India: The situation of the elderly Sikhs, including whether they are being detained (since January 1998)

No reports on the situation of elderly Sikhs since January 1998 and whether they are being detained could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

However, the following general information on the elderly may be of interest.

In India, anyone 60 years and over is classified as aged for census purposes (HelpAge India, n.d.a). According to the 1991 census 56.7 million people, or 6.76 per cent of the total population, were over the age of 60 (ibid.). According to HelpAge India, a national, secular, apolitical and non-profit NGO registered in 1978 that works nationally for the elderly (ibid. n.d.b), only 20 per cent of the aged population fall in the organized sector of the economy, which is entitled to "various social security, social insurance and economic assistance programmes after superannuation" (ibid. n.d.a). The remaining 80 per cent of the aged population is found in the unorganized sector of the economy and are "the neglected lot and need far more" (ibid.).

In a May 1997 press conference in Pune, Major General S.S. Sandhu, director general of HelpAge India, stated that 98 per cent of the 65 million elderly citizens are illiterate, 70 per cent live in rural areas and approximately 40 per cent live below the poverty line (The Indian Express 12 May 1997). Only some 2.8 million Indians are covered by old-age pension plans and, according to the Los Angeles Times, "there is no legal requirement for businesses to provide pensions for their employees" (21 Mar. 1999).

Detailed information on HelpAge India, its services for the elderly, and its service projects (old age homes, day centres, mobile medicare units, eye care, Adopt-A-Gran scheme, rehabilitation and income generation, primary health care and disaster relief) can be found on its Internet Website at .

In October 1998 the Delhi English-language daily The Times of India reported that the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had prepared a draft of India's first "national policy on older persons," which, if approved by Cabinet, could give "tax-relief, concessions on medical expenses and preference in the allotment of houses" to married sons and daughters who care for their aged parents and/or in-laws. This draft policy also suggested the introduction of special provisions into the Indian Penal Code to protect seniors from domestic abuse (ibid.). In late December 1998 the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment reported that a pension fund and a vocational retraining scheme for seniors would be an important aspect of this soon-to-be-announced national old-age policy (The Tribune 26 Dec. 1998). Another recommendation the Centre [federal government] was considering was the opening of 10 old-age homes in every Lok Sabha constituency and four clinics for the elderly in each district (ibid.).

However, in late March 1999 the Los Angeles Times reported that India has few government programs aimed specifically at the elderly, and that even though the federal minister for social justice had announced plans at the beginning of the year to formulate a national program to provide the elderly with pensions, health insurance, housing and other assistance, "it could take years for the idea to be discussed and enacted into law" (21 Mar. 1999).

In April 1999 the Himachal Pradesh health minister stated that the authorities were planning to improve the medical services available to the elderly over the age of 60, including issuing them with special health cards (The Tribune 1 Apr. 1999). Also in April the Delhi Health Minister stated that all "needy" senior citizens in Delhi would be entitled to a pension of Rs 200, adding that approximately 250,000 seniors in the capital would benefit from the program (The Tribune 8 Apr. 1999a). That same month the Haryana government increased the fixed medical allowance for pensioners and family pensioners from Rs 100 to Rs 125 per month, effective 1 January 1998 (The Tribune 8 Apr. 1999b).

The following 18 February 1999 article from The Tribune provides a glimpse of the current situation of the elderly in Chandigarh:

"Who cares for senior citizens?"

CHANDIGARH February 17 - Le Corbusier's planned city, and essentially the "city of babus", seems to be still at a loss when it comes to the woes and problems of senior citizens. Though Chandigarh has innumerable organisations, and even the administration is coming forward with schemes for the aged, their implementation still seems to have a long way to go.

"I don't know anything about schemes or the government. I am not literate so who do I ask for help and where do I go?" moaned Shanti Devi, who thinks she is 75 years old and lives off the random help from her relatives.

The Social Welfare Board of the Chandigarh Administration started issuing identity-cards to senior citizens, all those above 65 in June, 1996, along with which it also listed certain facilities. Anyone interested in availing of these facilities needs to approach the office of the Social Welfare Board and wait for "two-three days" for the card.

Interestingly the registration of these cards, which needs a proof of residence and a date of birth certificate, has been done only for 5,014 people till date. As per the 1991 census about 28,851 people out of the total population of 6,42,015 of Chandigarh are above the age of 60.

