INDIA - Growing old ... alone
| Elderly people in India face an uncertain future. Decreasing incomes, loneliness and insecurity compound their problems. USHA RAI writes on the senior citizens' need for social security. |
Batting with an uncertain future ... at an old age home.
THE English poet Robert Browning wrote "Grow old with me the best is yet to be." But if he saw the condition of senior citizens in India he would probably have rewritten the poem. Coping with old age is becoming increasingly difficult. Young people now see senior citizens as a burden. The respect they once enjoyed in the joint family is slowly disappearing. Many suffer mental and physical abuse. In Mumbai, a man and his wife locked his 68-year-old mother out of the home with food and water for the day. She was let in only when they returned from work in the evening. This was allegedly in her "own interest" as she was absent-minded and they feared she could even forget to switch off the gas. Ironically, the old lady was the owner of the property. Her neighbours complained to the police who intervened.
Crimes against senior citizens are on the increase. In Mumbai alone, there were 192 crimes in 2002 ... a large number resulting in death. Perin Buhariwala's (not her real name) lost her husband several years ago. Her savings were in many fixed deposits. Most have been encashed. In 2000, she had Rs. 65,000 in UTI-64. "The more financially savvy investors pulled out their money in time but I did not and, financially, I feel crippled now," she lamented. She had invested money with a couple of private companies but these have not honoured their commitments.
The three main requirements of old people today are social, health and financial security. John Thattil, regional director (west), HelpAge India, points out that most developed countries have written guidelines on caring for the aged, they have good social security schemes and run a network of homes for senior citizens. "We did not even have a policy for senior citizens till 1999. Since we have a tradition of joint families and caring at home for our senior citizens, this was not really a major concern till migration started from villages in the big cities and children started going abroad for studies and work..." Only government servants are entitled to pension. This means that literally 70 per cent of the Indian population gets no pension — not even those who have worked in the corporate sector for 30 to 40 years. Most senior citizens are dependent on their savings or their provident fund and gratuity, whose value is shrinking by the day. The interest rates on bank deposits have shrunk from 12 per cent to six per cent. So the money available after retirement is further reduced because of the poor return from investments.
Medical care is a big problem. Says Thattil, with increasing cost of living, they are uncertain about their future and that of their children. Though mediclaim facilities have been available for some years now, the premium for those over 55 is high. In fact, except for the Defence Forces, there is no health care support system for the aged. An estimated 77 million people or 7.7 per cent of the population are senior citizens. By 2025 the number of those over 80 is likely to go up to 177 million.
Though India has a national policy on older people since 1999, and a plan of action has been prepared, there is scepticism over its implementation. Sheilu Sreenivasan of Dignity Foundation in Mumbai says, "the policy is okay but there is no action in sight."
The Delhi-based International Federation on Aging has been campaigning for free health care for senior citizens; decrease in the age limit for pension; a bigger, respectable living allowance; change in the eligibility criteria so that even if the combined family income is Rs. 8,000 the senior citizen is entitled to pension; creation and implementation of a social security scheme.
It is just lack of political will and proper direction that there is no social security in India. Normally a part of the income tax goes towards social security in countries like Singapore, says Thattil. Irrespective of whether tax is paid or not, social security should be available to all. HelpAge has been lobbying for social security for nine years and there is not even a glimmer of hope.
Homes for the aged are becoming a reality with the joint family system collapsing and children migrating to other countries. But there is a long waiting list. There are 550 homes for the needy and the destitute, says Thattil, but 1,000 more are needed.
The relatively affluent, who can support themselves in homes for the aged, want companionship, care and reasonable facilities including medical services. There are 1,200 such homes in the country but there are also fly-by-night operators. In Thane, Mumbai, in one such home, residents were asked to pay Rs. 4,000 a month for board and lodging and were assured that there would be only two people in a room. Now there are 15 in a room and no facilities like television or even enough space to walk around. Visitors are not encouraged. Attempts to investigate by recognised institutions are warded off. The Matoshree Vridashram, run by the Maharashtra Government, has more or less folded up because of lack of funds. HelpAge is asking the Government to set standards for facilities provided by all homes for the aged.
However, some people have succeeded in bringing joy to the elderly. Pramod Nawalkar, former MP and a senior citizen, is responsible for the 22 odd nana/nani parks in Mumbai where entry is restricted only for those over 60 between from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The first park was opened at Chowpatty in 1999. There are several benches that have been donated by banks and once a week the medical team from Lilavati hospital checks senior citizens for blood pressure and diabetes. A medical chart is maintained in the van.
Dignity Foundation of Mumbai seeks to protect the elders from mental and physical abuse from within the family and outside. Dignity Companionship and Dignity Helpline are two integral parts of a number of services it provides. About 300 volunteers, themselves senior in age, go through simple training in counselling and helping out before venturing out to serve the elderly. As soon as a call is received on the Helpline, a volunteer living in the vicinity is contacted to visit the senior citizen to size up the situation and report. Police help is sought when an errant "child" needs to be warned to treat parents better or the old person has to be rescued from the violence being inflicted. Lawyers help Dignity advise victims on matters relating to property, will, nominee and psychotherapist's help is sought in treating depression of abused parents. The aged are an unutilised resource base in this country. They have knowledge and experience that society should tap. For generations, grandparents handed down folk stories, prayers and even simple home remedies to grandchildren. They provided the security when parents were at work. But now they are seen as a burden.
We are a society in transition. We have neither the facilities of the west nor the care and concern for the elderly that has traditionally been a part of our culture.
This series of articles has been brought out by the Press Institute of India as a sequel to the Manual of Reporting on Human Rights in India brought out by the Press Institute with the support of the British Council and the Thomson Foundation of Britain.