The shame of Lanka--elders hopelessly roaming our streets

In our country, we see them here, we see then there, we see them nearly everywhere -- old people at street corners, bus stops, hanging around eating houses and at every traffic light in the city. Begging for money to buy a morsel of food. Somebody’s mother or father Destitute, homeless, with nowhere to go.

But we hurry along, too busy to notice these forgotten people. Many of them were once productive workers who kept our economy ticking and turning over. But we in this country, by its very Constitution claiming to be democratic and socialist,  and with a citizenry comprising Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and Muslims among others, do little or nothing to support those who built the foundations of our society.

The elderly comprised 12.4 per cent of the total population in 2012. It increased to 16.4 per cent by 2022. By 2042 it is expected to rise to between 50% to over 60%. According to the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS).  nearly one in four persons in Lanka today is over the age of 60.

A majority of our population belong to the agricultural community. The DCS reported that in the fourth quarter of 2023, 26.5% of employed persons were engaged in the agriculture sector. Most of these folk do not own the land they toil on, be they farmers or workers on the tea, rubber and coconut estates in our country.

Yet, they provided until more recently, the much needed foreign exchange our governments needed to maintain the welfare state privileges we have long taken for granted. The farmers provided the food on our table. But once these groups grew too old to work in the fields or in the estates, neither the private sector companies nor our government has been able to set up a social safety net to protect these unfortunates.

The 2024 report of the World Bank on Sri Lanka revealed that poverty had increased over the past four years from11% in 2009 to nearly 26% in 2024. In other words,  over a quarter of Lankans are living in poverty. 

It forced many young people to migrate–some to foreign lands, while the more disadvantaged ended up living in the inner cities (city slums) on meagre wages with hardly anything to send back home. In turn it led to a breakdown in the extended family system which looked after the needs of elders in our midst. 

With none to care for them,  many elders have been forced into destitution. Unfortunately, the Department of Census and Statistics does not indicate the exact number of destitute in the country. The Ministry of Social Services financially assists some elders’ homes run by NGOs while most homes are privately run, with a total of 6,009 residents across 171 such homes in 2019. 

Rather than extend a helping hand to organisations which cater to the welfare of the elderly, the discarded and destitute in our country, one particular government even turned savagely on a particular institute offering voluntary care for elderly, destitute and unwed mothers. Acting on false charges,  the local head of the Home of Compassion was arrested and remanded.

The investigation ultimately found no illegal activity whatsoever. All allegations were proven to be false. The court discharged the head of that  institution --  a nun --  and exonerated her in 2011.All confiscated documents were returned… Strangely,  no action were taken against those who made false accusations and attempted to cause religious disharmony! 

Today,  there are only six public sector-run elder care centres, compared to 324 private and non-government run institutions -indicating a big need for ‘care of the aged’ services in our country, especially so as we have a rapidly aging population. 

Despite recent data from late 2023 and early 2024 suggesting a significant increase in the number of people living below the poverty line (approximately 5.5 million people) caused by the economic crisis, and  an ageing population, even the present National People’s Power (NPP) government has yet to outline specific and detailed policies for addressing the problem of our country’s aging population.

The NPP’s vision includes a production-based economy, but specific integration of elder care or social security measures for seniors remains to be elaborated upon. It’s really time for the government to come to grips with this problem and present it plan to tackle the same.