Senior Citizens Bhopal

 

LET US NOT THINK " WHAT CAN I GAIN?" BUT "WHAT CAN I CONTRIBUTE ?

HOME PAGE

(Updated on 9th May 2012)

FORTHCOMING PROGRAMME

 

Talk by Gp Capt A B Mehta

Subject

Is Corruption an aspect of our Culture and Traditions?

ON

13 May 2012

 

SEE INCOME TAX RATES APPROVED BY THE NEW FINANCE BILL ON 8 May 2012 in CONCESSIONS page.

Ours is a voluntary and self financing organisation. We would like to exchange useful information, news and views with the fellow senior citizens every where through the medium of this web site. Please help us in propagating this site and share your wisdom and useful information with us. Anything, that helps us in meeting our objective of serving the poor and needy senior citizens around us, is welcome.Please send your contribution to Gp Capt A B Mehta(Retd), Vice President by email (abmehta66@yahoo.co.in) or through post to Day Care Centre, 10 No Bus stop, E/4, Arera Colony, Bhopal-16

Read our special report on HEALTH page on How Doctors fleece during treatment: A report by a Doctor

 

BREAKING NEWS

COMMISSION FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

Madhya Pradesh will have a Commission for Senior Citizens, which would recommend measures to the State government for betterment of senior citizens. Besides, a rehabilitation policy for senior citizens would also be laid, according to an official release.

In order to help senior citizens go on pilgrimage, Mukhya Mantri Teerth Darshan Yojana - Chief Minister Pilgrimage Scheme for Senior Citizens will come into effect from this financial year. The Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made these announcements while addressing a Panchayat of Senior Citizens at CM House here today. Senior citizens from across the state participated in the Panchayat and shared their views.

Government to constitute the National Council for Senior Citizens


In an attempt at improving social sector reforms, PM Manmohan Singh approved constitution of a National Council for Senior Citizens to advise the Central and state govts on issues related to the welfare of senior citizens and enhancement of their quality of life.
The Council will specially refer to policies, programmes and legislative measures, promotion of physical and financial security, health, independent, productive living and awareness generation and community mobilisation.
It will be chaired by the Social Justice and Empowerment Minister and will include the Minister of State in the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry, oldest members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, representatives of five state governments (one each from the North, South, East, West and North-Eastern regions) and one union territory by rotation, five representatives each from senior citizens' associations.
Other members include pensioners' association, NGOs working for senior citizens and experts, and five senior citizens who have distinguished themselves in various fields.
The Council will be anchored in the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry.
According to 2001 census, the number of senior citizens (60 years and above) in India was 7.9 crore and the number is slated to grow substantially with better quality of life and better medical services at least in urban areas.
A study by the National Commission on Population projects that senior citizens will comprise 9.3 per cent by 2016, 10.7 per cent by 2021 and 12.40 per cent by 2026.
India today has the second largest population of senior citizens.
According to the UN, by 2050 about 20 per cent of India's population is likely to be over 60 years.
Recognising the need for a national policy, the government launched the National Policy on Older Persons in 1999 which sought to address areas of concern like financial security, healthcare, shelter, education, welfare and protection of life and property and promote the concept of active ageing among the older population.

 

