Kerala   

Hope is the buzzword here

Prateeksha is not just one of the senior citizens’ forums that meet regularly to chat and exchange news of the neighbourhood or demand some facility or the other. Based in Udayamperoor in Ernakulam district, Prateeksha has decided to mobilise the energy and resources of their members in areas of health, education and environment protection.

They began with a book reading and discussion session. There would be sessions on music and health too, said E.X. Joseph, president of Prateeksha. The organisation wants its members spend time fruitfully, he said. “Most of us have got our children educated and settled. Now we have lot of free time. The idea is not to feel bored.”

Senior citizens, he said, constituted a sizeable section of society and possessed rich experience and professional expertise in various fields. As longevity has increased considerably due to the advances in medical science and rise of income, senior citizens have generally 20 to 40 years of productive years ahead after retirement.

Mr. Joseph said that this could be turned into the best period of their life by developing their mental powers and exploring areas of intellectual and spiritual development.

“We encourage the elderly here to hand over responsibilities to children and not to hang on to being the power centre of the family,” Mr. Joseph said. This would lessen a lot of family tensions, he added.

Prateeksha has already initiated a campaign against diabetes and now plans to take up problems such as alcoholism and drug addiction. “We will soon start a project called Pakal Veedu, where food will also be provided for senior citizens. We have requested the Udayamperoor grama panchayat to provide some land for the same,” Mr. Joseph said.

The Kerala Federation of the Associations of Senior Citizens, with has 70-odd organisations as members, will convene a meeting soon to draw up plans for working towards a creative role in the society, Mr. Joseph said.

Shyama Rajagopal

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Household budget goes haywire
A tryst with cartoons
Peoplespeak
Goat’s own country
RBI holiday on July 2
All alone
Beautification drive on Wayanad Ghat Road
School notes
Pleasure of eating out
Hope is the buzzword here
Cinema
Right frame
CInema
cinema
Traders’ strike total in Malappuram
Against monopoly trade
7,000 Indians get Kuwait amnesty

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu