Happy days: Members of a laughter club in Mumbai have fun imitating the way politicians smile and greet people

When P.C. Singhi retired as an IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre in 1988, he made up his mind that he would not spend his days in listless inactivity. Instead, he decided to work for the uplift of tribals. But thanks to several unexpected twists and turns in his life’s path, he ultimately found himself in Mumbai’s court rooms where he has been fighting a long legal battle against a well-known cancer surgeon.

But that didn’t stop him from offering consultancy on issues ranging from consumer rights to family disputes at Public Health Awareness and Action, a non governmental organisation (NGO) he established a decade ago. “My office is everywhere ? my home, railway platforms, corners of courts and the bag I carry on my back,” smiles Singhi.

Elizabeth Mehta is another senior citizen who is making the most of her retirement. Mehta, who used to work as project director of the School Development Programme, Aga Khan Education Service, Mumbai, founded an NGO after she retired in 2002. Now she devotes her life to educating the young girls of her neighbourhood slums.

For both Mehta and Singhi, earning money is not important ? using their retirement years in a meaningful way and not let post-retirement blues and boredom get them down is.

Says Sheelu Srinivasan, who heads Dignity Foundation, an NGO that works towards the empowerment of senior citizens, “Most senior citizens who are keeping busy do not seek any financial remuneration.”

While Singhi feels that seniors must devote some time and energy to their children and grandchildren, S.S. Didolkar, who retired as the principal chief general manager, Reserve Bank of India, in 1999, holds a different view. He does spend an hour every day e-mailing his four children in Australia, but says, “One should not get too attached to one’s children and must avoid the strain of worrying about them.”

Dr Manorama Mittal, who retired as the head of the zoology department of Patkar College, Mumbai, shares a similar view. “Today, seniors want time to relax rather than be saddled with caring for their grandchildren.”

Dr Mittal keeps busy by involving herself with a local mahila mandal and with senior citizen associations whose members, she says, interact with one another like a family. “A single call and everybody comes to your aid,” she says. In dealing with that empty-nest feeling, Dr Mittal advises, “It is important to avoid brooding on the past, to interact with as many people as possible and to accept retirement as a part of life.”

It is this acceptance of retirement that saved Didolkar a lot of heartbreak. “One must understand that one will no longer have the same pomp and show of life in service and one will be an ordinary citizen.” After retiring, perks and privileges like office accommodation and office car have to be done without, and the faster one comes to terms with that, the better, he says.

For the last three years, Didolkar has been the non-executive chairman of SBI-CI, a State Bank of India subsidiary. “I enjoy the work, do not feel lonely, and am busier than ever,” he says. And once every week, he looks forward to visiting an 88-year-old woman in the neighbourhood, as part of the Dignity Companionship Programme.

Though most of these senior citizens are fortunate enough to have a home, housing is still a problem for some. The Dignity Foundation is addressing this issue by offering homes to about 500 of its members at the Dignity Lifestyle Township, about 90 km from Mumbai. At the township, the seniors can be involved in a fair mix of relaxation and developmental activities in and around six neighbouring villages.

To minimise physical debilitation, an inevitable part of old age, these elders focus on keeping themselves physically and mentally fit by joining laughter clubs or by simply taking a walk. For instance, Didolkar walks 4 to 5 km daily along Marine Drive and practises yoga. Again, Dr C.T. Patankar, who has been working as the secretary of the Cricket Club of India after retiring from a job in the textile industry, simply walks a few kilometres to the suburban train station. Besides, he keeps his interest in theatre and Indian classical music alive. “There is no time to be lonely, as it is already 8 pm by the time I reach home,” he says.

By keeping active and remaining involved with society, Didolkar and others of his ilk have managed to keep boredom and depression at bay. Says Dilip Sardesai, who retired from test cricket in 1973, and who now plays a lot of bridge to keep himself mentally agile: “Time passes like anything. If you cultivate hobbies and are a member of a club, life cannot be lonely.”