Old Age / Senior Citizen Homes in India - Going the western way....

One day, on way to office, i was exploring a short cut so as to avoid the traffic jams so prevalanent in delhi. I have been advised by some of my friends to follow one particular route. It was via one of new planned sub-cities in India's capital. When i entered the that route. There was a big hoarding welcoming to this sub-city. I was happy that i will be reaching office in planned time. After just passing through the main road, as i took first turn, there was a big Hoarding "SENIOR CITIZENS HOME" developed by DDA. Yes, it initiated some thoughts in my mind. They started some internal flurry of thoughts but subsided as i passed by. After passing about 2 kms, the most best planned sub-cities of delhi, where roads are wider, driving was easier and enjoyable, there was again a hoarding "WAY to a planned Old Age Home". This really gives an indication we are really progressing well and we are at par with west at least in this area, even though we are way behind them in technological pursuits. This is when we are celebrating the success of chandrayaan which NASA achieved in 50s-early 60s. This is what is the aftermath of the globalization. Till this globalization is in business arena it is ok and this is important to compete in the global economy, but now this globalization is even entering in our relationships and further seeped into our relationships at home. Further it has entered into the most pious and highest regarded relationship at home, the parental relationship. This is the relationship which even westerners are envy of. This is not a philosophical statement but i have a personal experience where two westerners, with whom i interacted and one where my younger brother interacted experience is same. They are really envy of this. They really look towards us for family values. They think that we indians are lucky that we have strong family values. Even when west is trying to get out of this we have started following them.

So, where are we now. Are these OLD AGE HOMES really going well with our indian society, the very foundation of our culture. This really requires a deep introspection.

This is just a tip of the iceberg. The real problem getting prevalent and getting wide acceptability is that we can not live with our parents because of generation gap with our parents. I believe by saying so whom we are trying to befool. We are fooling our selves. Reason is that because of materialism / cut throat compettion we are losing our tolerance. The materialism is coming in the way of our relationships.
I have never heard of generation gap being coming into picture when you are 5 years old when this old generation person gets you whatever you want, even when it requires taking money from his PPF account. At that time you only said " My Dad is great. He is the greatest father/mother on this earth". You never said he is old generation person when he did put you up in the best school despite his limited resources. He got you what you wanted, despite cutting his expenses. When you were having examination in hall with fans on. He was standing in scorching heat of June with ice cubes filled in Jug so that when you come back from examination you are treated with cold water. He still managed with hot water because he thought the opening the jug will result into water getting hot. Was the generation gap there. When you did not do well in the examination, he always encouraged you despite the fact he was most upset with that. When you got selected, you thought you were most happy. You were wrong. He was the one who was most happy. He always provided you the best technological gadgets and coaching centres when you got confused. You donot know how many consultantions he might have made with different people so that his ignorance of the technology may not jeopardise your ambition. Where was the generation gap. Then you entered into professional world. You got your first salary. You celebrated with your friends. You felt happy. But the most happy was the persons with generation gaps. He advised without your asking how to plan your finances in terms of tax saving and long term savings. You only said Oh My Dad is such a good financial planner. You only said. Where was the generation gap. So, why there is generation gap now.

I would say this is not generation gap this Tolerance Gap. Do you remember when you broke the window when your ball hit the window pane. You were scolded for some time but next time when you started playing you were just told that be careful. Were you denied of any love affection which was there before the breaking of window pane. Your affection treasure was same. No depletion happens.

This generation gap is actually the tolerance gap. What is the root cause of this tolerance ? BLINDLY FOLLOWING THE WESTERN GLOBILISATION and OPEN CULTURE.

I am reminded about a lecture which i read somewhere, probably about some deekshant-samaroh (convocation) of a gurukal (Schools practicing the traditional system of vedic education). There the Guru was addressing his disciples at the end of there education sending the disciples back to work for the society. There he says that you have been with me for all those years. You have found good things here and some not so good things in me and people and surroundings here. You take all good things from here and leave the not good things here. So, i am not against adopting any new things from others cultures. But we have to put our conscious (Vivek) into work, so what to change and what not to change in our selves.

When we are making millenium city, the architectural ideas can be taken from west. But we should not take the architecture of old age home.

If we go further into why in west this Old Age home concept came. As far as my understanding goes, the reason behind this is that the parental care ends there at 18 years. And they are all alone. That is very logical the relationship has ended/snapped here by the parents themselves or on mutual terms and then they (parents) are mentally prepared and logical also that in old age there is no expectancy of child support at the fag end of their journey. So probably it may sound ok in view of this scnerio.

BUT, no we look into indian society, what is age of parental care provided by parents in indian society. I belive till they die or even after that if somebody believes in India Mythology or values.

So, with people with logical thinking do we still need to follow western culture of keeping parents away.

Why we should snap the ties when we have this parental care is continued and nourished moment by moment, day by day and month by month. and year by year.

We need a serious CHINTAN on this...We need act fast till it too late..

We are living in a world where everything is weighed on logic and material viability. I believe we weighing every relationship based on the material value. So every relationship we enter into we always think, what is in there for me. It all started which we learnt from western world. We planned thinking in materialistically. What is in there for me ? What is business viability. What we gain materially from the relationship. If we look at our history, East India company started the business, they build relatiolnship with local rulers in Bengal. They gave exhorbitant gifts, bowed their heads in front of them. But when they got hold of India, we all know what they did to those rulers/jamindawars.
This is just a background which i want to give so thatc the we can connect the point which i want to emphasize in the coming portion of this blog.

British raj, when it was spreading its tentacles in India. British govt setup a commitee to study and propose what should be done in india so that british rule is spread in india and to what are the basic things which should be inculcated so that they are considered the best to rule.
We have learnt in history that they followed the policy of "Divide and Rule". But in the hindsight the policy "Soch ko Maro Aur Raaj Karo". Meaning that make them feel / think that there thinking process / education process / culture is inferior. And English culture/education is better. Because if you can kill the thought and put your thought. Your battle is won without war.

Macallay, who visited India found our system of education was well planned and was enhanced and was much better than the one followed by britishers. So he concluded that indians can't be ruled. So, he thought that the best way to rule them is to inculcate the thought that their culture/education/society is inferior and theirs in superior. He suggested the same in his report to British governement..


(...... TO BE CONTINUED....)