Safety of senior citizens especially women needs top priority

By Urmila Kumar
As a 76 year old retired school principal and a widower, I live in constant fear and mayhem every day every hour. Ever since my husband passed away in 2015, life has been tumultuous and posing challenges constantly. The fact that I have been receiving phone calls on my mobile from unknown numbers enquiring about my whereabouts, coupled with the odd hour ringing of my house door bell give rationality to my fears.

While the beat constable from the area police station is sometimes seen patrolling the area, the need of the hour is for the local police to not only intensify the patrolling, but to regularly visit the houses of all the senior citizens especially women. This initiative will play a significant role in instilling confidence and a sense of security among the senior citizens staying alone.

Taking a leaf out of the ageless adage, “Prevention is better than cure”, it should be made mandatory for the police to visit the houses of the senior citizens regularly to keep a stock of all their grievances, fears and insecurities. Preventive measures and robust policing possess enormous potential of mitigating the incidences of crime against senior citizens. Rather than shedding tears later, citizens and the police need to work in tandem both at the micro and the macro level to ensure the well being and peace of mind of the senior citizens managing life all by themselves.

It actually makes no sense to cry over spilt milk since it takes just ‘timely preventive measures’ to ensure the well being of senior citizens like me. Regular interactions and visits will help local police to remain updated about the senior citizens well being, besides instilling an element of fear among the criminals.

On a more significant note, regular visits by local cops to the houses of senior citizens will help them assess better if the security threat to elderly people is more from outside criminals, or from their own kith and kin due to greed of property and money. It is alarming and appalling that there has been a marked rise in the number of incidents where senior citizens have been battered to death by their own relations due to greed of property or money.

In the light of this fact, it becomes imperative on the part of both the local police and the senior citizens to be sharing a regular rapport so as to initiate relevant preventive measures.
It is sad when for extraneous reasons, some senior citizens remain inept in conveying their fears to their well wishers and to the local cops of their area. The matter is brought to light only when the damage is done, and the senior citizen has met a tragic end. As an educationist who has dedicated four decades to the field of education, I would advise all the senior citizens staying alone to request their local area cops to visit them on a regular basis so as to help them lead a peaceful, safe and sound life. The city police are duty bound to protect and safeguard the well being of all the senior citizens of their area, and it must be understood by one and all, that ensuring the safety of elderly people forms a vital component of their roles and responsibilities.

Senior citizens groups should become more proactive, and the government authorities on their part, should assiduously strive to empower them holistically. I conclude by stating that the three key stakeholders namely the police, the government and the ‘Gen Next’ all have a critical role to play in guaranteeing a safe and peaceful tomorrow for the senior citizens and super senior citizens of our country.