SENIOR CITIZENS

"I just feel like talking to someone," said my 83-year-old mother who lives in Bangalore. Until three weeks ago, she was looking forward to the wedding of her grandson in Bangalore, and she would put out sarees for every occasion, showing it to my sister (who lives in USA) on WhatsApp. Both the bride and groom live in USA. Many family members from across the globe had committed to come for the wedding. We were pleasantly surprised at the promised turnout,  it made me wonder about changing perspectives today, families were actually looking forward to bonding. And then we had…

Commencing her teaching career in Indraprastha College, New Delhi in 1970, Uma Raman chose to continue her calling even after she resigned as the Principal of Naval Public School, New Delhi in 1997 and relocated to Chennai. She is currently an education consultant in English Language curriculum planning, teacher training and the creation of English language teaching materials.  “I started writing textbooks while in Delhi but when I moved to Chennai, that became my main work,” says Uma. She has authored a number of widely-used textbook series in English. Recently, she was a member of the committee for revising the…

All those who draw pension from the Employees  Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) under the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 must submit a 'life certificate' attested by a gazetted officer by November 30 each year to continue receiving pension. Those who fail to do face the prospect of having their pension withheld until the submission of the certificate. The entire process involved had come under fire for being very time consuming and inconsiderate of the needs and health conditions of old and ailing pensioners who had to wait in long queues to submit the life certificate. Pensioners who have moved locations after…

We have all grappled with the question of dipping into our provident fund contributions for various expenses. However, there are preconditions to be met and procedures to be followed in order to make a withdrawal. The processes and caveats to make withdrawals from your EPF account are detailed below. What is EPF? The question of providing for the future of industrial workers after their retirement or for their dependents, in the event of their premature death, engaged the attention of the Central Government for a long time. This resulted in schemes for instituting provident funds for industrial workers now commonly…

Aggrieved residents of OMR have come together to write to the Chief Minister to address the water and sanitation issues faced by close to 400,000 families that reside in the area. The 100 or so resident welfare associations in the area that have come together under the banner of Federation of OMR Resident Associations (FOMRRA) called for immediate action by the Chief Minister. The move has been prompted by the recent and frequent strikes by private water tankers which are the primary source of water for the residents. A strike by the private tankers association that was due to take…

Residents of Shenoy Nagar, especially those who live in the lanes around Thiru Vi Ka Park, all speak fondly of the time the park truly belonged to the people. They remember walking in the park as children, hosting events that were enjoyed by the community and taking refuge from the harsh Chennai sun in the cool shade of its many trees. But all this changed with the arrival of the Koyambedu-Shenoy Nagar-Nehru Park metro station. The park that was closed to residents in 2011 remains so after all these years, leaving only a yearning for the past and a fight…

“When a 70 year old person is able to fill a pothole in hours, why is the government failing, especially when they spend hundreds of crores of rupees on other issues?” asks Gangadhara Tilak Katnam. “How is the helmet going to help when there is a pothole,” he wonders. It has been nine years and counting since January 2011. At the last count on January 3 2019, 1359 potholes have been filled. “I used to keep a tally in my diary, but then my son helped me feed it on to social media, and that recording continues,” he says. Clearly,…

“I felt very lost and alone for many months. I was not able to communicate my feelings to my family. I felt very pressurised to finish my course requirements in college, and it overwhelmed me into thinking about suicide”, says Ram*, a final year engineering student at a reputed college in Chennai. Before Ram could take the drastic step, he turned to online resources hoping for help. “I don't know what I was looking for. I Googled how I felt, and found the contact number of a suicide prevention helpline. I figured I would just make that call. I did…

We have several group for senior citizens in our city, but today (16 Jan,2019) I attended a meet of senior citizens...the common factor between them being that their children are living in Portland, Oregon, in the western seaboard of the USA! The group, all of whom are on WhatsApp, is called "PDX BLR Friends", and is an offshoot of "PDX Seniors" in the city of Portland. The venue chosen for the morning meet was another "senior" of Basavanagudi, Vidyarthi Bhavan, which has existed since 1943. I spoke to Sri Venkatesh Rao, who had used the Metro to arrive at the…

This article is part of a special series: Air Quality in our Cities A layer of dust covers every conceivable surface in houses in Samy Nagar in Tirusulam. The vehicles parked on the road have a thin film of grey over them. The drums used to store water have to be shut with heavy lids to prevent the dust from coming in. The curtains in the houses are always drawn tight, so as not to leave any room for passage of dust. But that blocks out the light too. The residents, particularly the women, are constantly dusting and cleaning their…