The facilities like 50 per cent concession in fares for travelling in CTU buses and separate queues in all OPDs in General Hospital, dispensaries, poly-clinics and other public places are to be provided to all those with the identity-cards. A doctor in a government dispensary, said: "What separate queues for the aged we talk about, when we don't have any queues at all. In some hospitals preference might be given to senior citizens, but in other public places this definitely does not happen".

Standing at the end of a long queue in a post office, where "Senior Citizens" is written in bold letters, 60-year-old Kirat Singh said, "Who looks after the likes of us. Do you think that anyone would listen even if I tell any of the youngsters standing here that this is meant only for old people like me? Such things look good only on paper".

Mr Prithi Chand, Joint Secretary, Finance, who holds the additional charge of the Social Welfare Board, said: "We issue letters regarding the beneficiary schemes for senior citizens to all heads of the departments of the Chandigarh Administration. But we do not have any staff available to see how these are being implemented". The Board, which keeps no records of complaints or the death of any of their "members", confessed that nobody had visited any public place to check if the needs of the senior citizens were being met.

The Chandigarh police also introduced such a scheme, called HAPS (Help the Aged Police Scheme), in May 1998. Anyone above the age of 58 years and living without any immediate able-bodied help can become a member of this scheme. HAPS, which promises medical help and even arranges for the necessary jobs like payment of household bills, etc. has till date adopted only 43 persons.

"Most of these schemes have cooled off now. I am at least educated enough to know that these schemes do exist because these are advertised through newspapers. But what about all those old and helpless people living in the streets or even in their own homes and being treated badly", asked Sheila Gauri, a retired school teacher, living alone in a room in an Arya Samaj Mandir.

Mr J.C. Malhotra and his wife, Mrs Tara, who look after the Senior Citizens Healthcare Centre at Lajpat Rai Bhavan, said: "It is the overall attitude of the people towards the aged which needs to be addressed. We have 2,000 members and we provide them a platform to hold monthly meetings, discuss their problems and even celebrate their birthdays together".

Help Age India, which has earmarked seven sites at Dadumajra, Dhanoa, Palsora, Bapu Dham, Ram Darbar,Mauli Jagran and Guru Nanak Colony, provides mobile service medical care free of charge to the aged. With two doctors it covers around 1,300 patients every month. "We provide medical facilities to all those aged who are from the lower strata of society", said Dr Amrik Singh, who has been associated with the organisation for the last one and a half years.

"In case proper care of people like me was being taken by the government, would we be living in a sorry state like this. I need both financial and emotional help. Who has the time?", queried 70-year-old Mohan Preet, who is planning to shift to an old people's home to get away from his domestic problems.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

The Indian Express [Mumbai/Bombay]. 12 May 1997. "National Policy for the Elderly to Focus on Medical Assist." [Internet] [Accessed 7 May 1999]

HelpAge India [New Delhi]. n.d.(a). "The Ageing Scenario in India."

_____. n.d. (b). "About HelpAge India."

_____. n.d. (c). "Service Projects for the Elderly."

Los Angeles Times. 21 March 1999. Neelesh Misra. "India's Elderly Sue for Assisted Suicide; Law: Many Seniors are Forced out of Jobs and Abandoned by Family. 'Either the Government Should Help Them Live, or it Should Help Them Die,' Says One Petitioner." (NEXIS)

The Times of India [Delhi]. October 1998. "Looking after old parents and parent-in-law may be taxing... ." [Internet] [Accessed 14 Dec. 1998]

The Tribune [Chandigarh]. 8 April 1999a. "Pension for Delhi's Senior Citizens." [Internet] [Accessed 8 Apr. 1999]

_____. 8 April 1999b. "Pensioners' Medical Allowance Raised." [Internet] [Accessed 8 Apr. 1999]

_____. 1 April 1999. "April 7 as age Care Day in HP." [Internet] [Accessed 1 Apr. 1999]

_____. 18 February 1999. Sonoo Singh. "Who Cares for Senior Citizens?" [Internet] [Accessed 18 Feb. 1999]

_____. 26 December 1998. "National Old-Age Policy on Anvil." Internet] [Accessed 5 Jan. 1999]

Additional Sources Consulted

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1998. 26 February 1999. United States Department of State. [Electronic version]

The Tribune [Chandigarh]. Daily. 30 October 1998-present.

Electronic sources: Internet, IRB Databases.

Non-documentary sources:

Unsuccessful attempts to contact HelpAge India, Delhi.