OUR MONTHLY TALK/DISCUSSION SESSION

WE INVITE SPEAKERS TO TALK ON TOPICS OF INTEREST TO SENIOR CITIZENS

The text of the last talk

BY A B MEHTA

Topic: HINDU TEMPLES - DIVINE LINKAGE

SUMMARY OF THE TALK

Why we visit Temples?
o As a ritual
o To pray for success
o To ensure safety
o To get worldly benefits
o On specific Days or Festivals
o As a sight seeing
o To just pray
o To find peace, tranquility and for spiritual contemplation
Human Life-The Divine Connection
Raging battle between good and bad
o What is good or bad is our own creation.
o Laws of ethical living gets updated based on Home/society/educational/religious influences and better spiritual understanding
o Value and vice are the evaluation of our intellect in relationship with our EGO
Body, Mind and Intelligence
o There are four basic layers to our being. The first is the body- the physical layer. The second is the mind- the intellectual layer. The third is the heart- the emotional layer. And the fourth is the soul (atma)
o The mind is meant to absorb information, transform it into knowledge and lead it into action
Open Mind
o A hard Mind offers protection of our belief systems based on our state of ego
o A soft mind is gateway to divine living.
o Transformation happens only when we are humble enough to accept that I am not perfect & I want to be a better person
Pamatma to Atma
o God becomes Man, so that Man might become God - Boehme
o Man is intrinsically a combination of morality, righteousness and spirituality
o Self-realisation is in recognising this divinity through knowledge, contemplation and devotion
o Body consciousness can not be eliminated but deliberate attempt should be made to move to pure or divine consciousness. Only a few are able to move to super consciousness (awareness or knowledge of an 'ultimate reality')

Divinity vs Religion
o "Holiness and purity are not exclusive possession of any Church/temple/Mosque"
o Religion provides us with a code of conduct for safe and happy voyage in life
o Genuine Religious teachers are the torch bearers who can light our path away from desires and ego to higher consciousness
o The final path is ours and ours alone
Hindu Cosmological Concept
(Alain Danielou)
o According to Hindu cosmological concepts, the world is divine thought, a divine dream without substance, made only of elements of energy that manifest themselves as atoms, tendencies and movements in what appears to us as matter, feeling, thought, consciousness and life. The continuity and interdependence of the various aspects of what we term 'existence' or 'reality' of Universe are absolute. Neither dimension nor duration exists as such. The dimensions of space and time are defined only in relation to ourselves, to the wavelengths on which our tiny centers functions as living beings.
Divine Linkage
o The first link with God is in the shape of parents, particularly the Mother
o The home is the first Temple
o School is supposed to be the Temple of Learning
o Thereafter the path is based on our view of life, faith, spiritual thoughts, conviction and contemplation
Hindu Temple - Origin
o The vedic Aryans only believed in sacrificial rituals.
o In pre-dynastic times in Egypt, religion was largely animistic (certain animals, plants and geographic features were considered the homes of spirits)
o Vedic period 'Yagnashala' got replaced by temples in due course when Idol worship got prevalent. The absorption of local tribes might have resulted in accepting worship of some physical form
o In ancient times temples in India were the abodes of divinity, art, religion, literature, music, dance and other group activities of human existence.

Temple - The Divine Abode
o The temple if properly constructed is supposed to receive cosmic energy that is irradiating around.
o The pyramidal structure represents 'Meru' mountain, the abode of God.
o Temples were always considered to be safe haven and a place to communicate with God.
IDOL WORSHIP
o Idol is just a symbol with which the mind can be easily connected and concentrated upon
o Mythological stories caused many human shapes to be created as per local conceptualization
o Each of them over the years got identified as the one granting some worldly gain
o Installing idols subsequently became a source of Income and acquiring property
PUJA
o Puja takes many forms, the simplest of which is darshan, reading of scriptures and meditation
o It embodies the divine energy of the deity and provides a mental link to the god or goddess.
o Puja also usually includes providing an offering to the object of puja, such as chandan, flowers or food, and lighting a diya or candle or incense and Havan
o Elaborate Puja became an essential element of festivals, fasts and reading or listening to scriptures and mythological stories
Rituals and Beliefs
o The priests introduced many rituals and beliefs so that common people involved fully in worldly responsibilities, did such things purely on the basis of faith or escape sufferings.
o Reincarnation being dependent to Paap and Punya, temple and puja is the simplest divine link.
o A totally dedicated person develops child like innocence and surrenders, cries, sings without worrying about 'what others will think?'
Prayer and devotion
o Hindu religion has space for personal God hence the Puja griha or puja corner at home that is the daily place of prayer.
o While God is present everywhere, it is convenient to worship him in some designated form in a temple or home.
o Offerings, prayer, aarti, yagna, devotional songs, dance, pradakshina etc are all part of the worship.

