60 years is considered a retirement age, though many are reluctant to retire from active life even after attaining the age. Many choose to live a isolated life, some took to writing autobiographies and some chooses to take another risk of living life to the fullest. Defying all odds and barriers, that comes with age and physical illness, a group of retired senior citizens came together and invested a portion of their income to set up an old age home at Sonarpur, West Bengal, so that people of their age can stay here peacefully.
Sundarbans Nirmal Paribesh Mission (SNPM) is a registered charitable trust with the aim to improve the quality of life of aged people. Sad to say with the increase that now there is increased demands for old age homes in the society and this initiative is trying to find answers to them.
Speaking to News Minute, Sunil Chakraborty, the General Secretary of SNPM said, “Sundarbans Nirmal Paribesh Mission is a registered charitable trust and the focus area of this trust is the old, aged people, environment improvement, healthcare and education. Our main objective is to serve the old age people who suffer from various problems. So, old age home is our primary task so that senior citizens can come together and live under one roof.”
Mr. Chakraborty said the inspiration behind this task is Swami Vivekananda, whose appeal to mankind to do something meaningful, as he said “Swami Vivekananda said that when you have taken birth as a human being then do something good so that people will remember you generations after generations, keeping this iconic saying in mind, we have started this mission for the benefit of the society.”
It all started in November 2011 when 17 like-minded people from different walks of life came together and planned to do something meaningful by giving back to society and something for the people of their age. In the year 2012, SNPM charitable trust was registered and now, the organisation has 57 members who have come voluntarily to support this noble cause.
The organisation lack funds though 57 members have donated 1-lakh rupees each for this noble cause. The organisation appeals to everyone to become the member of this organisation. They have applied for various corporates for funding under CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). The are now concentrating on the building of Sonarpur centre in future they plan such initiative in all over India.
It is said when they says, old age home is a necessity nowadays. It is the aged people who are the most unfortunate and unluckiest; despite delivering the best to their children they can’t expect the best from them. Young generation goes aboard for work or studies leaving their old parents alone. These parents suffer from various physical ailments and other problems but there is no one to look after them, it is therefore old people resolve and pledge to look after the old ones or the same age group.
It is a shame for a young nation like us, where our elderly people are made to think this way. The story is therefore a wake up call for all of us, to think and introspect, that one day we will also step into old age and there will be no, one beside us.
