Remember ME - You Me and Dementia

Friday, June 11, 2010

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.



The tentative programme for 16th August:
• Wear a black band for the whole day
• Walk in a silent procession in the morning to the place for Dharna or Human Chain for an hour or so
• Hold a joint meeting with other Senior Citizens’ Organizations in the evening highlighting the problems and the indifferent and cold response of the Government
• Submission of a Memorandum
• Press meet


The suggested National Demands for memorandum to be submitted to government:

1. Health Insurance cover for all Senior Citizens without restrictions due to entry and exit age and pre-existing health condition with modest premium which does not increase with age, fully subsidized for BPL and graded sharing for others.[Aarogyasri of AP state meets these requirements] only it does not cover the APL Senior Citizens]
2. Very early implementation of the Maintenance & Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Act in all States and UT's
3. Immediate steps to be taken to fully implement the existing NPOP with budgetary support and not to postpone it till the reviewed Policy is ready
4. Truthful implementation of the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme. Increase minimum Pension to 500/- pm and minimum age of beneficiary to be reduced to 60 from present 65.
5. All resident of Old Age Homes to be covered under State subsidized Health Insurance, including those who are terminally ill. Those who are eligible should be given Old Age Pension.
6. Minimum of 50% concession in State Bus and Railway fares for all Senior Citizens
7. Implement the rights of the elderly citizens as enunciated in the Constitution of India and establish a unified governance structure to implement the rights. A preferred structure at both Central and State levels - Ministry for Older Persons along with National Commission for Older Persons
8. Immediate declaration of State Policy on Senior Citizens by every State and formation of State Councils and Commissionerates for Senior Citizens by all State Govts.
9. Provision of Multi-service Centres / day Care centres in each town and large village with facilities of recreation, games and news papers etc.
10. Nomination of 2 representatives of Senior Citizens on the Rajya Sabha and on Vidhan Parishad of every State.
11. Fast track Courts for speedy, time-bound disposal of pending cases of Senior Citizens in all Courts.
12. Early establishment of the promised National Institutes of Research on Aging and courses in Medical Colleges in Gerontology and Geriatrics
13. Uniform Age
14. Comprehensive policy for Dementia and Alzheimer’s
15. Separate Ministry for Senior Citizens or to have National Commission on line with Women and human right commission


Some of the Partners:
1] All India Senior Citizens’ Confederation [AISCCON]
2]National Alliance of Senior Citizens Associations of India [NASCAI]
3] Bharat Pensioners’ Samaj (BPS)
4] RREWAS
5] Respect Age International (RAI)
6] Indian Federation of Ageing (InFA)
7] Indian Association of Retired Persons [IARP]
8] Andhra Pradesh Senior Citizens' Confederation
9] Federation of Senior Citizens' of Maharashtra [FESCOM]
10] Federation of Senior Citizens of UP [FESCUP]
11] Federaion of AP Senior Citzens' Organisations [FAPSCO]
12] Kerala Federation of Senior Citizens' Associations
13] Karnatak Senior Citizens Federation
14] Tamil Nadu Senior Citizens' Confedration
15] Silver Inning Foundation [Mumbai]
16] Delhi Federation of Senior Citizens' Associations
17] Gujarat Federation of Senior Citizens
18]Prantiya Varishtha Nagrik Mahasangh [MP]
19] Varishtha Nagrik Sansthan [Rajasthan]
20] Senior Citizens Council of Assam
[21] All India Bank Retirees Federation
22] Nightingales Medical Trust , Bangalore
23]Kerala Sr.Citizens’ Forum


Coordinating Committee:
1. R.N.Mital , Co-ordinator , President - APSCCON
2. Dr. P. Vyasamoorthy , Joint Co-ordinator , President – SSS;
3. Prof. V. Vishweswariah , General Secretary , President - AoSC, Hyderabad
4. V. Nageswar Rao , Jt. Secretary , President – Sr. Cn. Welfare Association
5. Dr. P. Pothamsetty , Treasurer , Gen. Sec.- AoSC [Hyd]
6. Sailesh Mishra, Member, Founder President, Silver Inning Foundation, Mumbai


Advisory:
1. Sri Shivaswarup Agarwal, Sec. gen., International Chinmaya Mission
2. Dr. S.D. Gokhale -President India, ILC, Pune
3. Dr. PV Ramamurti Emeritus Prof, SV University
4. Dr. D.Jamuna ,Prof – Psychology SV University
5. Dr. Indira Jai Prakash,Prof. Bangalore University
6. Dr. Shiva Raju ,Prof. Tata Inst of Social Sc.
7. Dr. Sugan Bhatia, Advisor -AISCCON


If you support the cause of Elderly and would like to participate in National protest day then please write to: apsccon@gmail.com / silverinnings@gmail.com

Contact for more info:
Joint Action Committee for Organising Senior Citizens' National Protest Day on August 16, 2010
Address: 8-2-333/14a, Road No. 3, Banjara Hills Hyderabad-500 034, A.P., INDIA,
Tel.: 040-2354 2719, Fax : 040-2354 8409, Mobile : 0905 200 4913,
email : rnmital@gmail.com / apsccon@gmail.com


Silver Inning Foundation supports the Rights of our Elderly and is honored to be part this advocacy and networking historic event.



Forget yourself for others, and others will never forget you.

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