BJP not anti-Christian: Prof Kamei
IMPHAL, May 25: BJP is a democratic party and it is not anti-Christian, asserted BJP Schedule Tribe Morcha na-tional vice president Prof Gangmumei Kamei. Alleging that it is the Congress party which has been projecting BJP as a party op-posed to Chris.....
UNC political tour in Tml concludes
IMPHAL, May 25: The third leg of the United Naga Council (UNC) political tour in Naga areas was undertaken in Iriang-long (Tamenglong) district in association with the Zeliang-rong Baudi, Manipur and the frontal organisations of the region from May 23 to.....
Sugar to bypass CAF&PD
IMPHAL, May 25: In place of the existing system of distri-buting the PDS item of sugar through Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAF&PD) Department after the commodity is handed over to the department by FCI, the Government would now buy sugar fro.....
Mary Kom activates academy works
IMPHAL, May 25: Conse-quent to the in-principle approval for granting Rs 309.56 lakhs to the Regional Boxing Foundation run by London Olympics bronze medallist MC Mary Kom, the ace boxer has reportedly chalked out plans to begin construction works of an i.....
MDF cadres to be shifted elsewhere
IMPHAL, May 25: Following Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam’s assurance that surren-dered KYKL-MDF cadres being accommo- dated in an Assam Rifles camp at Chandel would be shifted to permanent designated camps outside Chandel district as soon as possible,.....
Rs 5.4 lakhs recovered
IMPHAL, May 25: A sum of Rs 5.4 lakhs have has been recovered from a former De-puty Commissioner and two former ZEOs under the Mani-pur Public Servant Personal Liability Act for engaging four workers wrongfully in non-formal education sector in Bishnupur .....
AMCO urges
IMPHAL, May 25: While commiserating the victims of the alleged forced eviction of Kabo Leikai, the All Manipur Christian Organisation (AMCO) has implored Chief Minister O Ibobi and all con-cerned to work out a just and amicable solution to the pro-blem ar.....
Ibobi departs
IMPHAL, May 25: Chief Minister O Ibobi today left Imphal for Myanmar to participate in the NE India Business Conclave in the Myanmarese city of Monewa. Whereas other delegates from the State would travel to Monewa by road, Ibobi would fly up to Mandalay t.....
Mishap claims one
IMPHAL, May 25: An elderly man died following a road mi-shap that occurred at Tera Ton- gbram Leirak Machin along Imphal-Jiri road under Lam-phel PS today. According to report culled from the spot, five persons including children were injured when a Marut.....
One held
IMPHAL, May 25: A team of Imphal east commandos with lady police arrested a woman identified as Chingnuam Zou (47) d/o Chinzagen Zou of Moreh Ward No 2 yesterday around 6.15pm along with 200 pink colour tablets marked as 88. A statement issued by the I.....
Electrocuted
IMPHAL, May 25: Three cattle were electrocuted after coming into bodily contact with loosened HT wires at Bamon Kampu Maning Takhok Loukon in Imphal East yesterday. Two of the cows were owned by one Sapam Samungou of Bamon Kampu Mayai Leikai while one.....
BJP congratulates
IMPHAL, May 25: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ST Morcha, Manipur has congratulated Prof Gangmumei Kamei, ex-minister on being appointed as the All India National VP, ST Morcha of BJP by the Central Office, New Delhi. A statement issued by the genera.....
IGAR (S) greets
IMPHAL, May 25: Major General UK Gurung, AVSM, YSM, IG AR (South) and all ranks of the Assam Rifles extended warm greetings and sincere goodwill to the people of Manipur on the auspicious occasion of Buddha Purnima. IG AR (South) also conveys his earnest .....
ZSU urges
IMPHAL, May 25: Taking serious note of the pathetic condition of Khangsillung Higher Secondary School at Khoupum Valley, the only institution in the area that provides higher learning, the Zeliangrong Students’ Union, Khoupum Area (ZSUKA) has drawn the .....
PNU condoles
IMPHAL, May 25: The Poumai Naga Union has expressed profound grief and sorrow over the untimely demise of its general secretary, Heni Romeo of Kodom Khavii village on May 20. A statement issued by the president of PNU, Ng Lorho remembered the deceased.....
Ukhrul boy awarded
IMPHAL, May 25: Horreingam AS Zimik s/o Ngathingkhui AS Zimik and Grace AS Zimik of Singcha, Ukhrul was awarded with a cash incentive of Rs 2000 for scoring the highest mark in the recently declared HSLC result from St George School, Hungpung Dungrei, Ukh.....
JAC flays police highhandedness
IMPHAL, May 25: The JAC against forced eviction of Naga River Lane, Kabo Leikai has vehemently condemned the act of security personnel led by SP (Imphal West) against the democratic and nonviolent activities of the JAC at Naga River today. Grace Shatsh.....
PREPAK clarifies
IMPHAL, May 25: The proscribed PREPAK has clarified that the outfit has nothing to do with the .32 pistol seized from the possession of Oinam Sidaba alias Mico alias Tony alias Charlie (30) s/o O Ibotombi of Oinam Mamang Leikai for the party had snapped a.....
CDSU endorses ATSUM’s proposed agitation
Lamka, May 25: The CDSU today said it fully endorsed the call made by ATSUM to for an intense and sustained agitation due to the uncooperative attitude, time and again shown by the State Government on the aspirations of the State tribal. Stating that A.....
