The social dynamics in Bisaich reveal another
aspect of this issue. When a woman in her fifties
tried to interrupt the hookah fix, the men told
her to buzz off. This is self-entitled patriarchy.
In this society, women have less resources and
support to deal with the problems of old age.
Those who married older men have it worse.
Government data reveals that widows outdo
widowers by a ratio of 3:1. “Women, especially
widows, have no social and financial security,”
says Aabha Chaudhary, founder of Anugraha,
an NGO which runs three elderly daycare cen-
tres in Delhi. “About 80 per cent of the aged live
in villages and about 70 per cent have not been
educated. Those who live in far-flung areas
have less access to healthcare.”
“Women live longer and have different health
issues,” says Sailesh Mishra, founder of Silver
Innings Group, which has several offerings for
senior citizens. “When a man makes a will, he
often divides it amongst his children but forgets
his wife. Women sometimes don’t possess basic
skills like how to withdraw money. They need
joint accounts and property rights. ”
Under the Integrated Programme for Older
Persons (IPOP), the government provides aid to
over 400 old-age homes. However, Subash C., the
general secretary of Indian Red Cross Society’s
geriatric home in Faridkot, Punjab, isn’t enthused.
He says that people can’t afford privately-run old-
age homes. Others aren’t able to maintain stand-
ards or manage the bare minimum. “Jeena hai toh
jee rahe hain (The people are somehow surviv-
ing),” he remarks, referring to the elderly there.
His facility hosts about 20-30 people at a time,
three-fourths of whom are women and need
female attendants. “We haven’t been getting
funds for the past five-six years (from the govern-
ment). When we began 20-25 years ago, it was
regular. Then it got late and stopped altogether.
We have applied again this year. For now, we
make do with Red Cross’s funds,” he says.
The lack of geriatric care in the country is an
acute problem. “People don’t want to work forold people or clean anybody. They just want
white-collar jobs,” explains Mishra. Govern-
ment policies should be ‘ageless’, he says,
citing the 18 per cent GST on eldercare services
and the recent draft of the education policy.
“The government of India stops the policy
at 40. There are millions of illiterate people
above 60. Why can’t they learn? Sports policy
in India is for the youth. The policies of the
ministry of women and child development
don’t talk about older women,” he says.A
T the Anugraha centre in east Delhi’s
Shahdara, people have gathered on a
Saturday to celebrate the birthdays and
marriage anniversaries of the month.
Children and grandchildren provide back-up
entertainment as the elderly croon Bollywood
hits from the sixties.
One of them is former educationist Rajkumari,
75, who is an invaluable asset to her daughter
Aabha. “I work as her assistant,” she beams. The
centre assists its members with facilities like
legal aid and a clinic, aside from being a com-
munity space where everyone participates in
day-to-day activities. As we speak, music can
be heard in the community hall outside. “If
they dance in their homes, people will say
buddha pagal ho gaya hai (the oldie has gone
senile),” she smiles.
“I started coming to the centre in December and
nowadays I’m here daily,” says Pradeep Vashisht,
64, who lost his wife last year. “We were both doc-
tors,” he smiles. He lives alone and runs a clinic
where he attends to patients between 7 and 11
in the morning and evening. His son works in
Mumbai and they meet about every two months.
Another regular visitor is 78-year-old Bimla
Sharma, who comes for two hours in the morning.
Her husband died when he was 45. Her son
resides in Canada and her daughter, who lives
nearby, often visits her at the centre. “Never be
scared of anyone. Be afraid of fear,” says Bimla,
making mock-fear gestures.
However, old-age homes are not a solution as
many consider these a place to die rather than
live. Most geriatric homes do not have any
activities for commu nity -building, regulatory
standards or monitoring procedures. Another
problem is that senior citizens collectively lack
a political voice—they are not as organised
as an interest group, nor have they made
a consolidated push for their demands.
To truly empower the elderly community,
there should be daycare facilities, 24-hour
healthcare centres as well as services at home
like meals and doctor visits. That is what will
help the old folks of Bisaich, who now sit idle
on charpoys and puff on hookahs, watching
time slip by. OOld-age
homes are
not a solution
for the aged
as many
consider
these a place
to die rather
than live.SITTING STRONG
Bimla Sharma, 78,
visits the Anugraha
daycare centre every
morningPHOTO ESSAY
46 OUTLOOK 22 July 2019