READERS PULSE 12-MARCH-2023
Graceful and Happy Old Age
Graceful and happy old age is a distant dream for nearly 200 million elders in India because 70 per cent of them are dependent on others for their survival, not only because of physical impediment but mostly for grim economic reasons.
Well off senior citizens are very few in number. Crime against elders is alarmingly high. Moreover, elders are prone to various chronic diseases but due to paucity of funds, most of them are unable to avail proper medical treatment.
Though a handful of them opt for old age homes, loneliness grips them rather than comfort as most of them are cut off from their near and dear ones. The condition of single elderly widows and widowers is even more pathetic.
The plight and insecurity of elders have not been addressed adequately either by the Central government or by state governments by implementing the Social Security and Responsibility Act. This alone will guarantee a comfortable and hassle-free old age.
- Datta
Kolkata, West Bengal
Will Nitish Return to the BJP?
The political developments taking place in Bihar indicate that Nitish Kumar, the five times Chief Minister of the state, is once again contemplating taking a U-turn and returning to the BJP fold.
Nitish broke the ties with the BJP in June 2013 after Narendra Modi was named as their candidate for prime minister. Kumar then formed the Mahagathbandhan, a coalition with the RJD and the Congress.
Political observers say that all is not well between the JDU and RJD, especially after the latter exerted pressure on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the transfer of power to his deputy Tejashwi Yadav.
The BJP and JD(U) have been launching blistering attacks on each other ever since Nitish deserted the NDA last year, to form the Grand Alliance government in Bihar, with the help of RJD and other constituents.
Some developments that took place in the last few days like appointment of Bihar Governor, humiliation of Galwan martyr’s Jai Kishore Singh’s father, Nitish Kumar’s birthday, attack on Bihari labourers in Tamil Nadu, and most importantly, Nitish’s visit to Katihar to attend the ‘shradhkarm’ of former Bihar Deputy CM and a BJP leader Tar Kishore Prasad’s father, who passed away recently, speak volumes of Nitish taking the giant leap to fall into the fold of BJP.
Sanjay Thakur
Patna, Bihar
Biden Marks Black History Month at White House
US President Joe Biden’s marking Black History Month at a White House event on February 27, saying “history matters”, is a welcome move on his part. Let’s cite Biden when he was addressing a reception in the East Room of the White House: “It’s important to say from the White House, for the entire country to hear: history matters. History matters, and Black History matters.” He further said, “I can’t just choose to learn what we want to know. We learn what we should know. We have to learn everything, the good, the bad, the truth, and who we are as a nation,” adding, “That’s what great nations do.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, on her part, also marked the event enthusiastically when she said that Black history is “American history, living history, breathing history, history that we create every day.”
“Let us all be clear: We will not, as a nation, build a better future for America by trying to erase America’s past.”
Our politicians here in India should learn a lesson from this great event. In a bid to erase history, they are making efforts to rewrite history and rename cities, towns and other places. They should note that great nations do not do that.
Khalid Akhtar
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
