Elderly need more than this bill

UN should include 8216;elder care8217; in the broad spectrum of human rights

THE world, perhaps, will be impressed by India8217;s move to introduce The Maintenance 038; Welfare of Parents 038; Senior Citizens Bill 2006 8216;A Bill noble and flaccid8217;, IE, December 2. But anybody who knows anything about India realises that the Bill, meant for people who are past the age of struggling to secure their rights, will also be nothing more than a cosmetic exercise like other welfare legislation in the statute books.

Needless to say, the people of developing countries 8212; the majority of humankind 8212; desperately need some surety for elder care. But unfortunately the political will and resources of most of these countries are wanting in the implementation of such care.

This is where the United Nations should come in. It needs to include 8216;elder care8217; in its list of enforceable human rights, especially while keeping in mind that people of these poorer countries, at their working age, are willing and capable of earning enough to take care of their old age. What is needed is a constitutional-institutional legal mechanism, as given below through a concerned UN international covenant and a related optional protocol.

1 UN member countries to ensure a 8216;pension scheme8217; for all their citizens through either the public sector or private sector, in such a way that it will take care of inflationary trends, if any.

2 UN member countries to ensure 8216;reverse mortgage8217; in their country for all their citizens through banks/ financial institutions of either the public sector or private sector, where against mortgage of immovable properties of people over 65, a monthly payment will be given to them and after their death the remaining value of the property realised after sale/ transfer will be given to the beneficiary of the will of such a deceased or else to the government if there is no will.

3 UN member countries to ensure 8216;justified heritage8217; through legislation, where children of parents, etc, will get their get parents8217; properties registered in their names only when a certificate from their parents or some statutory authority is there which testifies/ certifies that a reasonable amount was given by these children to their parents at least as near to the value of the property to be inherited as possible, if this amount was required by parents during their old age. This provision is a must if 8216;right to family8217; has to have any meaning.