A few ago when we approached a certain organisation for subsidized land to set up a retirement community, we were shown three plots. The first plot was adjoining a graveyard, the second was all rocks and dry land and the third was in the middle of nowhere.
A few years ago when we met a big philanthropist for donations for Aged Care projects, he said, Old People are a spent force, if I give money it will not help future generations so I would rather set up a school rather than an Old Age Home.
Till a few years ago, the overall societal outlook towards Elders was, why should people who are retired and above 60 years be seen as productive and still a part of the active community, they are anyhow on the Fag End of Life.... so the Elderly should know their place and park themselves in a corner of the room.
The larger point of debate is, while all this was in the past, but then, how do we see Eldercare in today's time as a Nation?
Senior Care is becoming a serious social care and welfare agenda across the globe, the issue is, how well are we prepared in handling the 11% population of our country.
India has a very clear divide between the urban and rural areas; this divide may be getting narrow in areas of education, white goods, climate change etc, but then where is the concern and action regarding Senior Citizens happening? I guess as an individual either I am unable to see the growth in Aged Care or probably the window itself is not clean.
If 65%-70% of India lives in the rural areas and the hinterlands, then it cannot be only young people living there, it's natural that the 11% is part of the landscape who are still not sure if they are supposed to be seen as active citizens of a country or spend their time watching the stars just because they are supposed to be At the Fag End of Life...
Pankaj Mehrotra
