So Parajuli repeats, "Our lives matter!" At 62, he too is slightly hunched over and he walks at a slow pace, however, his voice reverberates with command and authority as he puts forth his case. "Yes, we have grown old. Yes, we are not a part of the work force anymore but that does not mean that the government can discard us like garbage. The senior citizens are the mothers and fathers of the nation. They have toiled in their youth and paid their dues. Now in turn, we ask the nation to look after us properly by fulfilling our rights," he explains.
It was this belief that bought Parajuli on the streets. Considering the logic behind the demands, he thought he would see some positive reforms soon. However, that was almost three years ago. In between the hustle and bustle of the capital, the unstable governance and several other pressing national issues, elderly rights seem to be more or less scratched off the priority list.
Dhara Maya Karki, 81, eagerly cites an example of the recent budget hearings. "The senior citizen pension was Rs 500 per month. How they thought anybody can survive on that is beyond me. I'm sure they are aware of the high living cost considering some government workers are given up to Rs 600 per day as their miscellaneous/ lunch money. A year ago Ram Saran Mahat declared that there wasn't enough in the national budget to increase senior citizens' pensions but that the government would try. So our pension later amounted to Rs 2000 per year. But this simply meant five rupees per day. You have to pay that amount every time you use the public bathroom at Ratnapark. How is this fair?"
The 1100 elders who have joined this senior citizen's struggle committee all feel the sting of injustice. They claim it's the reason their movement is still raging on. Bhakta Raj Basnet, 84, like Karki, has been making his presence felt everyday during the protest for the last three years. He has to heavily lean on his walking stick to stand upright nevertheless, he still makes the journey from his rented room to the premises of the Department of Transport Management.
"Both my sons live abroad so my wife and I wife have been left to our own devices. Thankfully, my youngest daughter brings us some food every now and then. Since nobody else takes care of us, we rely heavily on the pension but at the end of the day, it amounts to nothing. We are too old to work so living has become such a struggle that I think it'd be easier to die. But since death hasn't come either, I spend my afternoons here. We, old people, are not looking to cause a racket. We only wish for our right to live a respectful life where we can take care of ourselves," says Basnet.
Since India's government has voluntarily offered their senior citizens a monthly pension of INR 5000, Parajuli states they too have raised their demands to NRs 5000 per month. He reasons that in a country where the leaders can afford to drive luxurious automobiles, the government can surely put aside some money so that the older citizen's of the country won't have to throw away their dignities and live on somebody else's mercy. What's more, despite the fact that Nepal's law defines people who are 60 as senior citizens, only those 70 years and above are eligible to apply for the pensions. The elderly struggle committee calls this outrageous.
Around 9% of Nepal's 27 million population are said to be 60 or over and the factors that would help make their lives significantly easier does not end with the issue of pension alone. Jagat Kumari Kuwar, 68, stresses on the need for health benefits.
"I'm a farmer and when I was young I fell off a tree. The doctors had to use bolts to mend my hips. They had instructed me to check on the bolts after six years just so they could confirm that it wasn't affecting my health. I wanted to follow their orders but I didn't have the money then and I don't have the money now. In fact, it's been 24 years since I last visited a doctor. I'm afraid they will find something but I won't be able to afford to get it treated. As they say, ignorance is bliss. These days I ache all over, still I have no other option but to bear the pain,"
reveals Kuwar.
Thus another main demand is concerned with medical treatments. They have requested public hospitals to provide free treatment to the elderly and private hospitals to provide 50% discount. This provision, they emphasize, needs to be carried out nationwide. A sick senior citizen shouldn't have to come to Kathmandu for free treatments. At the moment, since there are no such rules various hospitals apply their own regulations. So whereas Bir hospital has offered benefits to the elderly, sick old people often have to rely on the generosity of doctors from other hospitals. This Parajuli clarifies is not what they want.
"Many senior citizens have to join their two hands, share their sob story and hope against hope that their chosen hospital has a heart to financially assist them with the medical treatments they seek. There are obviously those who offer discounts but a sick elderly shouldn't have to rely on the pity of the hospitals. The laws of the country should take care of them," says
Parajuli.
Similarly the elderly struggle committee has also been lobbying for 50% discount on air and road travel charges. While many public transports in the capital do enforce this policy, there are still some who don't agree with the terms. Further, there is also the fact that this policy has not been implemented outside Kathmandu.
In the three years that the united elderly struggle committee has been getting together despite the summer sun, monsoon rain and winter cold, many government officials have certainly taken notice. In fact, the members give an impressive list of leaders who had joined them, shed tears at their stories, and swore their support. But Parajuli and the 1100 other elders are still waiting for the promises to materialize.
"We have taken our list of demands to all concerned heads of state and they appear sympathetic up front but so far, they have all proven to be empty words. Some leaders make no pretence about their wishes to stop our protests. There have even sent thugs over to frighten us. They have ordered the police to derail our sessions. Imagine 70-80 year olds were beaten with batons. But with support from one another in the committee and our well wishers, we have decided to continue. We don't intend to stop until our demands are met. Actually, we can't. For many senior citizens this is their only hope," explains Parajuli.
So they continue chanting their slogans about elderly rights and having their say through their single donated speaker and microphone. The movement has also managed to attract senior citizens who live rather comfortably with their families. According to Shankhar Kumar Panta, 74, the immense troubles of his peers cannot and should not be ignored. "You wouldn't believe the abuse that some elderly people still suffer from their families. It's inhumane. We may not be able to help where family ties are concerned but we can show our solidarity and help them secure their rights. Senior citizen's concerns should be one of the priorities of the country," he
concludes.
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