Senior Citizens NATIONAL PROTEST DAY: AUGUST 16, 2010, India

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, STOP ELDER ABUSE


Senior Citizens, in spite of their number, collective wisdom & experience will continue to be ignored and marginalized, unless they unite – Kofi Annan


Today Indian population of Senior Citizen’s is more than 96 million , around 9% of a total population of our Country, According to one survey 66% of them cannot afford two square meals a day, 90% of them have no social or health security, 73% are illiterate and can only survive by doing physical labour, and 37% are lonely cursing their age.

Indian Government is signatory to the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing in 2002 when it committed to halve the old age poverty by 2015 but the reverse seems to be happening. According to another estimate while the population of BPL (Below Poverty Line) category has gone down below 22% , that in case of the Older Persons has exceeded 66%. This segment thus is becoming larger and larger at the same time is getting poorer and poorer. The poorest among the poor are Senior Citizens.

All this is happening because of the gross neglect and ignorance by our rulers of concerns and problems of Elderly. You will agree with the fact that our elders have waited for years on end to get attention from our rulers but all that they have received is indifference towards elder issues. While Senior Citizens are keen to play role in the development of the Country and the activities for the welfare of community, they are also demanding that their concerns must be addressed.

To address various issue and neglect of Elderly a Joint Action Committee has been set up for Organizing Senior Citizens' National Protest Day on August 16, 2010.

August 16th is going to be one of the historic day for Elderly in India, more than 25 national and state organizations & gerontologist, social activist working for Senior Citizens have come together and have set up a United Front to fight for basic rights of elderly.


Read in Detail:People for Social Cause Blog: Senior Citizens NATIONAL PROTEST DAY: AUGUST 16, 2010, India