…but one should look like a Senior Citizen
…but one should look like a Senior Citizen
Normally the senior citizen is declared when he retires from services on attaining the age of superannuation of 58 years or 60 years or on pension as the case may be. However, other criteria are that he should physically look old to be called a senior citizen. But one must be proud of grey even if he is easily taking out his dentures when he will really look old.
It is also said that the old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings and is thus the end of the human life cycle. It is also not a definite biological stage as the chronological age denoted as old age varies culturally and historically.
Senior must be given due respect in our society by virtue of old age and experience in life. In fact, this is the age when a senior can give something back to the society.
During my visit to the States, I have observed that there is too much social security for senior citizens at every step and one don’t feel in secured as in our own country. Even with the nuclear society system, senior is looking for their entry into old age homes where they can share anything freely with other seniors which used to be a part of a joint family system.
Frankly speaking, I recollect an incident when the Senior Citizen Forum was formed in our city over a monthly meeting or on some special occasion to celebrate the occasions like Independence Day, Diwali or on annual family get together.
One of our senior member complained that seniors are not given due respect whenever happen to visit the government offices and we must meet the Deputy Commissioner to pass on the instructions to all the heads of departments to circulate among the staff to give priority to the senior citizens whosoever he may be as they are the respectable persons of the society which has still high expectations from them to have words of advice from time to time.
It happened so that an appointment was taken and at the fixed time five senior members of the Forum including me reached the retiring room of the DC office. Since the DC was busy in some important official meeting with his seniors who had come from headquarters, we waited in the retiring room, where water was offered to us on coming to know our reaching at the given time when a visitor’s slip was sent.
A very senior politician of his time was also waiting with us there, who too had an appointment with the Deputy Commissioner and was known to all. On seeing all of us, he casually asked the purpose of our visit. I simply told him that we as senior citizens are not given due place at certain places and we have come to request to the district administration for the issuance of a circular to this effect.
To this, he said in a very light mood addressing to me, Harish Ji, you all must look senior citizen first as all of your senior friends with you are looking young. I could not understand as to what he means, but when repeated and touched his head saying, you all must look senior citizens. Then I could very easily guess that my entire senior colleague had dyed their hair and looking young except me.
Frankly speaking, there was the huge sound of a natural laugh in the retiring room but internally, except me, all were feeling embarrassed over the purpose for which we had come. Even one of them too in a lighter mood said, at least we should postpone the meeting today and let it be on some other day when we will really look senior citizen.
