- Thu, 9 Sep, 2010, 11:10 am -

|| P.Vijay Raghavan ||
Ranchi: While the entire world was celebrating the ‘World Old Citizens’ Day’, the old inmates of Ranchi Institute of Neuro Psychiatry and Applied Sciences (RINPAS) were hoping against hope for sunshine at the dawn of their life. 76 year old Hari Gobind Pandey (name changed) has been lamenting in the institute for nearly 25 years, though he has fully recovered from his ‘illness’, his family prefer to keep him here rather than accepting back in the household. His old eyes were anxiously glued to the entrance of the Institute hoping for a miracle! He was heard murmuring that at least on this special day, his family would have some love left for him and get him released from this ‘life imprisonment’.

Disappointment was writ all over his face when the realization struck home that it was a futile wait. He and his ‘old’ friends of the ‘home’ shared their lunch like any other day. The same was the case with 67 year old Om Prakash(name changed). At least he was more practical in stating that he had nothing more to offer to his sons, so why should they bother with him? ‘Jeena yahan, marna yahan,iske siwa jana kahan’ is his favorite song. The irony of the entire matter is that these two old men have a large family but since the time of admission in the psychiatry ward with minor disorder, no one has even bothered to visit them all these 25 years. Both of them are from Bihar.

Hari Gobind has vague memories of his son and grandson. He recollects that his son was in a senior post with the State government, while his younger son was studying Engineering in some southern State. Both of them are fully cured and well loved by all in the Institute. Om Prakash, however vented his anger at the family members for ‘dumping’ him here. He was in an unforgivable mood and kept cursing his family for his mental disorder. These are just a couple of cases amongst hundreds of others rotting in the asylum for want of love and consideration from their near and dears. In this speed age society these old citizens are still considered a ‘burden’. Sad but truth is always bitter!