Date:13/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/13/stories/2007101362260300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Senior citizens told to assert their rights

Special Correspondent

VISAKHAPATNAM: Senior citizens should assert their rights for freedom, security and independence and they have a great duty to guide the present day younger generation which is faster, rich and some of them have bad temperament, said Centre for Policy Studies Director A. Prasannakumar here on Friday.

Addressing a meeting of senior citizens, under the auspices of Vintage Visakha (VV), a forum for elderly and senior citizens, he said that in fact such forums for elderly in Visakhapatnam could even pass resolutions asking the Commissioners of GVMC and city police to provide freedom and safety on roads as even pavements are not safe here due to frequent accidents.

With the increase in the life expectancy in India, the number of people above 65 years of age in the country has gone up to 1 crore now. While in India half the population is less than 25 years of age, in Japan, Sweden and Germany the elderly people outnumber the children below 15 years, he said. The forum felicitated S. Gopala Sastry, N.L. Sankaran, B.V. Suryanarayana, P. Veera Raju, V. Subba Rao, D.L. Venkatapathi Raju and S. Subrahmanyam.