National Pensioners Day: Some enjoy post-retired life, others languish in loneliness

Anantapur-Puttaparthi: On the question of how peaceful and secure is their life, on the occasion of ‘National Pensioners Day’ on Tues-day, Pensioners gave different responses.

While a section of pensioners are happy and active due to their pre-plans for a post retired life, some are languishing in loneliness, utterly neglected while others feel unwanted in the evening of their life. Some are over-powered by sons and daughter-in-laws and their finances hijacked making them dependents.

Some pensioners are assertive and in commanding posi-tion. They are active in union activities, quite healthy while others had lost the game of life, in captivity and in loneliness embroiled in family conflicts. A section of the pensioners are feeling abandoned by sons who are living in countries abroad and do not have time to visit their parents. A few prefer to participate in the last rites of their mother online.

A retired government teacher Ramana Reddy of Put-taparthi says he is enjoying his post retired life with family of sons, daughters and grandchildren. “I am not depend-ent on anyone, I planned my post-retired life well. I have fixed deposits to my credit and I am comfortable with my finances. I am still in a commanding position,” he adds. Another Narayana Swamy of Tadipatri who retired from the treasury department says he is a prisoner of his sons. “They extracted all my final settlement retirement bene-fits. My ATM card is their control. They call the shots and I am in the captivity of sons and daughter-in-laws,” he says.

Emmanuel, who retired from government service confided with The Hans India that every rupee of his retirement benefits was taken by his son on the plea of returning the amount (Rs 60 lakh) for investment in transport business but ultimately his son could not return the money. Today he is the prisoner of his son who has also taken the fa-ther’s ATM card into his control to draw from his father’s meagre pension resources.

Govinda Rao retired from his government job 10 years ago. His two sons are living abroad. He lost his wife too and he is living all alone in a paid old-age home deserted by his sons. When his wife died, his sons participated online in the last rites ceremony, a couple of years ago.

Soon after the death of his spouse, he felt all alone and his friends admitted him in a paid old-age home. He sang a movie song, ‘Anubandham Athmeyatha Antha Oka Bhootakam. Athma Thrupthi Kai Manushulu Ade Natakam, Anthaa Bhootakam’ to drive home the point that love is a farce. It is a drama played by selfish people.

Dr.Vijay Kumar, psychiatrist and managing director of Trinity Mind Hospital in the town speaking to The Hans In-dia observed that post-retired life appears to be the even-ing of life. They find it difficult to digest their transition from a busy life to a silent and empty life, suddenly with-drawn from job circle and friends. They feel unwanted by the society and sometimes by own kith and kin. They lose the importance of being a breadwinner to not so important person. Even spouses neglect them being caught up in their grand children mania. Unable to adjust with the emp-tiness syndrome, they tend to become sick. One should divert oneself to either spirituality or any service that gives them happiness and keeps them occupied.

There are more than 30,000 retired pensioners in Anantapur district, most of whom have tragic tales to tell. Hundreds of them are feeling lonely and deserted by their near and dear.

Some of them do not want to act legally against their sons and daughters-in-law as for them their family prestige is paramount. Large number of pensioners are battling with sickness, mental break-down and find life not worth living while some have diverted their minds from family conflicts to social service and finding solace in service and spiritual-ity.