A Day for Seniors, A Voice for All of Us

This page, Senior Citizens’ Lounge, has completed three years of publishing, and we thank all our readers, as well as all those who supported this initiative. What began as an experiment has now turned into a movement. And today we mark a special day, the International Day of Older Persons. A day for seniors. A day to pause. A day to remember those who raised us, nurtured us, taught us and silently sacrificed for us. But let us ask ourselves, do we need only one day in a year to think about them? Or is every single day, in fact, a day of older persons?

Globally, this day is observed with speeches, walks, seminars, and cultural events. Nice photographs are clicked, social media buzzes with posts, and then life returns to routine. But ageing is not a one-day affair. It is a daily reality. For some it is graceful, for many it is painful, and for all, it is unavoidable. So while the world “celebrates,” seniors continue their battles, loneliness, chronic diseases, neglect and financial dependence. That is why we must go beyond celebration and into introspection.

We rarely talk about old age openly. We talk of youth, careers, beauty and money. But not of ageing. Why? Because it makes us uncomfortable. Yet ageing is not a taboo. It is life’s most certain truth, and yet, we are unprepared for it. This is why Senior Citizens’ Lounge was born—to break silence, to normalise discussion, and to say: old age is not a disease. Old age is experience.

Let’s remember one fact. Today’s seniors are yesterday’s builders. They built homes, families and communities. They worked in offices, farms and factories. They carried the nation forward. And now many of them feel invisible—pushed to the margins, ignored in policies and overlooked at home. This invisibility is the biggest violence and the hardest to heal.

When I meet my patients, I hear stories. Stories of pain and pride, of sacrifice and silence. A retired teacher with diabetes, whose children live abroad, once told me, “Doctor, I have WhatsApp, but not warmth.” A once-powerful bureaucrat, now bedbound after a stroke, whispered, “I signed policies for millions. But I have no one to sign my cheque.” A grandmother raising her grandson because her daughter works two shifts said, “I am tired, but this child is my medicine.” These are not isolated cases. They are our social mirror.

Care for seniors is changing. Earlier it was joint families; now it is nuclear homes. Earlier sons carried the responsibility; now many daughters are stepping up. This shift is real and it must be acknowledged. Seniors need medical care, yes. But they also need companionship. They need respect. They need dignity more than sympathy.

India is ageing. By 2050, one in five Indians will be over 60. That means millions of elders. That means millions of stories, struggles and strengths. But are we ready? Do we have enough geriatric centres? Do we have policies for elder abuse? Do we have systems for social security? The answer is, partly yes, mostly no. We must prepare, because ageing is not “their” problem. It is our future.

Caring for elders does not always need money. Sometimes it just needs time. A phone call. A cup of tea. A short walk together. A smile. Small acts of care create big impact. We underestimate this, but seniors remember every small gesture.

When Greater Kashmir launched Senior Citizens’ Lounge in August 2022, many wondered: will people read? Three years later, the answer is loud and clear, yes, they read, yes, they respond, and yes, they share their stories. This page has given space to seniors who had none. It has brought their voices to the public sphere. It has educated families. It has connected generations. It has made people pause and reflect. Most importantly, it is edited by a geriatrician, which means the content is not guesswork, but grounded in science, medicine and lived experience.

Senior Citizens’ Lounge is no longer just a weekly page. It is a movement. A call for dignity. A call for policy. A call for compassion. It has sparked discussions in living rooms and classrooms. It has challenged stereotypes. It has inspired new initiatives. And it will continue. Because ageing does not stop and neither should our conversations.

To every son, daughter, grandson, and granddaughter—remember this. When you were small, they held your hand. When you fell, they picked you up. When you cried, they soothed you. When you dreamed, they sacrificed. Now it is your turn. Your turn to listen. Your turn to sit beside them. Your turn to care. Not as a favour, but as gratitude. Because without them, there is no you.

To every senior reading this—remember, you are not forgotten. You are not useless. You are not a burden. You are the roots of our tree. You are the memory of our community. You are the wisdom of our society. Stay active. Stay connected. Share your stories. Guide us with your lessons. The world may move fast, but you are its anchor.

This International Day of Older Persons, let us pledge to respect age, to support seniors, to integrate ageing into our policies and plans and to see seniors not as a burden, but as a resource. Three years of Senior Citizens’ Lounge is just the beginning. There are many more years to go, many more stories to tell, and many more lives to touch.

As they say, a society is judged not by its skyscrapers, but by how it treats its elders. If we honour our seniors, we honour ourselves. If we care for them today, we secure our own tomorrow. So let us not make ageing a silent subject. Let us make it a shared journey. A journey of voice. A journey of dignity. A journey of love. Every day is the Day of Older Persons. And every word written in their honour is a step towards a more humane world.