They gave their best years to the Indian space programme. In their autumn years, at least some of them need a helping hand. If things pan out well, an old-age home for retired hands of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) units in the State capital could turn a reality.
Mooted by the ISRO Pensioners' Association, the project has received support from ISRO chairman S. Somanath, who was in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. A retirement home has become a necessity as many former employees – battling loneliness, ailments and even safety issues – find the going tough in their old age, association leaders said.
The association had sought ISRO's help with the project a few years ago when Mr. Somanath was director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), one of the ISRO units in Thiruvananthapuram. However, it could not be taken forward due to the pandemic. As per a preliminary proposal, ISRO would chip in with the initial investment and the 3,000-strong association would meet the running cost. Such details, however, are yet to be finalised, VSSC sources said.
''We need to take this idea forward. Care for the elderly is going to be a major issue the country will face. We need to look at what we can do at least for this small community (ISRO community in Thiruvananthapuram),'' said Mr. Somanath, who interacted with former employees at the biennial conference of the association on Friday.
Ever since the 1960s, when Thumba in the district became the launch pad for the Indian space programme, Thiruvananthapuram has attracted scientists and engineers from all over the country. Over the decades, the ‘ISRO community’ in the Kerala capital has flourished. Apart from the VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram today is home to the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre and the ISRO Inertial Systems Unit, in addition to the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST).
ISRO employees hailing from other parts of Kerala and the country who joined the space units in Thiruvananthapuram opted to settle here after their retirement. The southern city’s attractions included good healthcare facilities and relatively lower cost of living.
“Many retired hands have a tough time in their old age. An old-age home can go a long way in making their lives comfortable. For instance, their children may have moved away for higher education or jobs. You can’t blame the children for trying to secure a promising future for themselves,’‘ said Johnson S. Fernandez, general secretary of the ISRO Pensioners’ Association.
