Senior citizens are like a living school: former President Bhandari

Kathmandu, Dec 27: Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has described the senior citizens who are filled with knowledge, skill and experience obtained through lifelong struggle and suffering as the living school.    

The former Head of the State stated this in a message of best wishes she gave today on the occasion of the National Senior Citizen Day, 2080.    
She viewed that the new generation can learn lessons useful in life from the intrinsic knowledge, skills and experiences the senior citizen retain, which can be utilised for the development and progress of the nation.    

Stating that an unprecedented change is witnessed in our family structure also due to the changes that have come in the living condition and style and migration, among others since the last few decades, the former President said that instead of living in a large extended family, the trend of living in a small single family is increasing these days.    

"It is experienced that the environment for the senior citizens to enjoy life economically, socially and mentally has been declining in such context. Collective initiatives of the family, society and the state are required for making the life easier, secure and ensuring a dignified life for the senior citizens who have reached towards the later phase of life while saving our family system, norms and values, culture and civilization based on oriental culture."    

It may be noted that the National Senior Citizens Day is marked on the 11th day of the Nepali month of Poush every year in commemoration of the day wherein the State started distributing social security allowance to the senior citizens. The erstwhile government implemented social security allowance to the senior citizens on this day in 2051 BS (December 26, 1994).   (RSS)