JHARKHAND: Ever since he retired as a schoolteacher, Haradhan Mandal, 70, led a boring life — without an aim and without a taste of life still at hand. Then he joined an elders’ club and soon experienced a massive transformation after indulging the number of indoor games, religious books, and yoga facilities here. Moreover, he found many others like him, who he now calls friends.
An initiative of Jamtara district administration, his club is a low-cost renovation of old and dilapidated buildings in block offices. But it has given a new meaning and purpose to the lives of the senior citizens.
“It’s a great initiative. I go there almost daily to make myself a little happier. It gives many like me an opportunity to interact with many people which in itself is an energy booster for those who feel neglected,” says Mandal. Regular check-ups help them to keep a watch on their health.
The concept of an elders’ club has benefited hundreds of senior citizens in Jharkhand’s Jamtara. It is a semi-home for the aged; with an instructional and recreational programme. It uses social inclusion to improve the quality of life of senior citizens living in rural and remote areas of India.
A brainchild of Jamtara Deputy Commissioner (DC) Faiz Ahmed Mumtaz, these centres are open to individuals above 60 years of age. Such clubs have come up in all the six blocks — Nala, Fathepur, Jamtara, Narayanpur, Karmatand, and Kundhit, in the district.
“The objective behind setting up these clubs is to remove the feeling of loneliness that is a major issue with the elderly because in most cases, their children or grandchildren are very reluctant to interact with them due to the generation gap. Here at elders’ club, they get an opportunity to interact with people of their own age, and are able to de-stress,” says Ahmed. He adds: “These clubs are well equipped with indoor games and other recreational facilities, besides all kinds of religious and literary books with a separate reading room.”
These clubs have a management and maintenance committee, having a president and a treasurer to look after the overall functioning of these clubs. There are other committees as well, including the education and entertainment committee, health committee and training and counselling committee, besides having a senior citizens committee, with the sub-divisional officer (SDO) as its member, to look into the issues concerning the neglect of elderly parents.
Ahmed recalls an incident that prompted him to start these clubs. “A teacher continued with his profession even after his retirement. After his wife’s death, he went into deep depression. When the incident came to the notice of the district administration, we motivated him to live a normal life,” he said.
The DC said many such cases have been reported. “I thought why not give poor, aged people an opportunity to live a dignified social life by setting up such clubs at the block level,” he said. So, regular health camps are organised in these clubs to deal with health issues that are specific to the elderly, Ahmed added.
A volunteer is designated at each club to help organise yoga classes and light exercises for the willing members. Ahmed believes that such elders’ club will serve more than one purpose. “It will enable the aged to earn livelihood, as well as social skills, and at the same time, contribute their knowledge for a harmonious society,” he says.
Sunil Kumar Manjhi, 68, is a retired schoolteacher and is the president of Nala Block Elders’ Club. He says within weeks of these clubs coming up, close to 50 people applied for membership. “Many of them travel between 3-5 km just to read religious books,” observes Manjhi. Additionally, regular members have decided to contribute monetarily towards the maintenance and requirements of these clubs.