In Conclusion
o Spirituality is not casually thinking about divinity,
talking about it, going to temple, taking classes or reading books.
o Practicing in life, through contemplation on the contents of vedic granth and then hold discussions to find answers to various doubts to progress further. This is the path to enlightenment - a final blessed state free from ignorance, desire and suffering
o Temple is merely a convenient first step

 

WORLD ELDERS ABUSE AWARENESS DAY

 

HelpAge (India), M P State Federation of Senior Citizens and Senior Citizens Forum, Bhopal, jointly organised a seminar on the occasion of WORLD ELDERS ABUSE AWARENESS DAY at the Day Care Centre of the Forum. Dr Mishra an expert on Social Welfare, Shri Shukla, member Human Rights Commission, Shri Saraswat, President of the Federation and the Forum and Shri Sharma, Regional Director of HelpAge spoke on theoccasion.

HelpAge, MP Federation of Sr Citizens and Senior Citizens Forum have over the years have pursued the care of Elders as their mission. Medical camps, visit to old-age homes, cancer detection camps, care of terminally ill elders, supply of medicines and fruits and holding of seminars on the connected topics has been our effort.

We find that the main problem areas are inconsiderate daughter-in-law, interfering parents, financial dependence, property distribution fights, disgusting state of old age homes and lack of emotional connect. More importantly when children see how their parents have taken care of their parents, they also may decide to similarly look after the parents when they become old. Unless the elders learn how to adjust with those who are required to look after them, conflicts could not be avoided.

It was brought out that oldage homes are real pain for the olds, and even for their sympathetic children. In most cases, they don't have specialised medical assistance, the rooms are so small that you cannot even walk 4 steps in a single direction. The cleanliness should be skipped, as the people who are there for maintaining the cleanliness, just do because it is their duty, without any compassion. Sometimes, the rooms stinks. If someone vomitted something anywhere there, they will take more than 2 to 3 hours to clean it (literally), after their other works are over.
If the person living there asks for something, then they will promptly reply, "Why are you desiring for facilities at this age, grandfather, you have got old and going to die in a few days, go and sleep in yout cot, and pray God". Every old age home may not be that bad but lack of compassion is the main source of disappointmenmt.

HT prominently covered the story about World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. HelpAge, MP Federation of Sr Citizens and Senior Citizens Forum have over the years have pursued the care of Elders as their mission. Medical camps, visit to old-age homes, cancer detection camps, care of terminally ill elders, supply of medicines and fruits and holding of seminars on the connected topics has been our effort.

Shri Vijay Shukla, Member Human Roghts Commission very correctly said that we make commisions or enact legislations only when UN mendates regarding the senior citizens. There is a need to be more proactive in such matters.

BREAKING NEWS

Income Tax Rates AY 2013-14 (FY2012-13)

REMAINS SAME FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AS FAR AS THE FIRSY SLAB IS CONSIDERED

DEATAILS WOULD BE GIVEN AFTER THE FINANCE BILL IS PASSED

 

Income Tax Rates AY 2012-13 (FY2011-12)

Individuals, other than women and those above 60 years (including cess of 3% on tax)

Slab Rates
0-180000 Nil
180000-500000 10.03%
500000-800000 20.06%
Above 800000 30.09%

Women below 60 years (including cess of 3% on tax )

Slab Rates
0-190000 Nil
190000-500000 10.03%
500000-800000 20.06%
Above 800000 30.09%

Senior Citizens above 60 years but below 80 years

Slab Rates
0-250000 Nil
250000-500000 10.03%
500000-800000 20.06%
Above 800000 30.09%

Very Senior Citizens above 80 years

Slab Rates
0-500000 Nil
500000-800000 20.06%
Above 800000 30.09%

 

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2011 of the Senior Citizens Forum, Bhopal

The AGM was held on17 April 2011 at 1030 hrs. Due to lack of specified attendance the meeting was adjourned for half an hour and reassembled at 1100 hrs.

The meeting was chaired by Shri R S Tiwari, Vice President, in the absence of Shri S K Saraswat who had to attend an important function. Gp capt A B Mehta conducted the proceedings.

The meeting adopted the income/expenses statement.

It decided to make extra effort to motivate the members to attend the Forum's function and pay the monthly/annual membership subscription so that more functions and talks could be arranged.

