Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 25: Govt. College for Women, MA Road Srinagar organized a workshop on ‘Intergenerational Bonding’ today.
The event aimed to sensitize youth about the importance of elderly in the society and highlight the various issues faced by senior citizens.
The event was organised by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication of the college in collaboration with the National Institute of Social Defence, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Arungraha Regional Research and Training Centre on Ageing, Delhi. Vice-Chancellor, Cluster University Srinagar, Prof. (Dr.) Qayyum Husain was the Chief Guest on the occasion.
The main resource persons for the workshop were Dr Zubair Saleem (Nodal Officer for Geriatric Medicine, Kashmir Division and Head, Department of Geriatric Medicine, JLNM Hospital) and Ms Bisma Khan (Advocate J&K High Court and Panel Lawyer District Legal Services Authority Srinagar).
Dr Zubair shared his experience as a geriatric consultant and researcher to highlight the problems faced by senior citizens.
He cited statistics and some case studies during his elaborate presentation on the theme.
Dr Zubair shared some heart-wrenching stories of elderly patients who had been ill-treated by their children and other family members.
Advocate Bisma Khan spoke about the legal aspects of the theme. She apprised the audience about the various provisions of the Maintenance and Welfare of Senior Citizens Act.
In his address, Vice-Chancellor, Cluster University Srinagar, Prof. (Dr.) Qayyum Husain highlighted the role of society in addressing the issue.
“We should not expect the government to do everything. We can do a lot at our level and as a society. For instance, charity is a central tenet of Islam and a religious obligation. We can use it also to build old age homes for such elderly people who have been abandoned by their families,” Prof. Qayyum said.
Speaking on the occasion, the Principal of the host college, Prof. (Dr.) Nasreen Aman referred to some of the reasons responsible for the lack of intergenerational bonding including lack of proper communication.
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