Sri RN MItal on Elder Abuse

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: rn mital <rnmital@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jun 13, 2013 at 12:47 PM
Subject: [sss-global]
To: Moorty YVSR <moorty_yvsr@rediffmail.com>

Dear Sri YVSR Murty,

I thank you for your kindly taking my observations in the letter for June, regarding increasing acts of cruelty against senior citizens, seriously. I strongly feel that the word elder abuse gives an impression more of emotional abuse than the physical torture which is inflicted sometimes on elders and in extreme cases even abandonment. Most of the inmates  who are  admitted by their families in BPL old age homes feel abandoned because their families usually do not bother about them afterwords, but perhaps this is not as cruel as  throwing out an elder or abandoning him/her in a hospital or on a highway. There are socio - economic reasons and compulsions. In our WEAAD meetings we may like to find reasons for this situation and ways to prevent it.

I feel following steps can help in preventing it,

1] MWPSC Act must be implemented and made operational in all States. Enough publicity should be given to it. Should be made more stringent. Punishment should be really a deterrent, Old Age Homes for the poor as mandated in the Act should be built.

2] Universal pension as demanded by Pension Parishad (Aruna Roy) should be implemented as in most of the other Countries in the World [Ref-HelpAge, www.pension-watch.net] They will be contributing to the family kitty and will be better accepted. AISCCON has also demanded payment of Universal pension of Rs 2000 per BPL person. It will not be a burden, on the Country on the other hand it will stimulate the economy.

3] Better co-ordination between Police and Senior Citizen bodies. They should remain in touch with senior citizens particularly those who are the likely victims. Members of our youth wing can play an important role in it.

4] Intergenerational cordiality (long term)

Warm regards,

R.N.Mital

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