Mukherjee calls upon citizens to take care of elders, value their guidance

President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday called upon all Indian citizens to renew their commitment to the welfare of their elders, to value their guidance and to cherish their precious company.

He was speaking on the occasion of presentation of the National Awards for Senior Citizens - Vayoshreshtha Samman at a function at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons.

"It is for our society to prevent any erosion of the in-built safety mechanisms that our society has evolved for our elders. We must make it our duty to be more sensitive to the older citizens among us. We must do all that we can to ensure that they live each day to the full, enjoying a healthy, dignified and productive life," Mukherjee said.

"Older citizens must be motivated to participate whole heartedly in the economic, social, cultural and political activities of the society in which they belong," he added.

He stated that the Government must mainstream the issues concerning the aged and ageing in India. He said that their needs and requirements should not be overlooked or responses of government and society delayed for any reason.

"We must strengthen the self-confidence of our elderly," he stressed.

The president congratulated the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on it's initiative of the conferment of the Vayoshreshtha Samman for the first time.

He stated that the International Day of Older Persons should also be an occasion to take new initiatives.

He said elders, themselves, can organize themselves to collectively identify the areas where they would like Government and society to bring about improvements in their lives.

Dignitaries present on the occasion were Kumari Selja, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Porika Balram Naik, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment and Manikrao Hodlya Gavit, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.