Normally the senior citizen is declared when he
retires from services on attaining the age of superannuation of 58 years or 60
years or on pension as the case may be.
However, other criteria are that he should physically look old to be
called a senior citizen. But one must be
proud of grey even if he is easily taking out his dentures when he will really
look old.
It is also said that the old age refers to ages
nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings and is thus the end
of the human life cycle. It is also not a definite biological stage as the
chronological age denoted as old age varies culturally and historically.
Senior must be given due respect in our society by
virtue of old age and experience in life.
In fact, this is the age when a senior can give something back to the
society.
During my visit to the States, I have observed
that there is too much social security for senior citizens at every step and
one don’t feel in secured as in our own country. Even with the nuclear society
system, senior is looking for their entry into old age homes where they can
share anything freely with other seniors which used to be a part of a joint
family system.
Frankly speaking, I recollect an incident when the
Senior Citizen Forum was formed in our city over a monthly meeting or on some
special occasion to celebrate the occasions like Independence Day, Diwali or on
annual family get together.
One of our senior member complained that seniors
are not given due respect whenever happen to visit the government offices and
we must meet the Deputy Commissioner to pass on the instructions to all the
heads of departments to circulate among the staff to give priority to the
senior citizens whosoever he may be as they are the respectable persons of the
society which has still high expectations from them to have words of advice
from time to time.
It happened so that an appointment was taken and
at the fixed time five senior members of the Forum including me reached the
retiring room of the DC office. Since
the DC was busy in some important official meeting with his seniors who had
come from headquarters, we waited in the retiring room, where water was offered
to us on coming to know our reaching at the given time when a visitor’s slip
was sent.
A very senior politician of his time was also
waiting with us there, who too had an appointment with the Deputy Commissioner
and was known to all. On seeing all of
us, he casually asked the purpose of our visit. I simply told him that we as
senior citizens are not given due place at certain places and we have come to
request to the district administration for the issuance of a circular to this
effect.
To this, he said in a very light mood addressing
to me, Harish Ji, you all must look senior citizen first as all of your senior
friends with you are looking young. I
could not understand as to what he means, but when repeated and touched his
head saying, you all must look senior citizens.
Then I could very easily guess that my entire senior colleague had dyed
their hair and looking young except me.
There was the huge sound of a natural laugh in the
retiring room but internally, except me, all were feeling embarrassed over the
purpose for which we had come. Even one
of them too in a lighter mood said, at least we should postpone the meeting
today and let it be on some other day when we will really look senior citizen.
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