Chandigarh: Amid challenges of sunset years, senior citizens hope for a safer society

Senior citizens in Chandigarh said cyber literacy is important and authorities can also contribute by holding talks for the elderly on staying secure online

Even as World Senior Citizen’s Day was celebrated on August 21, elderly people in Chandigarh feel that society as a whole and their families must make them feel more secure as cases of crime against seniors have been constantly rising.

The Senior Citizen Welfare Association of Modern Housing Complex in Chandigarh holds regular get-togethers for its elderly for their social well-being. (Sant Arora/HT)

“Seniors who live alone are the softest targets for criminals. When they get calls from scammers, they tend to have longer conversations and fall prey to their schemes,” said RK Garg, president of the Second Innings Association.

“Police were very helpful for seniors during the pandemic. But, officers need to be further sensitised on how to deal with seniors, as many of them still don’t like going to police to register complaints. Video calling should be explored as an option by the authorities to interact with seniors who are too sick for routine visits to the police, or to get their work done at the administration and municipal corporation (MC) offices,” he added.

Garg said cyber literacy for seniors was important and authorities can also contribute by holding talks for senior citizens on staying secure online.

“Our association makes it a point to hold monthly functions for seniors to celebrate their birthdays. We organise musical events and also other functions. It is important to look after the mental health of seniors who live alone,” he said.

There are also many incidents in which seniors can get into disputes with their children over issues like property.

President of the Chandigarh Senior Citizen Association (CSCA) Satnam Singh Randhawa said that they have dealt with around three such cases in the last four months. “We try to counsel seniors and their children who approach us over property disputes. Many times, we manage to resolve the matter and if we can’t, the case is referred to the UT administration,” he said.

While the police have revamped the beat system, seniors insist that it can be improved and police must visit those who live alone at least once a month.