Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jun 23: HelpAge India, which had recently come out with a report in which Mangaluru was given top ranking in elderly abuse after concluding that old-aged people faced highest harassment here, in spite of the report being refuted vehemently by Mangalureans, clarified that it did not propose to bring disrepute to the city. Still, it stuck to the veracity of its earlier finding, which was made public on June 14 this year.
A large number of people including Senior Citizens Association, old age homes, senior citizens helpline, people's representatives, and others had expressed surprise at the findings of the organization, duly insisting that the finding is flawed. Many had urged the organization to come out with clarification, duly reversing its rating system, as the general opinion is that aged people are getting fairly good treatment in the area.
It is said that the organization had put together 5,014 aged persons drawn from cluster levels from 23 cities nationwide. Karnataka head of HelpAge India, Rekha Murthy, confirmed to a Kannada daily that the purpose of the said study was just to create awareness in the society. "218 elderly people had been selected for interview from each of these cities. Survey conducted by the organization covered categories, one which said they faced harassment, and the other which said they did not. Again, the chosen sample size was made up of 50 percent male and 50 percent female interviewees," she explained.
HelpAge had concluded that 47 percent of aged people from Mangaluru were being harassed. Disrespectful behaviour, physical abuse, utter neglect, and non-provision of financial support were some of the parameters based on which the survey was based, it is learnt.