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Look after your aged parents, Justice Ministry Secretary advises
View(s):Children of elderly parents can be taken to court if they fail to look after them warned Justice Ministry Secretary Kamalini de Silva speaking at the 93rd Annual General Meeting of the Mallika Nivasa Samithiya (Society) on Thursday.
She said there was a duty cast on children of elderly parents to protect and ensure they lead a respectable life under the law – the Protection of Elders Act No. 9 of 2000.
Hemantha Nanayakkara hands over office to newly appointed President Savithri Peiris as Justice Ministry Secretary Kamalini de Silva (L) and Chairperson of the National Child Protection Authority Anoma Dissanayake (R) looks on at the head office of the Mallika Nivasa Samithiya on July, 24. Pic by Ranjith Perera.
“Elders are left helpless mostly when they are neglected by their children, with the lack of financial assistance to lead a life without relying on others or falling sick,” she said adding that it is the duty of children to look after their parents and there is no necessity for the law to remind them of this obligation.
She said that due to various reasons looking after of the elderly had been neglected. Due to economic and even social factors, it was also not easy to look after the elderly.
Speaking as the chief guest at the meeting, Ms. De Silva said that elders’ homes like the Mallika Nivasaya were formed long before the laws were enacted so that elders can interact with persons of their own age, take part in religious activities and have security.
Striking a personal note, Ms. De Silva said the society was sclose to her since her childhood as her mother served as a member for over 50 years. “My mother is 90 years old now and this is the first year she is not attending the annual meeting,” she said.The Justice Secretary said that the Secretary to the British Health Ministry in a recent speech said that they should take Asians as an example in taking care of elders.
“Sri Lankan culture considers an elderly person as a treasure. An elderly person legally speaking is one who is over 60 years and is considered as a person with experience” she said and added that her Ministry will do all it can to ensure the country’s elders were given their rightful place in society.
Also speaking at the event was Chairperson of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) Ms. Anoma Dissanayake who pointed out the importance of showing love and caring to children.
She said that many parents do not have time to spend with their children leaving them isolated and longing for love and caring. She said that it is important to remind them constantly how much they are being loved because they would begin to doubt it and be misled easily.
She said that the NCPA has received 215,000 calls to its Childline 1929 during the past four years.
“However not all these calls that we received were complaints. Sometimes children call us to talk about their day or get help in their homework,” she said adding that among the phone calls about 28,000 of them were complaints against sexual abuse, neglect and other forms of abuse.
She stressed the importance of being with children because 90 per cent of abuse is initiated by a family member or friend.
Ms. Dissanayake added that they have successfully reached children in rural areas and that their next objective is to promote the Childline among children in Colombo.
She also said that only a person with great love and caring such as the founder of the Mallika Nivasa and mother of Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala, the late Mrs. Mallika Hewavitarne could have started a home for elders and children such as the Mallika Nivasa. It now shelters 82 elderly women and provides medical assistance to them. The society also runs the Parakrama Boys School and the Sneha Nursery.
New office bearers of the society were appointed. Ms. Savitri Peiris was named as the new President who took over the position from Ms. Hemantha Nanayakkara. Ms. Rohini Abeysekera was appointed as the new Deputy President who took over from Ms. Chandralatha Pattiarachchi. Ms. Priyadarshani Rajapakse was elected General Secretary taking over from Ayoma Palihakkara.