On the occasion of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day yesterday, nearly 200 elderly people assembled at Parliament Street, holding candles, while a few brought posters with messages like “All we need is love, care and respect”.
The protest, they explained, was not aimed at demanding justice or compensation from the government, but rather a request to their children to not ill treat them in their twilight years.
SK Arora and his wife, Manju, spoke to City Spidey. “Elderly people are being abused and harassed by their own children — for whom they've spent their whole life. Property seems to be the main reason,” the couple said.
HelpAge India, an NGO, in its survey report released on the eve of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day claimed the national capital is among the top five India metro cities with high a percentage of elderly abuse.
According to the survey, of 23 cities, Delhi held the fifth position with 33 percent cases of elderly people being treated poorly by their own children, while Mangaluru was first with 47 percent, followed by Amritsar (42 percent) and Bhopal (39 percent).
The survey done on 5,000 elderly people in 23 cities across the country aimed at understanding the extent, depth, form, frequency and reasons behind such abuses. It revealed that nearly one-fourth of the elderly population experienced abuse personally and often the main abusers were either sons (52 percent) or daughters-in-law (34 percent).
Mathew Cherian, CEO, HelpAge India, said, “Most of the elderly victims are from well-to-do families, middle or upper-middle class. Property dispute and the rising dominance of nuclear families (no one wants to take care of additional heads) are among the top reasons for such abuse.”
The organisation also runs a toll-free helpline for the elderly.
