They need our love and care
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: October 04 2011 -

Joseph Pauline, ADM and ED DRDA Tamenglong presenting gifts to elderly persons on Old Age Day at Tamenglong on October 01 2011

With the improvement in the life expectancy, the number of elderly person in our society is on the rise. It is estimated that India's population of the elderly, those above 60 years, is expected to touch 100 million.

What are their needs, how are we looking after them, are they living a life with dignity and self respect or do they feel unwanted, a burden on the society, on their families ? These are question which should concern us all as responsible member of our society.

As with everything else, our society too is changing with the times.

The traditional values though still strong, no longer holds complete sway over our lives, especially among the urban middle class. Urbanization, education, globalizations have brought in new value systems, new norms and practices, changes in lifestyles etc.

The joint family has given way to the nuclear family. Those days of the patriarch deciding the fate of the family with a benevolent yet firm hand is turning into a distant memory.

Various factors have contributed to the neglect and marginalization of the elderly persons in a family. The ever widening generational gap, the differing value system to which the children are increasingly subscribing to, has led to the alienation of the elderly parents.

The children are so caught up in their own world of earning a livelihood, enhancing their income, raising their kids, running after success and status in life that they hardly find time for their elderly parents. Then there are issues of finances.

Raising children, getting them educated is becoming costlier by the day; the cost of living is becoming higher, what was once considered luxuries have now become necessities. Weighed down by these factors, we hear instances of elderly parents being ill treated by their children.

It goes without saying that elderly persons with their own source of income fare better, being able to live life with relative dignity and respect. Another important issue which is affecting how elderly parents are being treated is the question of space.

As the residential space gets divided further and further through the generations, living space are getting scarcer by the day and this pressure on space has also cast its dark shadows on the relationship between the aging parents and their children.

Although the Manipuri society even today still treats its elders with a respect and takes care of them, it is obvious that the elders of today are not being treated in the same manner by the present generation as they used to treat their elders and this dilution in respect and care for the elders will continue.

The society, as much as the individual need to look back to the sweat and toil, the hardships these elders went through to raise the present generation.

And having done so, should with gratefulness in their hearts look after the elderly, make them feel wanted and loved, acknowledge their contributions and help them led a life of dignity. But then such sentiments are just appeals to the good nature of human beings, which we all know, is not infallible.

This is where the state needs to step in. The Manipur government should be alive to the vulnerability of the elderly in the state which will only increase with time. It should be geared to give financial assistance to the elderly.

The coverage of old age pension as well as the amount needs to be enhanced. Their health care is one area which the government should pay special attention to because this is one area they most need help and looking after with many of them suffering from chronic and multiple ailments.

As with children, physical environment like open spaces and parks where they can relax, breathe in fresh air and exchange a few laughs with their peers should also be created.

Old age homes which replicates the environment of real homes as closely as possible could also be established which will give shelter to homeless elderly persons or those who, unfortunately had been turned out of their homes by their children.

And of course, the law enforcing agencies should be prompt enough to prevent such unfortunate incidents from taking place and generally protect them from other dangers. Let us not forget, whatever we are, we owe them to these elders.