KOCHI: In the early hours of Wednesday morning, a 30-member team set out for a picnic from Panampilly Nagar. It had all the ingredients of a picnic but the picnickers were all over 55 years old. The trip was organised by HelpAge India, an NGO, to take senior citizens out for a day of fun and frolic. “This trip is the first of its kind that we are organising. So we have restricted the number. The idea came up in a conference in Delhi. We usually organise conferences, awareness programmes and the like but this time we thought of doing something more entertaining,” said Dr Feby Mathew physiotherapist, HelpAge India.
Suja Roy, the ward councillor flagged off the bus. The picnickers enjoyed themselves by singing folk songs,’theyyakam, theyyamkam, ninne kaanan kunji pennae, injiperumjeerakam manjalukotambari, neetiaracholayy’ and the like. Kamalam, a retired school headmistress came equipped with folk songs and like a good headmistress made the whole crowd repeat after her. The male members had more radical themes. A P J Nair shared songs on social change and revolution. “It is the song of the Sasthra Sahithya Parishad on social revolution and the idea of knowledge for power”, he told later.
Before long, the bus was already in Mattanchery Dutch Palace. Many had visited the place several times, but that did not affect their enthusiasm levels. “This is different from other trips. We get to meet a lot of people. It is a refreshment for the mind and body,” said Krishnan Nair. Visit to the Jewish synagogue, Fort Kochi and a boat ride after lunch were the other programmes in their itinerary.
Members of three organisations St Teresa’s Mercy Home Kalamassery, Oasis Nedumbassery and Panampilly Nagar Senior Citizens Welfare Forum were present.