Elderly of Patamatalanka

Jasti Jaganmohan Rao, a senior citizen who served as a post master, refuses to go along the tide of city’s busy and mechanical life. After having served in the postal department at several places in Krishna district, he wanted to spend his twilight years at his son’s house at Patamatalanka, in the city. Rao built a network of fellow senior citizens for informal chats in the area. S Simhadri, a native of Avanigadda in Krishna district and a close relative of former minister late Simhadri Satyanarayana and Ramineni Krishna Rao, always wanted to join Jaganmohan Rao every evening.

Current politics, issues relating to the aged, family problems, children and grand children tend to become a feed for informal chats. This sort of outlet is a luxury for children in their mid-careers and even grand children in the thick of studies. With the busy Chennai-Kolkata national highway and swanky Trendset Mall on one side, Patamatalanka is a home to senior citizens endowed with the rare traits of sharing and social networks.

Open spaces adjacent to internal roads in the area turn rachcha bandas, adorning hordes of people with grey hair. The owners in the area in the past, made it a point to build houses with a rectangular shaped platforms called “arugulu” on the front side. This platforms enable neighbours to sit and indulge in free-wheeling discussions. These arugus disappeared, making way for road expansion over a period of time.

Patamatalanka was once a gram panchayat before Independence and continues to be one of the oldest localities in the city. Much water has flown and rapid urban growth literally gobbled up Patamatalanka. It is a witness to the city’s transformation into a metro ever since location of the capital and senior bureaucrats, ministers and people with an upward mobility turned Patamatalanka into their favourite dwelling place, changing its very face.

Jaganmohan Rao said he is addicted to get-togethers and love the fellow-senior citizens as much as his family members. “I can’t imagine my day without meeting them,” he said. Sensing the transition blues the senior citizens undergoing, local MLA built cement chairs at different places in the area with funds from MLAs. Atluri Koteswara Rao, who came from Vanukuru village, said Patamatalanka hosts informal chats involving more than 80 senior citizens at different places.

Chennupati Vidya, former MP and daughter of renowned atheist Gora, who came as a daughter-in-law of Patamatalanka a year before the Independence takes pride in continuing the rich tradition of sharing which is a stress buster in their locality.

By P Nagasrinivas