JOIN USThere was this article comparing Bengaluru with Chennai and finding the former friendlier to senior citizens. Despite the tenor of the article, I cannot help sympathising with the older generation as proved by the lift accident of an octogenarian in a Bengaluru hospital – he was crushed to death as he stepped into the pit as the lift door opened.
My empathy is neither because of my own aged parents nor because I am halfway there but that most cities in our country are so short-sighted that they have grown without giving adequate thought to the ‘elderly.’ There are about 81 million older people in India, but our infrastructure is far below par with the other developed nations.
The excuse that we call pavements are most unsuitable for walking. If not used by motorcyclists they are in such a sorry state that the more sure-footed, leave alone the old, can fall at any point of time because of the unevenness of the pavements. We like to called the ‘young nation’ and forget that we cannot wish away old age.
After my recent foreign sojourn, this lacuna in our system is even more pronounced. Unlike us, they give preference to the old, infirm and the pedestrians.
Pedestrians are given the right of way and to give them credit, they too wait and cross only at the zebra crossing and don’t seem to have this death wish like the pedestrians out here. The usual excuse of over-population is unacceptable for it just can’t encompass apathy.
The foot bridge across busy roads of Bengaluru have only steep steps and most of them have no elevator facility. The climb leaves even the young winded leave alone be of help to the elderly. No wonder, people continue to scoot across roads.
Most cities have grown to such an extent that people who had constructed their houses in the suburbs a few years ago, are now forced to directly step on to the road to face the whizzing traffic that even their grocery purchase turns out to be an adventure of sorts.
Parks are inadequate to cater to the growing needs. There are very few layouts that are well-planned.
Mall culture in most cities has overpowered any other form of entertainment and they mainly cater to the young. Right from the location of the lift to the inadequate seating space for the number of footfalls, leaves much to be desired.
At movie halls
Some days ago, I witnessed a very old man who had come to see a movie at an upscale theatre.
His struggle to and from his seat made me wonder, why the theatre management have some seats in the front row or the aisle seats demarcated for the old? Would not having some comfortable seats in the food court or having some designated areas reserved for the old and infirm improve their business?
My friend tells me that she went to an orthopaedic clinic and the steps to the same were steep.
Patients and elderly surely need more help. The unwarranted death of the old man in the lift, that too in a hospital, further exemplifies the need for better planning. In the land of unemployment, was it too much to have a lift attendant in place?
There is this library chain, though reviving this wonderful habit of reading, are primarily housed on the first floor with no lift facility.
Public transport, like the buses and trains, has extremely unfriendly approach for the old or the differently-abled. Neither are there ramps to help them board, nor are the steps broader and lower.
It is agonising to see the elderly board the bus leave alone getting seats to be seated. A recent photo depicting a differently-abled trying to climb the steep steps of a government office left me wonderstruck. It is an accident waiting to happen with no lift, ramps or no easy access to scores of buildings.
And then, there are the multitudes of people. Jostling, pushing, prodding and simply not waiting …these are some of the woes people face and it is really high time for the administration to take steps so that our elderly gets a chance to live the remainder of their lives with dignity and some amount of outing options.
(The writer is a faculty at the Manipal Academy of Banking)