Rights of the Elderly underlined and discussed

VISHNU NEOPANEY

A sensitization programme on “Rights of Elderly vis-à-vis Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007” was organized by the Legal Aid Clinic, Department of Law, Sikkim University in collaboration with Sikkim State Legal Services Authority here in Gangtok on 05 September.
Justice SP Wangdi, Executive Chairperson of the Sikkim State Legal Services Authority, addressed the programme and stressed on the need to “re-introspect” the approaches to provide and ensure justice for the elderly people, increasing numbers of whom are being neglected nowadays.
He urged the younger generation to not only not neglect the elderly but also provide them justice when they are being denied. While detailing the salient features of the Rights, Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007, Justice Wangdi commented that still large numbers of the elderly were not receiving their rights as provided under the Act.
Justice Wangdi also urged the senior citizens to come forward to provide assistance to the elderly in need and help sensitize people, who because of their limited education of remoteness, remain ill-informed about their rights. He also highlighted various initiatives taken up the Sikkim State Legal Services Authority and how it has been able to reach the interiors through ASHA workers and Para-Legal Volunteers who are trained by the Authority from time to time on such matters.
The programme was also addressed by the Justice [retd.] Anand Prakash Subba who highlighted various incidents and episodes which led to the enactment of the law in question to protect the legal rights of elderly people.
The programme was also addressed by the Vice Chancellor of Sikkim University, Prof. Tanka B. Subba, who delved on the various advantages and disadvantages of modern society, nuclear family and changing attitudes and also highlighted the importance of Legal Aids Clinic as service centres for the marginalised and the underprivileged.
The sensitization programme was also attended by members of the Senior Citizens Forum and representatives from the Ranipool Old Age Home.