New Delhi:
Dwarak Paswan is among the 1000-odd protesters who have assembled from across the country at Delhi's Jantar Mantar to press the Centre for universalisation and enhancement of old-age pension.
The 65-year-old rickshawpuller from Bihar hopes that his voice would count because the time is running out for him.
He makes about Rs 150 a day, from which he pays Rs 50 as rent for his cycle rickshaw. The rest goes into supporting his wife, and a differently-abled son. Paswan has not managed to get a Below Poverty Line (BPL) card so he is not entitled to any support from the government. In a few years from now, Paswan will perhaps lose the strength to ply his cycle rickshaw. And with the thought of what he'll do next, he breaks into tears.
Paswan is among the countless elderly poor who have been left out of the pension bracket because the government says it will give aid to only those who own a BPL card. However, the activists say the government should instead universalise the pension for those above 60 years of age.
"We are simply saying universalise old age pension. We are demanding Rs 2000 and are willing to negotiate on the amount, but we can't be paid Rs 200. There is got to be some decency and dignity. The government is saying we will universalise it but by 2017, but we can't wait that long," said activist Aruna Roy, who is supporting the protesters.
Currently, some states pay out old-age pension to the elderly, but the amount varies. For instance, Goa pays out Rs 2000 per month to the aged, while Delhi pays Rs 1000. But activists say the government has to take the lead, and pension has to be paid out without any conditions.
For now though, the activists haven't made any headway in their talks with the government. And so people like Dwarak Paswan are left with nothing, but worries about their future, and their existence.