives and most of them are neglected during their sickness and die eventually.

·           Quite a number of middle and higher class women with financial independence due to decent pension or savings in their names prefer to live alone since, they think privacy, independence and dignified living are   more important than security. In metropolitan cities they become exposed to strangers who are often service providers and greedy relatives and become easy targets to thieves. Often they become victims to dangerous situations and even lose their lives if enough security arrangements have not been made.

Thus, the Major Concerns of older Women are emotional insecurity, destitution/alienation / isolation, social insecurity, financial insecurity, medical and health care problems and threat to life. 

Measures taken to help aged women

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a set of principles for aging women at its 46^th session. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women is a landmark tool for setting out global normative standards of gender equality.CEDAW is a living instrument to protect the human rights of older women as it is mandated to eliminate discrimination against women throughout their lifespan

 The government of India has been implementing several schemes/programmes for the welfare of women including widows, such as Swadhar and Short Stay Homes, Support for Training and Employment Programme, India Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme etc. The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) for the poor households and represents a significant step towards the fulfillment of the Directive Principles enshrined in article 41 and 42 of the constitution of India, . Government should collect statistical data disaggregated by sex and age on the situation of aging women, with special focus on poverty, illiteracy, violence against women, health and housing related issues, care givers for people affected by HIV and AIDS, migrant women, rural women, women living in areas of conflicts, women belonging to minorities, and disabled women. Thus, the researchers, the academicians, the NGOs and the media can play a pivotal role in sensitizing the people that care of the aging persons is not the sole duty of the sons but also the daughters are liable to look after them. The media and the senior citizens forums   must take earnest efforts to make the young people in schools, colleges and universities aware that the patriarchal society must be changed. The laws concurrent responsibility of the central and state government in the matter.  

But, the   senior women themselves should learn how to use their supporting groups like relatives, friends and neighbors for safe living. They should learn the tactics of healthy aging. They never should succumb to self pity and become emotionally drained. They should take proper care of their physical, mental, emotional and psychological well being so that, they do not fall sick often and become burden to their care takers.

Behaviour of the finance minister, Arun Jetley

The world is celebrating the World Elders Day this week with the purpose of highlighting the problems the economies would face due to growing numbers of elders and to sensitise the younger generation regarding the dignified treatment of elders due to their productive contributions to the nation and the family in the past. What type of example the BJP party is setting to them in this matter?  Their senior leaders also have contributed to that party’s  development into a ruling party of India to day  by their  productive  contributions  . Why should  the Finance Minister Arun jetley should stoop to such low level of personal attack on his  senior party member and former Finance Minister Jaswant Sinha for his observations on the economic  performance of this government especially , when  his views are endorsed by economic experts of the world and India too. Constructive criticism should be given due attention by the administrators of the nation . Arrogant replies   and humiliating comments will not guide them on the right path and make them correct their wrong steps . More over ,the FM must be knowing  that, Jaswant Sinha was forced to go the press to air his views on their economic blunders because of the endless waiting over  the request to meet the PM to discuss these issues. Let Mr. Jetley remember that soon he will become the party senior and meet the same fate.