The affluent senior citizens in India are facing a dilemma. On the one hand they have earned a sum to spend their retired life peacefully and on the other hand the sum can’t buy the peace. Put simply, in most of the affluent senior citizens, the children are busy doing their career and hence are globetrotters and the parents are forced to stay all alone. Naturally they have to rely on the domestic servants and some of them are mercilessly slaughtered by these domestic helps.
The growing rate of murders of the senior citizens by the domestic helps in all major metros is an alarm for not only the patrons of law and order but also for those who care for the new trends in the social lives of Indians. Couple of decades ago, we saw the introduction of nuclear families even in the villages of India. The fruits of which are now, being seen. Those who opted for the nuclear families in the sixties are now sitting on the benches for senior citizens. These folks are facing the problems as there is no institutional way to look at in the times of need.
Some tried to bring in the senior citizens' clubs to help. But no avail. One old man can understand the problems of another better than anyone else. But how can he help the other old man at midnight. This million dollar question is forcing some of old friends towards death. The police have opted for verification of the servants. But this has less to offer a long term solution to this issue. There are many who managed to kill their 'bosses' despite verification from local police. Also a verified servant is no guarantee that he will behave. There is a need to find out the solution at the level of society. There is a need to identify people who will offer their services at local level. Most of the murders are done by the non-locals who leave less to track them.
If the unemployed local youth and especially women are organized in a social forum which can render their services to such ailing senior citizens, the old age murders will surely go down. There is a need to make people aware as to how they should live 'alone' in the world. At the same time, there is a need for the senior citizens, to take precautionary steps. They must listen to instructions by police such as availing bank locker facilities, servant’s verification and forming local senior citizens' groups to even stay with each other in times of need. Availing electronic security products can also be a solution in some cases.
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