Senior citizens require compassion that is the normal statement. Under certain cirumstances they don't require because they sometime play the role of dhirudurastra. Remember, a story in Mahabharatha soon afterthe victory over kavuravas the pandavas visited the king's palace. Both the king and queen couldn't supress their sad demise of thier 100 sons at the hands of pandavas. But, they didn't show it, unstead they welcomed them cheerfully. At one stage, dhirudhurastra moved towards Bhima to embrace him ,sensing an impending trouble, krishna placed a metallic idol in front of bhima . The bereaved king embraced and crushed it into pieces.
This story has its relevance even today. Look at the way the senior citizens are behaving my family, my progeny my future generation no compassion for others.
Today's senior citizens were the ones who created or rather brought in nucleus family concept to India. In the 1970's or early 80's they just seperated (in most cases, delibrately) from their in-laws houses. Now, they spend their autumn of the years in the old age homes. AS YOU SOW SO SHALL YOU REAP the saying goes..........
