It is a home for elderly people

Senior citizens can enjoy club life sans wining and dining

More than a decade back, he lost his wife battling cancer. Two of his daughters, both married and settled abroad, made the 75-year-old retired All India Radio (AIR)manager Ashok Kumar Srivastava quite forlorn till one of his daughters suggested that he should lead the rest of his life in a lively way. His peers from the AIR and Doordarshan too echoed Srivastava’s daughter’s sage advice.

“It was then that the idea to set up a home for senior citizens cropped up in my mind,” said the septuagenarian, who worked with the national broadcaster for nearly three decades.

“When one of my daughters was in India, she used to live in Hyderabad. Once when I had been to her place, I made it a point to survey the old age homes in Hyderabad. The idea was to know what amount of effort would it take to set up such an establishment and whether it would work in a place like Patna,” Srivastava said while talking to Deccan Herald.

“When my daughter left India, I felt quite lonely. For a while, there was a sense of insecurity too. Actually, you need someone with whom you can share your thoughts, you can enjoy certain moments and in the autumn period of your life, you would like to lead your life in a peaceful manner,” said Srivastava, who worked in Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Nagaland,Delhi, besides Patna. It was then that one day he met Deenananth, a sound engineer and who earlier worked with the national broadcaster. Deenanath was also leading a lonely life after the death of his wife, and had a strained relationship with his son and daughter-in-law. Both Srivastava and Deenanath had a common interest -- theatre.

“I still do theatre. During one of our meetings with other theatre artistes, I broached the idea of setting up a home for elderly persons. The idea was appreciated by all and Deenanath became a partner in the noble cause. Fund was a major concern. We, along with three others-- Sanjay Kumar, Veena Gupta and Rakesh Kumar Gandhi-- pooled in our resources to set up a common coffer. Thereafter an NGO - Mayur Foundation - too stepped in to offer the much-needed support,” Srivastava added.  But why a separate home for senior citizens when you can have scores of them in apartments today who jog in the morning, walk in the evening and talk animatedly in the nearby parks?

“True. But our idea was that of a group living. In apartments, you share the facilities as well as the disadvantages. But we wanted a separate home for senior citizens who can’t afford to lead an expensive club life, but would still like to socialise, without wining and dining. There are persons who want to adopt a group living but don’t know where to go,” Deenanath argued.

So eventually, the select group of senior citizens took a residential complex in posh Pataliputra Colony on rent where anybody who feels lonely and wants to lead an independent life can become its member and stay.

“This is also basically a family – a large extended family - where you have different sets of people from different background. All you have to do is to pay Rs 15,000 per month and become its member. This monthly fee will include your food and stay within the premises called Ashraya, which has five rooms.

We have a separate staff for cooking and house-keeping,” Srivastava, the founder member of Ashraya said.  Those residing there will have proper medicare.

Though Ashraya is a home for senior citizens, the founders have made an open offer to youth, too, as they think the young generation, which has migrated from small towns to Patna for higher studies, at times, need proper counselling and guidance.

“The idea is to interact with younger generation too. Listen to them, share with them our thoughts and based on our experience give them sane suggestion if required,” said Srivastava. “It’s a two-way traffic. We ,senior citizens get the company of younger lot and they get our advice and blessings,” he said. To buttress his point, he cited the recently held Kavi-sammelan, which saw both young and old enjoying the cultural fest.

“Ashraya is different and unique in the sense that it is ready to welcome elders as well as youths,” argued another founder member Sanjay Kumar. Apart from this, Ashraya has made arrangements for library and indoor games like carrom and chess. “And those who love gardening are free to pursue their hobby and other creative activities here too,” Sanjay summed up. But he had one request: “Please don’t call it an old age home.”