In the film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Benjamin played by Brad Pitt says, “It isn’t so bad to be old”. In India, till quite recently, old age was seen as a time for well-earned repose. The old were seen to be wise and worthy of respect. Today, old are seen to be dispensible. Notice, how politicians who are above the age of 50 are pilloried for being fuddy duddys who have outstayed their welcome.

Congress party general secretary Rahul Gandhi wants young people to stand for elections and we are told often enough that India has one of the youngest population in the world. Why is youth being considered to be so important and old so undesired?

As a nation, should we not ask for the best and brightest people to govern us or even guide us? Why should age define who or what we can become? Once upon a time, the differences between the two genders were upheld for reasons for strict division of roles: women were meant to cook and clean, and men were expected to bring home the bread. Similarly, we are once again drawing rigid boundaries where one age group is being demonised as being useless after a certain age and another age group are being seen as a pancea for all the problems that afflict this country.

The divide serves nobody well and if this nation has to do well, then we need to harness the best of every age group without discrimination. By encouraging a thought process where the old are seen as no longer being important, we will create a huge burden on society and lose out on valuable skills that every generation gathers on their way to old age.

Like Benjamin in the film, we need to realise that being old isn’t all that bad.