GUWAHATI, April 17 � Help Aid, a city-based NGO working for the poor and vulnerable sections of society, has launched a toll-free helpline number � 8822412345 � titled �Help Aid Helpline� for the abused elderly of Guwahati.
�If any elderly of Guwahati city suffers from physical and mental torture in their family, he or she can make a complaint in this number. Help Aid volunteers will approach the victim and try to convince their family members through counselling not to abuse the elderly of the family. If the family members again do the same thing and if the elderly again complains against their family members for physical or mental harassment, then Help Aid will provide free legal service to the elderly victim,� Manab Kakati, president of Help Aid, said in a statement.
The Help Aid helpline number was formally launched on Sunday by Kakati, who in his inaugural speech, made an appeal to those who were subjected to mental and physical suffering by their families to avail Help Aid helpline service.
�Unfortunately, a trend has evolved in the State which shows a disturbing trend of elderly people being harassed by their sons, daughters-in-law and grandsons in their family. Help Aid is committed to resolving such ill-treatment faced by the elderly in their family,� Kakati added.
Help Aid is engaged in multiple activities through its different wings. Recently, it rescued three elderly abandoned mothers from Nalbari, Bongaigaon and Jorhat.
�All of them were thrown out by their sons, grandsons, and daughters. Help Aid has adopted all of them and provided them shelter in its old- age home at Chandrapur,� Kakati said.
Help Aid also rescued a mentally-retarded 32-year-old woman � Sabita Boro � who resided in a dingy hut at Belguri village of Digaru area under Sonapur police station of Kamrup (Metro) district.
