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World Elder Abuse Awareness Day observed

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 14 - World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was observed today here under the auspices of HelpAge India. The public meeting held on the occasion at the Bishnu Nirmala Bhawan was presided over by Jagat Chandra Bora, a retired bureaucrat.

Nilendra Taniya, chief of the north-eastern branch of HelpAge India welcomed the guests and explained the significance of the day.

Addressing the function as the chief guest, senior journalist DN Chakravartty said that 40 per cent of the 110 million elderly citizens of the country are either widows or widowers, a large majority of whom are exposed to neglect, ill-treatment and harrowing torture by their sons or daughters or daughters-in-law.

He referred to the declaration made by the United Nations and also policies framed by the Government of India, safeguarding the rights of elderly citizens in general and security of life and honour of large sections of elderly people who are financially insecure and are perpetually exposed to the tyranny of relatives.

Subhabrata Sarma, chairman, State Council for Welfare of Elder Citizens, mentioned the State policy for elderly citizens declared recently.

Yugabrata Dutta, well-known writer and working president of the Ambikagiri Memorial Old Age Home, group captain (retd) Atul Barua, who also runs an old-age home Seneh at Kahilipara to help women on the streets, and Kabin Goswami, Deputy Director, State social welfare department, while participating in the programme, stressed the need for creating strong public opinion regarding the rights of the physically frail and financially weak elderly citizens of the State and the country.

Jagat Bora stressed the need for creating public awareness in order to provide security to elderly citizens from being ill-treated by their near and dear ones.

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