Shri N P Shrivastava, Vice President briefed the members about the important changes in the Forum's constitution as directed by its executive committee. It was adopted.

The names of office bearers and members of the new executive was read out and it was unanimously approved with applause.

Dr Tedia, Shri Chowkse, Shri Dinesh Mishra among others contributed to the discussions on other matters.

The meeting concluded with thanks to the chair.

 

 

ATTN MEMBERS: 100 a month (or Rs 1000 pa) (Rs 5000 lump sum) subscription is due from many members. Please deposit to help us run our programmes.

Donations welcome.

Cheques to be marked to "Senior Citizens Forum, Bhopal"

 

 

SAVE WATER

 

 

Important articles

We are reproducing a guide for personal actions and responsible behaviour in case of any unusual situation

When Chaos Reigns

When a crisis erupts due to civil unrest, natural disaster or a major terrorist attack, a number of things happen rapidly and sometimes simultaneously. First, panic ensues as people attempt to flee the immediate scene of the disaster, usually seeking safety using the same escape routes. At the same time, police, fire and emergency medical units all attempt to respond to the scene, so there can be terrible traffic and pedestrian crowd-control problems. In the event of large civil disturbances, roads can also be clogged with protesters, troops and panicked civilians. This can be magnified by smoke and fire, which can reduce visibility, affect breathing and increase panic.

In many instances, an attack or natural disaster will cause damage to electrical lines, or the electricity will be cut off as a precautionary measure. Natural gas, water and sewer lines can be damaged, causing leaks, and in the case of natural gas lines raising the threat of explosions and fire. Earthquakes and mudslides can cut roads and shut down mass transit. Often, people find themselves trapped in subway tunnels or in high-rise buildings, and they are sometimes forced to escape through smoke-filled tunnels or stairwells. Depending on the incident, bridges, tunnels, subway lines and airports can be closed or jammed to a standstill. Grocery stores are frequently inundated by people scrambling (and sometimes fighting) to obtain food and supplies.

In the midst of this confusion and panic, telephone and cell-phone usage soars. Even if the main trunk lines and cell towers are not damaged by the event or otherwise affected by the loss of electricity, this huge spike in activity quickly overloads the exchanges and cell networks. This means the ripples of chaos and disruption roll outward from the scene of the crisis as people outside the immediate vicinity of the crisis zone hear about the situation via the media and wonder what has become of loved ones who were in or near the crisis zone.

The Need to Plan

Those caught in close proximity to such a disaster site have the best chance of escaping and reconnecting with loved ones if they have a personal contingency plan. While such planning is critically important for people who live and work overseas in high-threat locations, recent events have demonstrated that even people residing in places considered safe, like Cairo and Tokyo, can be caught in the vortex of a crisis. Taking this one step farther, sudden disasters, such as tornadoes, earthquakes, school shootings or the derailment of train cars carrying chlorine, can strike almost anywhere. This means that everyone should have a personal contingency plan.

Emergency plans are vital not only for corporations and for schools but also for families and individuals. Such plans should be in place for each regular location — home, work and school — that an individual frequents and should cover what that person will do and where he or she will go should an evacuation be necessary. This means establishing meeting points for family members who might be split up — and backup points in case the first or second point also is affected by the disaster.

When school-aged children are involved, parents need to take the time to coordinate with the school to learn what the school’s crisis plans are so any measures the school employs can be accounted for during the planning process. A crisis plan should also account for any pets a family may have.

The lack of ability to communicate with loved ones because of circuit overload or other phone-service problems can greatly enhance the sense of panic during a crisis — especially in this age, when people are so dependent on almost-constant communications via the ubiquitous smart phone. Perhaps one of the foremost benefits of having personal and family contingency plans in place is the reduction of stress that results from not being able to contact a loved one immediately. Knowing that everyone is following the plan frees each person to concentrate on the more pressing challenges presented by their personal evacuation. This is critical because someone who waits until he or she has contacted all loved ones before evacuating might not make it out.

