The Quint DoQ: Behind Closed Doors, Our Abused, Neglected Elderly
Abandoned, beaten up and left on the road to fend for themselves. India is ageing, but do we care?
(On International Day of Older Persons, The Quint takes a look at the ageing population of the capital and how the city treats them. This piece is being republished from our archives and was originally published on 21 July 2016.)
Abandoned, beaten up and left on the road to fend for themselves. The elderly in India lead a very different life from the ideal one we see in Hindi films.
In a 2014 survey, 50% of the elderly population in India reported abuse. 77% lived with their families and reported the abuser to be a son, daughter, or daughter-in-law. Abuse can be physical, emotional or verbal, but it is rarely registered with the police. Shame, financial dependence and affection prevent the abused from speaking out.
Until it bursts into public consciousness in a manner which is hard to ignore.
In May 2016, a video of a 60-year-old woman mercilessly beating her 85-year old mother in Kalkaji, Delhi went viral. “What kind of a person beats their own mother?” everyone asked.
Through first-person experiences of elderly abuse survivors, The Quint decided to investigate the complex web of issues around elderly abuse. India is ageing, but do we care enough?
Camera: Sanjoy Deb
Editor: Kunal Mehra
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