Its a paradise for elders in the State

Aizawl, Dec 10: Not every elder is forsaken. For Mizos, looking after their ailing parents and in-laws was never a matter of choice.

Mizoram is a place where not even a single senior citizen is neglected. A number of factors have led to this justifiably proud feature of the Mizo society. Some would point out that it was because of the religious beliefs of people while others would underline that it was due to the strong community spirit, bonds of kinship that kept cruelity against senior citizen at bay.

''The close family set ups we have since the days of our forefathers is a major reason why we don't have elders loitering in the old-age home,'' said K Malsawma, President of Mizoram Upa Pawl, the state's apex elders' association told UNI.

''Since there are no displaced elders around and ultimately it is understood that there is no single old-age home in the state'', he added.

''In a Mizo family, the youngest son is supposed to look after the parents and now the younger generations undoubtedly are keeping up this culture alive,'' he underlined.

Mr Malsawma, who is also a retired civil service person, said ''Our association is taking care of a number of unmarried men and women without close family ties. However, we are also planning to open up one elders' home through financial assisance from the Centre.'' The Mizoram Upa Pawl has 511 units, across the states, in each villages, with more than 60,000 members. The association has been helping the poorer section of elders throughout through out the region for the past four decades.

Darhmingthangi, Senior Vice President of state's apex women NGO, the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP) added that she firmly believes that the elders represent life, history, experience and the importance of past in the present. If they do not get the deserving respect and recognition, they feel hurt.

A 75-year old self-employed Lalninpui, who does not have any family members, everyday sells vegetables at the door steps, with the help of MUP, asked ''God has given me good health to work, nice friends to help around and why should feel that I am isolated from the society''.

''Even though I don't have any children, I am very much part of the society'', she added.

For 24-year Zoramthangai, a government employee, looking after her ailing parents and in-laws was never a matter of option. ''They looked after us'', she admonishes.''We were young and needed them.

So we will jolly-well look after them in return. They are part of our lives''.

''Old age doesn't mean gray hair, stiff joints and slurred speech. We can learn a lot from the wisdom they have culled from their own successes and failures. Growing old is an inevitable physical and mental transition that doesn't have to be painful or debilitating. We need to accommodate the needs of elders without their asking and we can't do that until we understand what aging is all about,'' a young writer, Mona Zote, who is also looking after her parents, said.

Not only the NGOs, but also the Mizoram government have already taken various measures to help the senior citizens across the region.

The various helping schemes, include free medical treatment, taking group of elders from each village for a regular trip to various places and helping the elder self-help groups' for business.

UNI