BHUBANESWAR: The Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) department’s decision to observe the International Day of Older Persons on October 10 instead of October 1 - the date designated by the UN for the purpose - has not gone down well with members of the State Council for Senior Citizens.
In a letter to the principal secretary of the department, council member Atis Kumar Mohanty pointed out that rescheduling the event deviated from the globally recognised UN date.
“Odisha or any other state in India does not have the unilateral right or monopoly to observe any day other than October 1 as International Elders Day (officially called International Day of Older Persons),” he wrote.
Mohanty further suggested that the Odisha government avoid associating state-level events directly with the UN-declared International Day of Older Persons if they are not aligned with the official date.
He, however, said the states can certainly organise dedicated events on alternative dates to recognise and support senior citizens at the state level. Accordingly, Mohanty proposed that the name of the event be changed to something like ‘Pranam Baristha - State Elders Day Celebrations’ or other suitable title that reflects Odisha’s cultural ethos and focuses on local priorities, without conflating it with the international observance.
This approach would allow the department to host meaningful activities such as yoga sessions, health check-ups, meetings and cultural programmes while maintaining accuracy and avoiding any potential controversy, he said.