GOLDEN DIVIDEND FROM SILVER YEARS

THE human attitude to ageing is ambivalent.

- GEETHA RAVICHANDRAN

The final phase of life is often marked by a decline in utility, health and mobility. While in certain communities seniors are revered, many languish in neglect.

In ancient India, vanaprastha was the stage of life when after discharging their family duties, elders were expected to embrace austerity and contemplation by entering the forest. In today’s time, while a retreat to the forest does not happen, most cultures tend to marginalise and invisibilise the elderly. However, due to the growing elderly populations across the globe, their problems and efforts to address them have gained visibility.

Globally, the population of the elderly is on the rise. The cohort of people over the age of 60 in India is around 150 million. By 2050, the numbers are expected to cross 350 million. Over the years, there is documented increase in abuse faced by senior citizens and in the numbers being abandoned in public places by family members.

In response to this, several NGOs committed to caring for abandoned elders have emerged. The government of India enacted the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act as early as 2007. But often, blatant disregard for the rights and dignity of the elderly continues unabated. Several courts have intervened to uphold the property rights of senior citizens and their right to maintenance by family members.