Kuhuboto, Niuland commemorated the UN International Day of Older Persons 2026 on October 1.
Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 1
Niuland district observed the United Nations International Day of Older Persons 2026 on October 1. The event was organised by the Department of Social Welfare in Kuhuboto under the theme, ‘The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives.’ According to the organisers, senior citizens from 10 villages participated.
TY Peter Yanthan, District Programme Officer (DPO), Niuland, in his keynote address, highlighted the significance of the UN-led commemoration first observed in 1991 stating that it honours the life-long contributions of senior citizens. He said that old age as a tag should not serve as a discouragement and rather be a period of social engagement, coupled with eating healthy and sleeping adequately, while developing hobbies and keeping physically active. He said that participation in community activities goes a long way in reducing stress and promoting mental well-being.
Deputy Commissioner of Niuland district, TL Kiusumong Tikhir, said that the occasion should serve as a reminder of society’s responsibility to care for the elderly. Terming the elderly as repositories of knowledge and wisdom, he said he called for reviewing and bolstering the approach to elderly welfare and ensure that the targeted welfare schemes reached them.
While there are various schemes, he held that a large segment of the senior citizens in Niuland remain unreached by the Old-Age Pension Scheme and the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS) or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). He appealed the concerned department and the district administration to address the alleged coverage gap. Citing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, he highlighted the importance of pension support to prevent poverty among older persons who could no longer work or lacked family support.
A medical camp-cum-health awareness talk was organised in tandem with Dr Narola, Medical Officer, Primary Health Centre, Kuhuboto. According to the department, the event was supported by the Kuhuboto Ghakhu Sumi Totimi Loka, Nirmal Jain (Jhanjhari Old Daily Market, Dimapur), Vinay Sethi (Tinku) and family; Sanjay Kasliwal, and Punam Chand Baid.
