Goa is known for its ‘susegad’ culture, a peaceful abode and an idyllic place to retire. One holds the belief that the State could be the perfect place to be in during the sunset years of life. But behind this picture lies a deeply troubling reality that is surfacing — the abuse of elderly citizens within the confines of their own homes. The horrific assault on an 83-year-old senior citizen in Betalbatim recently, allegedly at the hands of his son and daughter-in-law while he lay helpless in bed, jolted the State with reactions pouring in from far and wide. More disturbing was the fact that the abuse came to light only after the daughter who works in London witnessed it remotely through the CCTV feed.
This tragedy reflects a much larger challenge for Goa and its people. For decades, thousands of young Goans have left the State in search of better opportunities in Europe, the US and the Gulf. While this migration has brought prosperity to many families, it has also left behind ageing senior citizens, including parents and grandparents, at the mercy of caretakers or relatives. Many elders live alone in sprawling ancestral homes, painfully going through daily life, entirely dependent on those around them, not by choice but because of the situation.
Much of the violence against the elderly or the discomfort they face never reaches the public eye because it happens within the family. Hidden behind closed doors, abuse often flourishes in silence, fuelled by isolation, dependence, fear and lack of options. The stories that emerge reveal a disturbing pattern. In Mapusa, a senior citizen recently approached the police alleging that his own family had denied him essential medicines and even cut off his water supply. In Batim, a senior citizen was attacked in the open, highlighting how vulnerable senior citizens remain even outside their homes. For every case that grabs headlines, countless others remain concealed by shame, intimidation and the situation they are trapped in.
Unfortunately, Goa’s institutional response has fallen well short of that responsibility. The Elderline helpline service, meant to serve as a lifeline for senior citizens, has repeatedly become inaccessible because of an ill-conceived system that routed local calls to Delhi. For an elderly person in distress, every minute matters. They cannot be expected to navigate bureaucratic confusion or explain their situation to someone unfamiliar with Goa’s support systems. Senior citizens need a helpline that responds in quick time, and approaches every situation in a humane perspective. Until that happens, senior citizens should be encouraged to rely on the Goa Police Senior Citizen Helpline (1090) and the 112 emergency response service, both of which remain operational.
But emergency helplines alone cannot solve the problem. Prevention must become just as important as intervention. The Goa Police should strengthen its beat policing programme by ensuring regular, documented visits to registered senior citizens. A few years back, Goa Police initiated random visits to senior citizens, which eventually stopped. Such visits can uncover signs of abuse or any vulnerability which tormented victims may fear reporting.
Senior citizens and the elderly form a generation that built Goa, safeguarded its traditions and held families together. They deserve not only care, but a life without fear, neglect and isolation. Protecting senior citizens cannot remain a peripheral welfare concern; rather, it must become a central commitment that reflects not only the effectiveness of our institutions but also the values of the society we aspire to be.