It also is important to have a communications plan, which should include the contact information for the designated rallying site as well as an alternate communications hub outside of the area. It might be difficult to communicate from point A to point B, but someone at point A or B might be able to get through to a person at point C. For example, it may be impossible to call from Tripoli to New York, but both parties may be able to call through to Rome.

Alternative means of communication also should be included in the communications plan. If the phone lines and cell phones are clogged, many times text messages can still get through and Internet connections may work to send e-mail. Satellite telephones, though expensive, are also very useful in a communications blackout, as are two-way radios. Analog fax lines can also prove useful when other forms of communication are shut down.

People who are going to serve as communications hubs need to be briefed on the evacuation plan and have contact information (landline and cell phone numbers, e-mail addresses, etc.) for each person who will be participating in the evacuation. The communications hub should also be provided with important personal data on each person, including full name, date of birth, passport numbers, etc. The communications plan also will be helpful in case one member of the family is unable to evacuate immediately or finds it unwise to evacuate at all. In that case, he or she will know where the rest of the family is going and how to contact them once communications are restored.

Planning is important because, when confronted with a dire situation, many people simply do not know what to do or where to start. It is not unusual to find people wandering aimlessly at the scene of a disaster. Not having determined their options in advance — and in state of shock over the events of the day — people quite often find themselves unable to think clearly enough to establish a logical plan, so they just drift around or collapse in helplessness. Having a plan in place gives even a person who is in shock or denial and unable to think clearly a framework to lean on and a path to follow.

Evacuating

One of the keys to surviving a catastrophe is situational awareness. Situational awareness allows people to recognizing a potential threat at an early stage and take measures to avoid it. Situational awareness also helps people know where to go when an unforeseen disaster strikes. For example, if the airport is closed by the crisis, situational awareness enables one to understand the alternate means of leaving the country, and if a bridge is damaged on an alternative land route, you can locate another way out. Being aware of the layouts of your residence and workplace is also critical. If an office building is hit by an incident of workplace violence or catches fire, people with a plan will know where the fire exits are and where they lead. Situational awareness will then help them realize when an exit could lead them out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Situational awareness also aids in reacting to a dangerous situation while on the move. If a subway tunnel is filling with smoke from a fire or bombing, situational awareness tells one to keep low in order to avoid being overcome by smoke. Better still, proper preparation can lead people to carry important items such as a smoke hood that can be worn to protect against smoke and a flashlight to help navigate a dark place like a tunnel.

For individuals who work in high-rise buildings, frequently travel or routinely take a commuter train or subway, these two items can greatly assist you if the need to evacuate arises. Smoke hoods are relatively inexpensive devices that can be carried in a briefcase or purse and quickly donned in case of emergency. They will usually provide around 20 to 30 minutes of breathing time, which could quite literally mean the difference between life and death in a smoke-filled hallway, stairway or subway tunnel. Likewise, a small flashlight could prove to be invaluable in a crisis situation at night or when the power goes out in a large building or subway. Some of the small aluminum flashlights can also double as a handy self-defense weapon.

Of course, in some situations, evacuation might not be the best idea. If there is no immediate threat at a specific location, it may be more dangerous to join a crowd of panicked people on the street. In some cases, it might be safest to just stay in place and wait for order to return — especially if the shelter is stocked with food, water and other basic necessities. Situational awareness will allow you to make the call on whether to stay or go.

As part of a contingency plan, it is also prudent to prepare a small “fly-away” kit containing clothes, water, a first-aid kit, nutritional bars, medications and toiletry items for each member of the family. It also is a good idea to include a battery-powered or crank-powered radio and other items such as appropriate maps, multi-tool knives and duct tape. An appropriate amount of cash can also prove quite useful. The kit should be kept in a convenient place, ready to grab on the way out. Even if it is impractical to keep all these items in constant readiness, keeping most of them together and using a prepared list to collect the other items quickly can help get one out the door in seconds. Maintaining important papers, such as vehicle titles, deeds, licenses, birth certificates, passports and credit card information, in a central file allows it to be quickly retrieved in case of an evacuation. Of course, passports are of vital importance in an overseas situation.