Foundation stone laid
THOUBAL, May 25: The foundation for construction of Pine Mount Girls' College building was laid today at Chadonpokpi Phaipi village in Chandel district today. The foundation laying ceremony was graced by DC of Chandel, Th Chitaranjan Singh; Chairman of.....
Sunday Sentiments
By : Urmila Chanam
The hand that rocks the cradle
More and more IT parks are mushrooming in the city, more and more jobs have been created, salaries are getting thicker and people are choosing to go abroad for their holidays but 9 crore of our population are lonely, abused, uncared for, unattended, unloved, disrespected and unsure of their future. This is the grey world of the ‘grey’- India’s elderly population.
The hand that rocks the cradle now breathes her last in an old age home. The person who gave flight to your dreams isn’t a part of when you are living your dream - your youth and your success.
I care, so does Help Age India, India’s number one NGO with presence in 22 States in the country and is one of the founding members of HelpAge International, a high profile body having 51 member countries representing the cause of the elderly at the United Nations. It has received a special testimonial from the United Nations for ‘Dedicated service in support of the United Nations Programme on Ageing.”
If an organization like HelpAge India has grown to such a stature, this should not be a matter of pride for us because it’s not just the growth of an organization we see here but its our own core values which have fallen short reflecting the universal trend of the youth ‘not caring’ anymore. If an organization has tapped this area it means we didn’t do our part to be the pillars of strength to our ageing parents.
HelpAge India, when other NGOs have thought of just running old age homes, has gone ten steps ahead and thought of extending services to the elderly, the most remarkable being the Mobile Medicare Unit, a tempo traveller which caries medical help for the elderly from ‘below poverty line’ (BPL) families. 12 slums distributed across the length and breadth of the city of Bangalore is reached by this Mobile Medicare Unit where the elderly are kept aware of the timings and the days. In total 53 Mobile Medicare Units in 22 states reach the elderly everyday, the agenda is simple, and one, that is, to reach for those frail and weak hands that reach out for medical help.
A doctor with 40 years of experience, a Senior Executive (MMU), a pharmacist and a driver constitute this medical unit. The elderly are given registration cards which record their medical history along with an identity card. The doctor examines them, prescribes them medicines or furthers them for more advanced tests/treatment/check-ups in network hospitals if required. Medicines that are prescribed are then distributed by the pharmacist; he seems to have it all!! From antipyretic, analgesics, antihistamines, antibiotic, medicines for diabetes, hypertension, cardiac drugs, anti asthmatic drugs, vitamins and others are available here. These drugs are centrally procured by HelpAge India and their consumption is recorded daily by the pharmacist to ensure no medicines are misused.
The patients can take their HelpAge India registration card/identity card to the network hospitals and avail free treatments, X-ray, Scan, Ultrasound and other tests and even surgery except for the post surgery medicines which the patient has to bear on his/her own. For the very poor this comes as a valuable relief from absolute no medical support before such interventions. A single Mobile Medicare Unit impacts 600 patients and 2000 treatments a month in Bangalore. Besides these General Health Camps are also organized twice a month where this unit ventures into a different area altogether.
Ask Gayatree, the Senior Executive who is part of the team, if in the 14 years with HelpAge India it has ever occurred to her to look for another job, and she smiles and says ‘Never’! She tells me later that she is happy doing what she does and feels she has been rained with blessings since the day she joined. I guess it doesn’t take that much to make a difference but for a heart that feels and a mind that wants to.
The plight of the elderly is similar across the strata but the BPL elders’ situation is worse because their families are genuinely not able to support them.
HelpAge India has thought of everything possible in terms of care of the elderly. It runs Helplines for the lonely, Old Age Homes, Physiotherapy Centres besides being the leading advocate for older people’s rights. After 15 years of lobbying by HelpAge India, the National Policy on Older Persons was announced by the Government of India in 1998. An Action Plan for implementation of the Policy was also drafted and submitted to the government by HelpAge India. It runs 1253 Helplines across the country in cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Guwahati, Chandigarh, Pondicherry, Hyderabad, Shimla, Dehradun, Kolkatta, Lucknow and others to address problems of elders such as isolation, neglect, facilitate emergency responses, provide information on access to various elderly schemes and provides linkages with the government, police and referral rescue and relief services along with offering counselling services to help elderly in distress.
It’s not an ordinary day for me today. It’s been one of the most enriching days of my life, volunteering/documenting/interacting with HelpAge India and those it impacts everyday, perhaps because I love my mom and my dad. There are thousands out there who are abused by their sons because of their dependency on them, thousands who have no one to talk to due to preoccupation of the young in their work and personal lives, thousands who have been forcibly made to surrender their property against their will or before time and then there are those who have been made to live in old age homes while they still had their children.
I pray that my parents never have to need anyone but me the day they need help.
The writer works in an IT Consultancy in Bangalore as a HR Manager and she can be reached at urmila.chanam@gmail.com
Charu
What the modern society teaching us is that, you live alone and you die alone. Everything is personalize nowadays- TV, iPod mp3 player, personal computer. This helps us in the adaptation of confinement and segregate from the community and society. Our Man
Clay Khongsai
Urmila's aricle ought to touch a chord in all of us. The greed for comforts, status and high living standards have driven a lot of young and struggling people to go to the extend of feeling that their parents(old and aged) have become a burden or are stum
Gideon Lunkim
This article is really thought provoking. I cant imagine that the youth of today would turn to this exteme step of dumping their old and aged parents into some old aged homes just for the comfort of raising his own living standards. Woe to a man who treat
