Band of experienced boys and girls

Exclusive clubs move over. It''s time for peer group bonhomie of a different kind. It''s been a long time coming but change does occur, if only at a slow pace. There''s nothing that a band of dedicated people - even in the autumn of their lives - cannot do.
That seems to be the sole purpose for the existence of the Srinagar Senior Citizens Association based in the Wagle Estate area of Thane.Run under the chairmanship of founder member Jawahar Bhatt, the association has almost taken over as a surrogate home to bring together everyone from a sprightly sexagenarian to a silver-haired nonagenarian in one common pursuit - that of fulfillment of their needs for belongingness and creativity.
Inaugurated on September 28, 2000, the organisation has today been registered under the Societies Act and is part of a wide network of such associations under the aegis of FESCOM (Federation of Senior Citizens Of Maharashtra) that operates as a parent body to 13 such groups within Thane alone.
Activities undertaken are numerous - right from organising outdoor excursions such as picnics to Vaitarna and Bhatsa dams as well as the exhilarating Yeoor hills, to encouraging talents like writing and poetry within the circle - all these and more form part of their annual calendar.
Their reading library, maintained exclusively by and for the members, is yet another attraction, especially for bibliophiles. Regular health and medical camps like the recent one organised for diabetics and charitable activities such as distribution of sweets among tribals during Diwali complete the picture. If not all these, then the informal, bi-monthly get-togethers certainly stay quite high on the list of things to be eagerly looked forward to by these Golden Oldies with the freshest possible spin on life.
Being an organisation that boasts over 144 members from within the vicinity itself, the criterion for admission is rather simple: anyone above the age of 55 is welcome to join, provided they are game for an annual fee of just Rs. 100. All activities are entirely funded by the interest accrued on this fee, in addition to whatever members choose to voluntarily donate as part of their individual birthday celebrations.
Concludes Jawahar Bhatt, ex-security commissioner for Central Railway, "It''s a pity that we still do not have a proper policy for senior citizens even after 55 years of independence. We''ve already approached the TMC and other NGOs with appeals to provide us with some office space and a reasonable allowance to continue our many activities. We''re planning to try to get into the field of concessional medicare for aged citizens as well"