Pull up a chair, let's talk

Kalyani Muralidharan, a 77-year-old resident of R K Nagar in Mandaveli, had no clue about new scamming tactics and updated bank rules for secure transactions, until she began attending weekly meetups every Saturday morning with fellow senior citizens at the R K Nagar park. But soon, she the 77-year-old found companionship as well, in her neighbours.
“My children are busy with work, and my grandchildren with school. There was no one I could speak to as I felt no one had the time or patience. But now I’ve found a community where I feel I belong,” she says.
R Balakrishnan, a retired electrical engineer who has been living in the neighbourhood for 30 years, had not interacted with his neighbours until he joined the meetups. “Only after talking to them did I realise there are people from diverse careers among us, such as architects, engineers, doctors, economists and professors,” says the 76-year-old.
Like Kalyani and Balakrishnan, many senior citizens in and around Mandaveli walk into the park every week, to be a part of these meetings organised by the RK Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association. They participate in cultural activities and discussions, about anything and everything.
“The idea is to create a sense of community in the seniors in the area and integrate them in a way where they feel like they belong and have something to offer still,” says K L Subramanian, secretary of the association. “Most of their children are settled or studying abroad, and they are often alone with no one to rely on. Through this community, they will have someone to look out for them.”
At the meetings, everything from health tips to current affairs is discussed. “In one, a person shared his experiences with cardiac problems. Through him, we understood how heart ailments can be avoided, diagnosed, and treated. Since we have a doctor in the group, we have someone to discuss health issues with,” says Balakrishnan.
The seniors say having people from different fields talk about different things also piques one’s interest in the field, opening an avenue for learning something new every week.
Launched two months ago, the association hosted its first cultural event last week — a flute and Carnatic music performance by the seniors. They now plan to introduce more cultural activities in the coming weeks, such as music and stand-up comedy shows, and discussion forums.
Resident associations, says Subramanian, must integrate seniors into the community. “We need to look after them, and this is one way to do it. We are planning to add children into this initiative and plan activities for seniors and kids accordingly.” The meetings take place every Saturday at RK Nagar Park, Mandaveli, from 7.30am to 8.30am.