Irony died again. This time, at the Prime Minister's Office when a junior official sat down to acknowledge the receipt of Rs 1,063 scraped together by a group of aged citizens from their paltry pension.
Over a hundred senior citizens from across 10 states had chipped in mostly with Rs 7 each - a day's pension - to raise Rs 1,063 to sensitise the highest decision-makers of the land to the plight of the elderly living below the poverty line.
The covering letter that was sent with the donation mentioned that the money was raised by the donors in the hope that the PMO would recognise their " tyaag (sacrifice)" and the money would be used judiciously.
What they got in return a month later on June 6 was a perfunctory response from the PMO. "We acknowledge with thanks the generous contribution made to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund," the letter said.
The acknowledgement letter with a formal receipt added: "The Prime Minister appreciates this thoughtful gesture and conveys his gratitude. This valuable contribution will be of immense help in providing assistance to the persons in distress."
There was no mention of the key points raised in the letter sent on behalf of the old-age pensioners by the Pension Parishad, a collective of organisations working in the social sector.
