In stark contrast to the palpable excitement over the
Godavari Pushkarams, there could be a darker side to the mammoth
religious gathering, fear a few sections of people.
Every
12 years, the river plays host to a vast gathering of pilgrims that
throng the bathing ghats from across the world “to wash away their sins
in the sacred river”. But, a section of senior citizens who face abuse
from family members at home see a flip side to it. Their family members
may take advantage of the swirling crowds to abandon them at the ghats.
“Families
ditching elder relatives in the crowd is a common practice during Maha
Kumbh. We may not have registered such cases here in the past, but fears
of some senior citizens who face abuse in the hands of family members
are not unfounded,” says Mothukuri Venkateswara Rao, secretary of
Krishna District Senior Citizens’ Welfare Association. “Old people have
become useless, the family members don’t want to look after them, so
they may leave them at the Godavari Pushkarams and go,” says Mr. Rao
citing an alarming spurt in cases related to abuse of the elderly.
“Value
of property post-bifurcation has increased manifold, and this is
bringing an increasing number of senior citizens under tremendous
pressure by their children for transfer of property in their name. We
want the officials engaged in Pushkaram duties to lay special emphasis
on safety of senior citizens at the venues,” he said.
