How Elders' Clubs Across Jamtara Changed Its Senior Residents' Lives

A civil servant's initiative to build an elder-friendly community has made a difference to senior citizens in Jharkhand's Jamtara.

Kartik Mandal is a retired high school headmaster. Like many senior citizens, Mandal was resigned to an uneventful life after he stopped working -- sitting at home, running a few errands, and meeting his contemporaries occasionally. Quiet and largely dull.

Since January 2022, the 65-year-old's days have been anything but that. Instead, he spends his day conversing and sharing life events and anecdotes with friends in a club near his house. All of them are over 60 and members of an Elder's Club in their village in Jamtara district, Jharkhand. 

The Elders' Club is the brainchild of Jamtara's District Magistrate, Faiz Ahmed Mumtaz. Each of the six blocks in the district — Nala, Fathepur, Jamtara, Narayanpur, Karmatand, and Kundhit-- have an Elders' Club, and any resident aged 60 and above is an automatic member.

About 10 percent of Jamtara's nine lakh population is above 60. The club has been an experiment in transformation for many of them, giving them community support and empathy from peers.

How It Started

When Mumtaz looked at older adults around the district, what stood out was loneliness and sadness. "Most senior citizens were at a stage where they weren't considered important enough. They were physically fit but resigned to a lonely existence, not doing much; some were waiting for life to end because they had nothing to look forward to. They were existing," he told Silver Talkies.

Jamtara is notoriously known as the 'phishing capital of India.' To solve the problem, Mumtaz had set up community libraries across the district earlier. It was his innovative way to redirect the misguided youth from the neighbourhood towards knowledge and education, an ongoing effort.

Setting up the Elders' Clubs was a natural solution to the purposeless state and depression Mumtaz saw around him. His solution was to renovate old, dilapidated buildings in the area and create Elders' Clubs in each of Jamtara's six blocks. Everyone contributed in some capacity to give this story of community building a beautiful beginning. The Police department and civil administration donated chairs, weighing machines, and indoor games. Some local businesses donated televisions and furniture. IOCL donated refrigerators for each club. Residents contributed wherever they could.

A beautiful garden and park surround each Elders' Club. "Sometimes, our grandchildren drop in to play, and we have a good time," Mandal says. He's grateful for this because it leads to a special time that may not have happened at home. 

Mandal spends his mornings at the club reading books and magazines, watching some television, and doing Yoga, a practice he had started in his schoolteacher days and has now managed to revive with his peers. There is no time to be bored, he laughs. Instead, his days are pretty packed. "We exercise together. Several indoor games are provided at the club so we play carrom board and Ludo with each other very often. There are holy books across all religions here, and we browse through those when we want. It's good to know more about other religions to understand people matter." 

A dedicated space often leads to discussions they wouldn't have had otherwise. Mandal and his friends have had energetic and deep conversations. "We talk about our youth, the old days, our lives. It's a small village, and many of us know each other, but we share stories of happiness and sadness, our griefs and joys. The best part is there is someone to share it with." 

How It's Going

At Narayanpur block, 25 km from Jamtara, Narayan Poddar is a widower who had almost given up hope, depressed after his wife's death. He now presides over the local Elders' Club, which started on December 25, 2021. He talks to visiting schoolchildren about his school days, shares his day with fellow members, and is a changed person, says his peer Phanibhushan Misra, 62.

The social network and special focus have worked positively for the members' emotional wellbeing. "I feel good, and that feeling of loneliness is gone. Ekakipan feel nahi ho raha hai, aisa lag raha hai ki saath me sab hai,” says Misra, who was a farmer. "It feels like a community that has come together now." "We come here voluntarily, with a free mind. No one is forcing us to. So this makes a lot of difference and shows in our behaviour with everyone around us, too." 

The Elders Clubs are all managed by a member-run maintenance committee where every member takes turns to keep the premises neat and clean. The events that they organise are also based on their likes. The Narayanpur members also help some needy senior citizens who have no place to call home and have pooled resources with the help of the block development officer (BDO) to offer shelter to these homeless seniors. "We help them with food and other necessities to the best extent we can," Misra said.  

  Beyond the fun and games, there is a look at health and legal matters that can keep the elders safe. A poetry competition was organised recently to encourage creative members. The Elders' Clubs also focus on learning and addressing issues of dispute and abuse that older adults often face but find hard to communicate. Apart from monthly physical checkups, the seniors here are counselled about problems like elder abuse and the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act. In addition, the members, along with the BDO and other officials, have helped sort out situations for other elders in the neighbourhood. "Sometimes it is easier talking to someone your age about these things," they say.  

  Society has to become sensitized about senior citizens, says Mumtaz. He adds that it is hard to measure the impact of such innovations, but in the past year, he has observed the sense of community, bonds, and emotional wellbeing the Elders' Clubs across the district have managed to create. His Twitter page often has videos of members jovially playing indoor games or interacting with schoolchildren who are regular club visitors. The ideas for the Elders' Club and Community Libraries have won him the Indian Express Excellence in Governance Award and praise from eminent economists like Jean Dreze. He thinks it's a model that can be replicated across the country.  

"Whether in a remote village or a well-to-do family in the city, people cannot empathize with an elder's loneliness. The loss of purpose and lack of appreciation for elders requires much thinking to truly understand them." 

All images courtesy: Faiz Ahmed Mumtaz & Twitter

How has social engagement and a sense of community made a difference in your life? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.