Senior citizens have very little protection
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Chennai: Of late, senior citizens have become an easy target of anti social elements.
The recent murder of a 70 -year-old lady in broad daylight inside her home throws up questions over the kind of protection given to vulnerable section of elders. P R Anbazhakan, Director,Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, of HelpAge India, a 35 year old organisation working for the elderly says, “It is unfortunate the incident happened a day after the Elder abuse awareness day.”
Speaking of surveys done by the organisation that talk of Chennai being the safest city for elders among other metros, he said, “People do not speak up easily, and the survey cannot give a complete picture of the situation. With sky rocketing prices of gold, the old have become a target.”
Census 2001 projects the presence of about 140 million elders in the country by 2021. Compare this to 12.1 million in 1901 and 77 million in 2011.
A recently released report by Help-Age India on elder abuse put Madurai as the city where the most abuse takes place of elders. The organisation runs a 24-hour helpline in the city but Madurai happens to run only an 8-hour helpline.
Though a senior city police official claimed that each police station has a register for elders who are living alone in the locality but an enquiry at the Nolumbur police station showed that no such register was maintained. A police official even said that they do ‘enquiries’ only of elders who are living alone.
Elders welfare committees dormant
Chennai: The elders’ welfare committees set up by the government of Tamil Nadu under the Maintenance and welfare of parents and senior citizens Act, 2007 have not been working properly, according to Members of Elders welfare associations.
Elango, director of a foundation for elders in Cuddalore says, “Under the Act, each district is supposed to have an elders’ committee, which is supposed to convene every three months. But the meetings hardly take place.” The district collector is the chairman of the committee along with representatives from the department of health and police.
P R Anbazhagan, director of HelpAge India says, “The tribunal should be more proactive and awareness has to be created about this act which is made for the elders alone” Though members of the organisation refute the claim saying meetings are happening on a regular basis with cases coming up for hearing every three months. R Muthukrishanna, member of the district elders committee in Chennai says, “Nearly 30 cases come up in a month, mostly related to maintenance. The rest usually are of disrespect. Counseling is given.”
There have been reported incidents of the elderly being left in hospitals, bus stands and roadsides by their children. A senior official from the General Hospital said of two cases in the last six months when an elder with terminal illness was abandoned in the hospital. Section 24 of the act makes abandonment of the elderly a punishable offence with imprisonment of three months or a fine of Rs 3000 or both.
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