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| Proud 2B 60-Who are you calling old? |
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As India celebrates it's 60th year of Independence, HelpAge India salutes the spirit of India's 60 plus senior citizens through its's“Proud2B60: Who Are You Calling Old?” campaign. The campaign is aimed at reinforcing the fact that today's senior citizens are active, healthy, contributing in a large way to society and to beat the age old myth that life does not stop at 60. It is about this new breed of older people who are breaking stereotypes and proving their worth to the society.
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New language, imagery, and stories are needed to help older people and the general public re-envision the role and value of elders and the meaning and purpose of one's later years. |
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| A ray of hope for abandoned Seniors |
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Senior citizens can take heart. The government is about to enact a law to protect parents from abandonment by their children. The Older Persons (Maintenance, Care & Protection) Bill 2005 has been passed by Cabinet.
HelpAge has been lobbying for the Bill and gathering support for it. We have held debates and discussions involving experts & policy-makers across the country to fine tune it and recommend necessary amendments to the government.
We have enlisted the support of several Members of Parliament, requesting them to raise their voices for it. If passed by Parliament the Bill will give Senior Citizens legal recourse against ill-treatment. Perpetrators could be imprisoned for 3 months or fined Rs. 5000.
Thousands of elderly citizens are dumped and left alone to die in our country; it is only the more fortunate few that find shelters in old age homes.
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In the 1981 census, the average number of people per Indian household was 5.55. |
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By 1991 it had declined to 5.51. |
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Today, the figure is pegged at about 4, and that’s quite worrisome considering that life expectancy has risen and people are living longer. |
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Cases in point are Babu Lal & Pushplata Awasthi, both in their 70, who had envisioned their old age surrounded by their children and grandchildren. They spent their lives earnings on the children’s education & marriages. But today they themselves live in an old age home in Delhi. They say, they have accepted their fate and have no expectations from their children, but the pain is evident. There are many more people like them who have been given a raw deal by their own kin. The Cabinet’s assent to the Bill has brought a ray of hope to many such elders.
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