Rupnagar, October 23: Senior Citizens Council (Regd.) Rupnagar celebrated International Senior Citizens Day with great enthusiasm and respect at Government Girls Senior Secondary Smart School Rupnagar. The function started with Shabad singing by the girl students of the school. After this, a two-minute silence was observed to pay tribute to the departed Finance Secretary Suresh Chander and member Shyam Singh of the council.
President S. Surinder Singh Togar welcomed the chief guest SDM Jaspreet Singh and special guests Tehsildar Rupnagar Surinder Pannu, Municipal Council President Inderpal Singh Raju Satyal, Market Committee Chairman Bhag Singh Madan, Improvement Trust Chairman Shiv Kumar Lalpura, District Public Relations Officer Karan Mehta and State Bank of India Chief Manager Amandeep Saini with bouquets and mementos.
Chief Guest SDM Jaspreet Singh shared his office experiences and said that about 30 percent of the family matters that come to him are related to the elderly. He said that many of these issues can be resolved by the family members sitting together and talking. He appealed to the youth to take out time to sit with the elderly, listen to their stories and support them to reduce the growing distance between children and the elderly. He congratulated the council and the president for the smooth organization of the event.
District Public Relations Officer Karan Mehta, citing health tips shared by health guide Anurag Rishi and neurologist and cognitive science brain coach Dr. Shweta Aditya, provided information about the correct method of deep breathing and its potential health benefits.
Council Auditor Engr. Didar Singh shared the information and said that during the function, action was taken regarding the second special amendment in the constitution of the council. After the report submitted by the Constitution Amendment Committee on 19 October 2026 was approved by the executive, the member secretary of the council, Mrs. Parminder Kaur Pandohal, read out the proposed amendments in detail. President Surinder Singh Togarh sought suggestions from the members present. After no suggestions were received, consent was sought to accept the amendments, which was unanimously approved by the members present by raising their hands.
On this occasion, the President handed over a memorandum of demands related to various demands of the elderly and Senior Citizens Bhawan to Inderpal Singh Raju Satyal, representative of the constituency MLA Advocate Dinesh Kumar Chadha. Raju Satyal assured to make efforts to get the demands accepted on priority basis.
The Chief Guest released the 13th souvenir of the Council and its copies were distributed among the members and guests present. Three office bearers Harbans Singh, Avtar Singh Longia and Gurbachan Singh Bailey were honored for their special contribution to the activities of the Council. Apart from this, senior member B.S. Saini was also honored for playing a special role in the amendments to the Constitution.
Apart from this, senior citizens Waryam Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Usha Tandon, Rajinder Kaur Walia, Sangat Singh Longia and Sukhdev Singh Miyapur along with teachers Javatinder Kaur and Kuljit Kaur were also honored.
Mohan Singh Chahal, Mrs. Bharpur Kaur and Raj Kumar Sikka, along with Manpreet Singh, a contractor associated with Senior Citizens Bhawan, Shabad singing students, a girl guide company, a team presenting environmental plays and vendors of handmade products were honored with medals, shawls and mementos for their contribution in the field of sports.
On this occasion, Council President Surinder Singh Togarh, Senior Vice President Parminder Bir Singh Cheema and General Secretary Parminder Kaur Pandohal were honored by the members of the Council and Chairman Dr. R. S. Parmar with medals and mementos for their excellent performance.
During the function, children of Prakash Memorial School, Harjinder Bharaj who arrived from ISRO Mohali, a drama troupe presenting the environmental play ‘Chanan De Vanjare’, music teacher Gurpreet Kaur and Surinder Singh Nangal, Shiv Kumar, Kehar Singh and Sukhvir Singh entertained the elders through their artistic and cultural performances. These performances made the function memorable.
Council Chairman and eminent social worker Dr. R. S. Parmar shared important points regarding healthcare of the elderly. He stressed on the need for the younger generation to learn from the experiences of the elderly, take time to inquire about their well-being and serve them.
Council advisor and senior Congress leader Ramesh Goyal, Engineer Karnail Singh, Engineer Harjit Singh Saini, Amarjit Singh Bajrur, Jaganandan Singh Rehal, Executive Member Hazura Singh Gurnam Singh Dhami, Organizing Secretary Sarabjit Singh and other members including financial supporters contributed to the smooth conduct of the event. The Council President appreciated and thanked all the colleagues. The Council President informed that the monthly meeting held on the first date will not be held this month.
The event was well hosted by the Council’s General Secretary, Mrs. Parminder Kaur Pandohal. Finally, the Council Chairman, Dr. R. S. Parmar, thanked all the guests, members and associates who attended the event and requested everyone to leave after having langar.
