Initiative to Give Appropriate Respect to the Elderly

February 14, 2026

The Punjab government has launched the “Sade Bujurg, Sada Maan” (Our Elders, Our Respect) campaign from January 2026 to honor the state’s elderly and prioritize them in daily life. Punjab has the highest number of elderly people compared to other states in the country.

In the twilight of life, when the elderly are unable to fend for themselves, their families or state governments must provide them with facilities, taking into account their seniority. To this end, district-level medical camps are currently being organized across Punjab.Senior citizen cards are being issued and distributed to the elderly, old-age pension forms are being filled out, and they are being informed about senior citizen schemes offered by banks. This campaign deserves praise.

On the other hand, not only in Punjab but across the country, the elderly are not given any special respect. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the central government abolished the rail travel concessions provided to the elderly. Now, despite widespread demand, this concession has not been fully reinstated; it has only been partially implemented. While in other countries, the elderly are prioritized in public places and senior living homes have been built for their shelter, here there is a lot of word of mouth, but there are no comfortable old-age homes.The law stipulates that cases involving the elderly should be resolved expeditiously in courts and treated sensitively by the police system, but this is not the case in reality.

In fact, on the issue of elderly care, the central government says it is the responsibility of the state governments, while the states say that the central government should take action. This means that there are many paper promises for the elderly, but no real commitments.

Recently, data released by the National Crime Records Bureau regarding the elderly shows that the highest number of crimes against the elderly are taking place in the country’s capital, Delhi. Crime cases against the elderly are registered, but the process of delivering justice is very slow. Protecting the elderly should be a priority for governments. As the life expectancy in the country increases, the number of elderly people will inevitably increase.