Backdrop:

India is predominantly a young nation with median age of around 29. This very nature of the country with a large and burgeoning workforce (18 to 45 years) makes it a truly aspiring one often termed as “New India”. However, one must not forget the complexity in Indian society. A significant number of population (more than 135 million) are termed as “senior citizens” or “elderly” with age more than 60. With increased longevity due to developments in medical science, many of these elders remain physically & mentally active for a long period of 10 to 15 years even after their retirement. They are retired from “professional career” but not from “active life”. They find purpose in the second innings of their lives, and age with time. While many of them age happily with dignity, some of them do not. Lack of financial resources, decline in health as well as cognitive abilities and being away from family members all have their impact. Absence of purpose in life is the other factor making them directionless as well as helpless. Loneliness brings with it anxiety, depression, and emotional instability.

This situation with such a large population of elderly has its impact on growth & prosperity of the nation. It also eats into the national economic & social growth.

Rational of Brining Generations Together:

There are only two solutions to the problem stated above. Either each generation (both elderly as well as young) take care of themselves & their own destinies and live independently; or both generations complement each other’s in their journey of life and co-habit peacefully with mutual understanding. The first path is fraught with selfishness and destruction as it will lead to alienation of a large section of vulnerable population of elders. This isolation might lead to anxiety or depression or similar other serious mental problems with many people and lead to instability of our existence per se.

This selfish approach, therefore, does not lead anywhere. The only other alternative is to live happily and happily together so that both generations can co-exist with their own sets of agendas and aspirations. The elderly is interested in health and happy aging and nothing beyond that while the younger generation are in pursuit of worldly and material wealth & pleasure. While they travel separately, both can support and complement each other and still live a peaceful life of co-existence.

That is how it used to happen in joint or extended families. Younger folks used to go for earning money for all while the elder people took care of the house and tender children. Evening they would come back, spend nice evening together and a have a joint good food. These joint families represent the best of “micro example” of how two different generations can co-exist and live happily together under single roof.

Even after the joint family as a concept is dyeing down because of various economic and social causes of the contemporary times, the principle thereof is still very much valid and shows us the way how different generations can happily be together.

Role of Two Generations:

Extending the principle, it can safely be concluded that the society will become a much better place to stay & live, if all generations can co-habit and live peacefully together. Each generation have a role to play in governance of a society. Elders have been in the world having spent 3 to 4 decades of seeing the world and its rush of life. They can play the ideal role of “mentor” and “role model” for next generation showing the right way of leading life. But they are physically and mentally weaker and may need support for leading an active life. The younger people can chip in here lending “helping hand” and become a “walking stick” for the elders. They can provide the warmth of care that elders need besides meeting the financial requirements.

The above is an idealistic scenario that may not often be the case. There may always be spoilers. There will be elders who will be “interfering” in the decision making of the younger generations and cause family rifts. On the other side, greedy younger generation aiming to selfishly snatch the property from elders may resort to “elder abuse”. We need to stop both through counseling as well as legal means. This implies that prudence needs to develop among both the stakeholders. However, as elders become weak and fragile, the caring support / help is needed more from the younger generation because the elders re-enter the zone of “dependence” from one of “inter-dependence” or “independence”. It is here that the youth need to handle the situation with empathy, tenderness, and care so that elders can spend their last available time happily and peacefully.

Conclusion:

The only prudent way forward is to create an eco-system where all generations can live happily together. The spirit of co-existence and mutual support should be inculcated from early days. This should start from early childcare education (ECCE) where respect for elderly should be made mandatory as an “experiential learning” exercise. This should continue in mid / higher schools / colleges where the students should be sent to elder homes or given internship to “take care of one elderly”, etc. so that they understand the problems / issues of elderly people. Similarly, elders in their “prime elder age” (say 60 to 70) must do something for the next generation. This might include teaching free, or spending time with children, or visiting schools and sharing their life experiences. All this is aimed to bring the generations together with a view to create a conducive climate for peaceful living. Many countries of the world are already doing such experimentations for bringing the generations together. We all should be part of such experiments.