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Memories of another day

Paasa Vizha was an opportunity for grandparents and grandchildren to bond, writes K. JESHI

PHOTOS: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

A GRAND REUNION Age no bar

It was a date with happiness. Dressed in their best, grandparents from old age homes came together to share the smiles on the faces of grandchildren. The event was appropriately named Paasa Vizha where the old and the young got together to have some fun.

Organised by the Madurai based Indiram Educational and Social Welfare Trust and the NSS cell of Avinashilingam Deemed University, it brought the smiles back on the wrinkled faces.

Their hair has turned grey, the skin has shrivelled and their joints ache, but everything was worth the time spent with the grandchildren. It made up for all the aches and pains.

Grandparents are the repositories of tradition and history; so it was but natural that they spoke of fascinating times gone by and the young NSS volunteers listened, rapt and wide-eyed.

The exercise kept the older people in high spirits and prevented them from slipping into morose mood. Grandparents staying with their children and grandchildren also joined the fun. They sang and danced to popular numbers and even performed on musical instruments. Be it playing a flute or a kanjira, they were at their best. For C. Rayappan and his wife Chinnathayi, it was a happy occasion to mingle with people of their age group. This moment has given us a reason to live for another 50 years, they say.

Their granddaughter R.Ambika, a second year fashion-designing student, to her delight discovered the dancer in her grandma at Paasa Vizha. " She just rocked in the group dance," she exclaims.

Padma, a trained classical singer, says that the event gave her immense joy. " I have been teaching music for 30 years in Bangalore and the main reason I decided to spend my life in an old age home is for the company because grandchildren are busy with academics and children are tied up with their professional pursuits. Here, I teach bhajans and people have the time to learn."

The idea to hold such an event was "to create awareness among the youth to take care of the old," says K. Ram Prabhu, secretary of Indiram. He adds that in Coimbatore alone the number of old age homes have increased from four to 60 in the last four years. "With nuclear families becoming the norm, grandparents are abandoned at homes. According to a rough estimate the number of abandoned elders in Tamil Nadu has crossed 3,000," he says.

All they need is a kind word, love and care. The get-together is like an oasis, says Ambika and her sister Karunamabika, who stay in an old age home in NGGO colony. It's a divine blessing that we got an opportunity to see so many grandchildren here. We don't feel like going back, they add. Youngsters living in joint-families say that they find their grand parents good company.

Role models

Listen to what P. Janani, a second year apparel-designing student, has to say: " They know our strengths and weaknesses better. My grandparents inspire me. They have started from scratch and have reached great levels in their life. I want to emulate them."

Another student L. Sofia Nancy says that showing them that you care means a lot to them and they don't expect anything else. For Archana Priyadarshini, grandparents are the bridge between parents and children.

"Grandparents are open-minded and give us a frank opinion unlike our parents," she adds.

They say that though migrating to different places is inevitable as one climbs up the ladder in pursuit of suitable jobs, there are a number of ways to bridge the gap with grandparents. Letters, gifts and that wonder of modern technology, email, will help, they add.

Ram Prabhu says that young people should bring cheer to the old.

"They can also invite them for their family functions, birthdays and anniversaries to make them feel at home. To provide financial security, the homes should encourage them to form SHGs that will keep them busy with some activity," he adds.

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