2011 is a landmark year for C.Ramachandran. Not only he celebrates his platinum birth anniversary but more importantly it marks his golden jubilee association with the well known “Rajaji Old Age Home” – the oldest senior citizen home in Madurai and the second in Tamil Nadu.
“I joined this place as a youth to help the elderly. Today, I have become eligible to stay here,” he smiles, adding, “I enjoy my work and don’t want to retire”.
The kind and amount of work he gets around for his age is unbelievable. An advocate by profession, who grew up listening to stories about his mother, he often reflected on the quality of life of senior citizens in our country that harps on being a caring society. “I lost her when I was three months old. I used to hear how dynamic she was and though only SSLC pass, she taught my father to read newspapers. Her stories gave me inner strength and always made me feel for others.”
This Physics Graduate from The American College, Madurai, could never stop himself from caring for others. Early on, he even received the President’s Award for dedicated service in Scouts as a student of St.Mary’s School. He joined the social education movement in the 50s and joined the bandwagon of volunteers for any service to society anywhere anytime.
He recalls: “I was part of the first ever road-safety week campaign in Tamil Nadu. Social work was my calling. Memories of having breakfast at Rashtrapati Bhavan and a visit to Pt.Nehru’s house in Delhi as a member of Guild of Service India (GSI) remain etched in memory.”
Though his father wanted him to become an engineer, he joined the Law College in Madras: “I felt as a lawyer I can help the poor more by getting justice for them and started practicing in 1960.” His criminal petition on adulteration of tea also became the first ever case filed in the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court after its inauguration seven summers ago.
Today all his spare time goes in taking care of the elders at the old age home, where he first came in 1956 when the GSI started it. “I came as a visitor when Radha Thiagarajan was its president. It started in a small mandapam on Alagar Koil Road with two ladies and three men.”
After the government allotted 1.5 acres in its present location in 1960, Ramachandran joined as its joint secretary in 1961. With Sivaji Ganesan giving two theatre performances to raise money, Ramachandran supervised the completion of the building brick by brick.
“Industrialist Karumuttu Thiagarajan Chettiar gave the sketch for the building and also wanted it to remain small but with good amenities and comfortable living facilities. If we grow in size, it is difficult to maintain or get help. For lack of women attendants, we house only two dozen men now.”
What began as a journey to establish the home for destitute elders seeking social interaction and secure living, became a part of Ramachandran’s lifelong mission – to maintain the physical, psychological and spiritual aspects of each member.
“I could never leave this place. Old people struggle on behind closed doors trying to cope with everyday tasks. Many older people have limited social contact and a level of disability that goes unseen,” he says. Contemplating the multiple paradoxes of youth and maturity, Ramachandran straddled both worlds to feel peaceful and oddly free.
He can never erase from his memory the stories of several citizens in their twilight years abandoned by their children. In particular, 91 years old retired postal services employee Ramachandran who passed away two months ago and 86 years old Jacob who has completed silver jubilee of his stay at the home. Recently, he also performed the last rites of a resident who had wished so.
“I am an advocate of happy family. Even today I first counsel the family members who come to leave their aged father or relative with us. Unfortunately, often they think, dumping the old here is the solution. But we cannot lose our compassion. Growing old is a reality and the responsibility has to be shared,” he pleads.
“Elderly people deserve quality care. I try to keep them smiling, organizing cultural programmes and festivals. They should be able to spend their remaining years with respect, dignity and free of hassles. We have 100-odd life members with whose donation the Home is run absolutely free of cost for the inmates.”
Unfortunately, the younger generation today thinks the old are financial liability. There is an enormous disenchantment and the fight against fear of old age is much harder. The twilight years should be the best years of a person's life -- freed from the responsibility of having to make a living and actually having all the time to live. Certainly, if there are more people with steely resolve of Ramachandran’s, old age will become more liveable.
(Making a difference is a fortnightly column about ordinary people and events that leave an extraordinary impact on us. E-mail to somabasu@thehindu.co.in to tell about someone you know who is making a difference)