Another important part of situational awareness is having the means to receive instructions and information from the authorities. In addition to radio and television, many locations have emergency text and e-mail alert systems that can provide critical information. Overseas, embassies also maintain networks for disseminating information to expatriates such as the U.S. Department of State’s warden system. Individuals should register for such services and ensure they know how information is disseminated before the crisis hits and results in communication disruptions.

When it comes to information pertaining to emergency plans and fly-away kits, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Administration’s ready.gov site is an excellent resource. For people residing overseas, the U.S. Department of State’s travel information site and the Overseas Security Advisory Council are also valuable resources filled with helpful information.

Now, while it is important to listen to authorities in the case of an emergency, individuals cannot rely on the government to take care of them in every situation because the resources simply may not be available. This means that individuals must have a plan in place designed to take care of themselves and their families.

Flexibility Required

In order to be effective, an emergency plan must be fluid and flexible. It is important to recognize that even a good plan can be worthless if reactive measures taken by authorities during an emergency impede execution of the plan, or if the catastrophe itself closes down the airport or a section of a primary escape route. For these reasons, it is best to have several alternate contingency plans that account for multiple scenarios and include various routes and modes of evacuation. Once the emergency is announced, it likely is too late to start devising a back-up plan.

Plans must be also reviewed periodically, at least once a year. A plan made following 9/11 might no longer be valid. Bridges and roads included in the original plan might be closed for construction at the present time or could have been changed to a one-way traffic pattern. Communication plans may also need to be updated if family members move or change telephone numbers.

The contents of fly-away kits should be checked periodically to ensure the kits are functional. Flashlight and radio batteries can lose their charge and need to be replaced. Items such as smoke hoods can become damaged by being carried around in a purse or briefcase for too many years. Food can become stale and inedible. Medications can expire. Children can grow and require different sizes of clothing.

Finally, while having a contingency plan on paper is better than having nothing, those plans that are tested in the real world prove to be far superior to plans that are never tested. Running through an evacuation plan (especially during a high-traffic time such as rush hour) will help to identify weaknesses that will not appear on paper. It also will help ensure that all those involved know what they are supposed to do and where they are supposed to go. A plan is of limited use if half of the people it is designed for do not understand their respective roles and responsibilities.

No plan is perfect, and chances are that individuals will find themselves “shifting on the fly” as conditions on the ground change in the event of an actual emergency. However, having a plan and being prepared allows a person to be more focused and less panicked and confused than those who have left their fate to chance.

 

 

 

 

• start walking to nearby places instead of using vehicles
• Don't litter your surrounding,make groups to clean your area regularly.
• Don't use running taps, repair your leaking taps to save water.
• Plant a tree or grow a garden. Plants turn carbon dioxide into the oxygen we need to breathe. Trees also help keep the soil from eroding away, and they give animals like birds and squirrels a place to live. You can grow plants inside, too. Try growing some salad greens or herbs, that you can eat, on your windowsill.
• When you don't have far to go, try riding your bike or walking instead of getting a ride in a car. You'll help save energy, lessen the amount of air pollution, and you'll keep healthy and fit, too!
• Turn off the lights when you leave the room, and turn off the radio and TV when you're not using them.
• Did you know that you can save an average of 9 gallons of water if you turn the faucet off while you're brushing your teeth ?
• Help keep the Earth beautiful by helping to keep your neighborhood clean. Why not help organize a Litter Clean-Up Day at your school or in your neighborhood...
• Recycle cans, bottles and newspapers. This reduces the amount of trash that ends up in our landfills. Most communities recycle. Does yours?
  

---

---

What are the seven secrets of success? I found the answer in my room!
Fan said: BE COOL,
Roof said: AIM HIGH,
Window said: SEE THE WORLD,
Clock said: EVERY MINUTE IS PRECIOUS,
Mirror said: REFLECT BEFORE YOU ACT,
Calender said: BE UP TO DATE,
Door said:PUSH HARD FOR YOUR GOALS!...... ........ Good day

---

---

An effort to keep senior citizens informed of the activities undertaken by the forum and provide them with information relevant to them.

---

---