“Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members.”
- Pearl S. Buck

They are treasures…of wisdom, experience, knowledge. Yes, we are talking about the senior citizens…they are the banyans, under whose shade we all survive, learn, grow, experience and may be become wiser! Who says that there is an unbridgeable gap between the young and old? Nothing can be unbridgeable. It is the old that has nurtured the young, helped them grow up as real human beings, taught them the undulating ways of life. It is the young that should care for the old, understand the child hidden behind every wrinkled face and make their loneliness disappear with the gentle touch of ‘I am there…’

When the poet of poets Shakespeare wrote, “…Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion,

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything ”, he was actually true to foresee the condition of old age. When it is ‘second childishness’, we need to understand that the time has come to hold those very hands which once held our hands and helped us to walk. It is very important for us to realize that the ageing process is natural and irrespective of caste, creed and social status, it will dawn on all of us. Taking care of an ageing father, an ailing mother or even an elderly grandparent is not only our duty and responsibility, but also a test of basic humanity.

Pronam is a noble initiative by Kolkata Police, wherein the objective is to safeguard the interests of the senior citizens of Kolkata and in this way to pay our regards to them. It is very important for us to make them feel treasures and prized as the valuables in society. They are the treasures of virtue and nobility and we at Kolkata Police, are doing out bit to make them realize that they are important!

The young minds of this society are the torch-bearers of tomorrow! We encourage them to realize their sense of responsibility towards the elderly people. Helping an old man to cross a busy street can even be a noble endeavour and it will surely shower the feel-god factor. Sympathy is definitely not the right feeling towards the old…sentimentalizing is more important. A little bit of respect, love, care and tender affection if showered on the elderly people, will help in gaining their true and honest blessings ad give the ultimate sense of self-satisfaction.

It is important to do our bit towards the old and the helpless…for one day…even we will have silver hair,  wrinkled cheeks and foreheads!