The Hindu : New Delhi News : Away from spotlight, the elderly still take their vote seriously

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Sunday, Mar 29, 2009
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Away from spotlight, the elderly still take their vote seriously

Staff Reporter

79.6 per cent of them cast their votes during the last Lok Sabha polls: Survey
Most are aware of their responsibility towards the nation and that their opinion matters

NEW DELHI: Though the elderly represent both ends of democracy -- as voters as well as leaders -- there is hardly any focus on them in all the hullabaloo about the elections.

According to a new survey conducted by Agewell Foundation, a consortium of non-government organisations and volunteers, the elderly constitute about 21.5 per cent of the actual voters during elections. A big majority of the respondents covered by the survey (79.6 per cent) cast their votes during the last Lok Sabha polls.

The nationwide survey was aimed at studying, identifying and understanding the difference between myth and reality about the role of older persons in a democratic society.

For the survey, 2,000 elderly people (about 1,000 each from rural and urban areas) were interviewed in 20 States. They included men, women, retired personnel, non-pensioners, labourers, farmers, literate/illiterate and financially secure Below Poverty Line families.

A majority of the respondents (79.6 per cent -- 80.8 per cent males and 78.2 per cent females) had voted in the last general elections. “The study shows that voting by older persons in urban areas was much higher (86.7 per cent) than in rural areas, where only 72.5 per cent cast their votes. In both cases it is much higher than the actual voter percentage,” the survey said.

About 73.5 per cent of them felt that while the number of over 60-year-old parliamentarians was constantly increasing in each election, they don’t represent the interest of elderly folks. Only 11.4 per cent of the older persons (18.6 per cent urban and 4.2 per cent rural) have any knowledge of the Parents Maintenance Act. Of them, 70.5 per cent of the respondents wanted to know how, if their children do not have sufficient income and job security, can this Act work?

Sixty-seven per cent of all elderly folks (73 per cent men and 61 per cent women) said that health care is their primary need in old age. “Whereas in rural areas 55 per cent older people (57 per cent of men and 53 per cent women) said their most important need was food. “Almost 65.6 per cent of them from urban areas are in search of income opportunities so that they can earn money to meet their medical, housing and food-related needs. In rural areas, 37.2 per cent of older persons were found engaged in a search for any income avenue.

The survey revealed that irrespective of economic, cultural and educational background or gender divide, most older persons hold strong political opinions. “They have very little say in the day-to-day lives of their children or grandchildren but most of them believe that they have a major responsibility towards the country and that their opinion matters.” Most respondents were disillusioned with lack of facilities or policies for the elderly. The survey said that older persons have an important role in the democratic process as they not only constitute a larger chunk of actual voters but also form a bigger set of elected representatives.

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