Dear Editor,
Elderly people in the West are the most respected and cared for class by the State as well as citizens. Senior citizens too continue to contribute to society till they call it a day due to infirmities beyond management. India is fast catching up with the developed world in long lifespan. Everyone has to ‘grow old’ in time, and if one has a little luck the strongest desire of all: from beggar to King.
Interestingly, the Chinese respect and take extra care even of a beggar with a white flowing beard and eightyone years is seen as favoured by God. India, too, had the same tradition and culture towards the elderly, but it is disappearing with the onset of the culture of consumerism.
The movie “Buddha Hoga Tera Baap” sums up the philosophy of the Greeks who say that no Greek was ever an old man. A millennium or two back, the lifespan of a man was rarely beyond 40 years. In today’s times, it is nearing the three digit mark. Therefore, our future planning should be with an eye on the needs of the elderly.
Richa Jain
Jammu
