The Aged and Their Safety
Today is a sunny day- a Sunday and Neethie took us to church- the nearest Catholic Church, St. Stephen's for services. A beautiful abode of God in every sense. I found many old women ( no men) ,beautifully dressed and lovely in look, A rough estimate of their age conservatively calculated would be ' above 70,above 75, above 80 or '70-80' and they came to church alone- no one to accompany them- even to drive their cars. I noticed that many of them donating 50 or 100 dollars to the church as their offerings for that Sunday.
I asked Neethie: "Why so many old women? - no one to look after them? - no one to help the? - coming with a lot of money to offer! - walking with sticks –driving in difficulties- coming to Church?"
She said in reply that they could be the old folk who lived alone- without any one to look after. Their children might be away or would not get time to spare. This is a curse here. Amidst the riches and wealth, no one has any time or interest to care the old! SUFFERINGS, SUFFERINGS, SUFFERINGS!
Yes, immediately I had a flash to our State and country. Just before I left to America, I wrote an article about the murdering of the old who stayed alone in the State. At Ernakulum, four or five women who lived alone were murdered during a week and many senior police investigators tell me that an investigation of such murders is difficult. The reasons are-
(1)There is no one to say anything about the modus operandi of the murder or the property lost, if any.
(2)No one is interested in the progress of the investigation.
(3)If at all children are there for the murdered victim, they are least interested.
(4) Most of them want to dispose of the dead body and to leave the Country or State by the next available flight or train, as the case may be.
(5) The investigation becomes just a police 'baby'. No one else will be coming forward to help, cooperate, support or give evidence.
I asked Neethie: "Are these old people safe and secure at their homes? Or apartments?"
She said: "Every house might have an alarm fitted and the police will come within 3 minutes if the alarm is heard. Moreover, many homes or apartments here do not have gold ornaments or cash in dollars. They might have a laptop computer and a T.V., washing machine and a few credit or debit cards… The thief or murderers do not want them. The Malayalee families here have gold ornaments and there were reports of burglaries there."
Yes, there is a point in what she said. Our homes in Kerala may be richer in gold and cash in rupees. Certainly, they attract thieves and murderers for gain. Hence, take them to safe places or bank lockers and that is the only way to reduce the plundering and murder of the old living alone in the State.
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