India @60 - a reality check on the next day
Clipping-1
Maybe he is a septuagenarian (70 years old) or an octogenarian (80 years old) who had fought in the independence struggle. I saw him falling to the floor while prostrating (touching the feet of) before a State Minister during a function to commemorate freedom fighters on Independence day. The old man kept weeping while giving some written representation said to be a claim for a hike in this freedom fighters pension from the present Rs.1000/- to 4000/-. The news and video clippings on TV have this to tell on his background. He was deserted by his son and living on his own on meager 1000 rupees pension from the state government. He needed extra money to buy medicines as he had undergone a bypass surgery for which cost he had already sold away his small land holdings.
Pity, the present generations including his deserter son are enjoying the fruits from the plant he has sown and nurtured. In what way they are inferior to deserve lesser financial independence that is being obtained by Ex-service men? A shame on the apathy that India @ 60 is showings towards its freedom fighters.
Clipping - 2
The second incident I viewed today in the news clipping is that of a young boy with tilak on his forehead and an old mother to his right waiting at the gates of a prison for the release of his convict father. It seemed he was given to understand by the official circles of the district that his father would be released on the Independence Day. He looked crestfallen and at his wits end to find his dad not coming out on the promised day. And he too was crying like the old man in the first clipping.
While the old and young are not being given their due as per expectations they were led to believe, and by the way are very minimal, what we can be proud of arriving at 60 is anybody's guess.
posted by SESHU CBSR @ 12:12 AM
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