Expectations of senior citizens

After the implementation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nepal, the Senior Citizens Act, 2063 BS, became active within the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens. Article 41 of the Constitution, as a fundamental right, provides that senior citizens are entitled to special protection and social security from the state. The Senior Citizens Act, 2063 BS (First Amendment 2079 BS) has been implemented before the public.

This amendment is very effective and practical. In this context, there is a provision in Schedule 8, No. 16 of the Constitution within the sole jurisdiction of the local level. The Amendment Act has made provisions on what the rights of senior citizens will be and who has the duty to take care of them, how it will be done and who will be responsible in case of their maintenance and care (abuse) and how to manage them, etc. In addition, the Government of Nepal has been active in the field of resolution and management with various programs through public awareness campaigns such as National and International Senior Citizens Day on October 1, Alzheimer’s Day, the campaign against abuse/violence against senior citizens, treaties, agreements, and conventions. Among them, as per the decision of the Council of Ministers of Nepal on 10th Jestha 2078 BS, the Government of Nepal has been celebrating National Senior Citizens Day on 11th Poush every year with a meaningful slogan. This year’s slogan  is ‘The Basis of a Civilized Society: Senior Citizen-Friendly Home and Family’. 

Before the emergence of the family, society and state, people from a primitive state gave more importance to human values ​​and beliefs in civilized, moral, characterful and kind, religion, and deeds, but today in the 21st century, people’s ambitions have increased. Technology and mass media are changing and transforming public consciousness in an unimaginable way through social media. That is, science and technology have flourished for humans, but old age is a curse. Because today, those invaluable assets (senior citizens) are forced to be helpless in the later half of our energetic time, tomorrow, all of us who have contributed to our family, society and state. In the wake of science and technology, lack of good governance and the grip of migration, we are forced to separate from the new generation. Western countries and developed countries/governments have also succeeded in managing the elderly well, but this problem is emerging as a big challenge for the poor, disadvantaged and backward social sectors, governments and management. Therefore, let us try to find a solution/management of this problem from the root. The first step is public awareness. This is possible only through the basic mantra of Eastern civilization, culture, and rituals - Mother is God, Father is God, Guru is God, etc. That education - formal or informal, physical or spiritual, moral and guided - is given through whatever means, but the essence is to start from there with minimum human awareness or public awareness/initiation among the family members. Today’s parents are tomorrow’s elderly, today’s youth are tomorrow’s parents, and today’s children are tomorrow’s parents. The turn and destination of all are the same. There should be no confusion in this, there should be no turning a blind eye. 

Yesterday’s barter system, then the prevalence of metallic coins, today when business is inconvenient, paper notes were fine. That was not enough, today the conversion of money is digital currency (scan and pay) exactly mobile to mobile business business without having to see notes! Who is to blame that people have become mechanized? Isn’t this an invention of our needs? It didn’t happen by not educating our children, we ourselves created the compulsion to leave our homes (villages, places, countries) and migrate, didn’t we? In such a situation, let us now create an environment of a human-friendly society, where continuity of contact is maintained/lived between generations from grandparents to grandchildren, that is, let us succeed in moving forward with the vision of ‘where the basis of a civilized society: a senior citizen-friendly family’.

The situation of senior citizens

The problem of senior citizens is posing a big challenge. In Nepal, 10.2 percent of the population (about 3 million) are senior citizens. Young people are rapidly migrating abroad for employment, study and other reasons. On the other hand, temporary migration from villages to neighboring countries, India and China, and internal migration from villages to cities are also increasing. Due to lack of public awareness, senior citizens are also unaware of their rights and duties. The small assistance amount distributed for social security only after 2051 BS has increased from Rs. 100 to Rs. 4,000, senior citizens have become very aware. Our socio-cultural structure and tradition have made a lot of use of this allowance, but there are complaints that it is misused by the person responsible for taking care of senior citizens within the family. This fact has been found in a study report that most senior citizens are misused by their own children, daughters-in-law (relatives). Nepal is no exception in this. They do not want to file complaints against this in the ward and judicial committees of the concerned bodies. There is also a tendency to hide/endure the pain rather than seek judicial redress. Similarly, public representatives are not very interested in getting involved in such domestic disputes, as their vote share will decrease and they will become unpopular. Therefore, the Government of Nepal has been implementing various national and international practices and programs to solve and address these problems. 

Future policies and programs

It is necessary for the entire state machinery to be active towards the success of the goals, objectives and activities of programs like the ‘National Senior Citizens Day’, which effectively implement the provisions of the amendment and spread public awareness within the family, community and society in a way that prevents problems from arising, and to provide a comprehensive explanation of our invaluable social values ​​and norms and create a sense of social harmony, intergenerational skills, experience and moral education. The role of the local government and the judicial committee and ward committee within it is very important to be active in this work. The problems and issues of senior citizens should be resolved at the ward level, and at most, they should not be pushed to the judiciary rather than the judicial committee or municipality. In good governance, there is rule of law, there is no impunity within the rule of law, culture and  system work.

With the rapid development of global encroachment, science and information technology, the great challenge to the fundamental values ​​and beliefs of humans is that today’s youth power should start by creating not only the legal infrastructure, but also the social, moral and psychological infrastructure to create a senior citizen-friendly environment within the family and outside (community) for tomorrow’s assured, happy and secure future. After the establishment of pluralism and multi-party governance in Nepal, many organizations have been opened. In this, many organizations, ashrams, service centers and charitable organizations have emerged nationwide in the field of senior citizens, but there are many shortcomings and shortcomings in the practice of working with a sense of sacred service within them. There, the local level jurisdiction where the concerned bodies meet at the doorstep is paramount. Therefore, it is very necessary to have in-depth interaction, dialogue, regulation and coordination between the local government and NGOs working in the field of senior citizens. The concerned bodies at the federal, provincial and municipal levels need to prepare many infrastructures (policies, plans, programs) at the policy level, and the effectiveness of effective monitoring, regulation and control in the field of implementation has also been felt to be weak. A lot of work needs to be done on the issues of senior citizens’ complaints, services and facilities provided by the state such as transportation, health, and social security. Finally, another problem with senior citizens is that senior citizens are unable to adapt to the times and circumstances, global temperature change, and science and technology. Therefore, let us build a senior citizen-friendly society in time with the youth power and be aware of the laws and regulations promulgated by the state and the good practices established by our ancestors, and build a senior citizen-friendly governance system and a senior citizen-friendly family to make intergenerational transformation meaningful. 

Source- Gorkhapatra Online