Trouble is brewing in what was once called the Pensioners' Paradise

Trouble is brewing in what was once called the Pensioners' Paradise. A spate of murders over the past few days reveals that senior citizens are now the most vulnerable in the city.
A sinking support system is directly proportional to increasing criminal activities. Gullible senior citizens have been caught in the crossfire.
Even the police have washed their hands of the responsibility of providing safety to the old. With the police commissioner, Shankar M Bidari, himself announcing that his forces can't provide security to the growing number of seniors, the old are left to fend for themselves to ensure their well-being.
Geetha K, a resident of Sunkadakatte, Magadi Road, agrees that 24/7 protection may not be possible but, "minimal protection can be expected".
Pushpa Ramani, another senior citizen feels it is wise for seniors to "stay in flats rather than in independent houses". She adds, "I always look through the window before opening the door. Since there is limited police patrolling here, we have to ensure our own safety."
As the city expands, security is being compromised, or so it appears. Senior citizens are aware of the risks and are gearing up. James George, 65, a resident of Sahakaranagar, feels that instead of relying on the police, senior citizens need to secure their homes. The security system could be magic eyes on the doors or even hi-tech gadgets that let know who's at the doorstep. He adds that most of the times seniors are killed by known people. "So a thorough background check of domestic helps is a must," he says.
It is easy to get isolated as neighbours get busy in their daily affairs. James suggests, "Keep your neighbours aware of your whereabouts. It is easy to blame others' lack of friendliness, but why wait for them."
Sixty-four-year-old Saramma and her husband feel grateful that the dogs chase away strangers and hence, "at least for the time being are keeping possible danger away."
Most welfare associations that started a few decades ago are now fading into oblivion as participation has trickled down. Narashimha Murthy, ex-secretary, Koramangla residents' welfare association, says, "We are in the process of reviving the association by organising sports and cultural activities." He adds "Twenty years back, residents would form groups and patrol in the night. But, who has the time now?"
Mirroring the concern is BM Devrajappa, president, Sahakaranagar Residents' Welfare Association. With help from the police, his association had collated data of seniors a decade back. "We had segregated seniors into two groups. Seniors whose children had settled abroad and the others who were childless. The data was maintained by them and submitted to the outpost station and the night patrol teams took turns to watch the blocks between 11pm to 4am."
But as the area expanded, the night watch programme was discontinued. "I think when we started there were about 250-300 houses and now there are more than a thousand. Monitoring has become difficult," he says.
N Lingappa, secretary, Indiranagar Residents' Welfare Association ,says, "We are very concerned about senior citizens and have regular meetings to ensure their safety. We are having discussions with various agencies and will take concrete steps soon."
S Krishnappa, a resident of Magadi Road, says there is no residents' welfare association in his area. Disturbed by the police commissioner's statement, he asks, "In case of problems where are we to go?"
Inputs by Bosky Khanna & Sudipa Chakraborty