Introduction
On October 5th, 2025, Kasaragod plays host to a historic event: the first Kerala State Conference of the Geriatric Society of India (GSICON 2025). This gathering of medical professionals, researchers, policymakers, and civil society marks a milestone in Kerala’s journey to advance elder care. More importantly, for Kasaragod, it offers a moment of reflection—on its past, present, and the unique challenges its elders face amidst shifting social, cultural, and economic landscapes.The theme of ageing with wisdom is especially fitting here. Kasaragod, Kerala’s northern frontier, is a land where history, language, and migration intersect in fascinating ways.
It has always stood apart in its pluralism, resilience, and adaptability. Yet, as its population ages, new questions arise: Can elders live dignified, socially connected, and secure lives? Can healthcare evolve rapidly enough to address chronic disease, dependency, and dementia? And crucially, can community and state together respond to the growing challenges of ageing without wealth? This conference is not merely about discussing diseases or services. It is about shaping the future of elder care in a district that represents both diversity and demographic transition. GSICON Kasaragod is an occasion to brainstorm ideas, share innovations, and catalyze action, ensuring that the wisdom and dignity of elders are cherished.A Region in Transition: The Exodus of the Young Like much of Kerala, Kasaragod has witnessed dramatic demographic change. Agriculture, fishing, and small-scale trades once formed the region’s economic backbone.
Today, however, the district lags behind the faster industrial and service growth seen elsewhere.Unable to find gainful opportunities locally, thousands of young people leave—toward Indian metros and especially Gulf countries. More than half a lakh Malayalis emigrated from Kasaragod for work, and in just the last five years, student migration has surged. This silent exodus reshapes society in multiple ways:Villages filled with children and youth now grow visibly older and quieter. Grandparents become the main custodians of ancestral homes, while sons and daughters remain overseas. The “care vacuum” grows deeper—elders remain behind, while those who might support them live far away.This enforced mobility also results in a thinning of traditional joint families. Elders, once embedded in bustling kinship networks, now lead solitary or semi-nuclear lives. The loss is not just numerical but emotional: the absence of daily intergenerational contact erodes the sense of belonging for many seniors.
At the same time, subtle population shifts occur. Certain linguistic and social communities expand through migration, while traditional groups decline in number. These demographic oscillations further complicate the identity and social cohesion of the region.The Dwindling of Kannada: A Vanishing Heritage One of the starkest cultural transformations in Kasaragod is the decline of Kannada. For generations, Kannada was vibrant here, symbolizing the region’s borderland identity between Kerala and Karnataka. Today, however, Kannada-speaking households are shrinking rapidly. Many families report that the language is spoken only by grandparents. Younger generations, assimilating into Malayalam or moving abroad, rarely uphold Kannada as their primary language.The 2011 Census confirmed a sharp drop in the Kannada-speaking percentage of the district.
This poses twin challenges:
cultural erosion and widening insecurity among linguistic minorities. Elders are the repositories of this heritage, but as their numbers decrease, an entire layer of identity risks being erased. This slow vanishing recalls the decades-old agitation demanding recognition for Kannada in local governance and education—a cause that still echoes in senior citizens’ memories. Social and Cultural Shifts Migration has reshaped much more than language. Extended families and traditional kinship systems have steadily withered. The joint family, once the defining unit of Kasaragod society, is now rare. Many elderly couples—or widows—live alone, without the daily bustle of children or grandchildren. Yet, amidst this thinning of social fabric, cultural continuities remain.
Elders still preserve Theyyam, Poorakkali, Yakshagana, and folk epics—heritage arts that distinguish Kasaragod from both mainstream Kerala and Karnataka. Temple cuisine, dialect-rich storytelling, and ritual festivals also survive, thanks largely to older generations. These layers of tradition represent not only spiritual practice but also supportive social spaces for elders. Thus, Kasaragod continues to stand as a corridor between two states, shaped by shared and hybrid traditions rather than singular identities. Dependence on Mangalore and Cross-Border Bonds Despite being geographically part of Kerala, Kasaragod is deeply connected to neighboring Karnataka, particularly Mangalore.
The city serves as the anchor for higher education, tertiary healthcare, banking, and even ceremonial life. For elders, this dependency is especially acute: Many choose Mangalore hospitals for serious health interventions. Pensioners and retirees often maintain accounts in Karnataka banks, reflecting older patterns of administrative alignment. Families routinely cross the border for weddings, rituals, and community gatherings. During the COVID-19 pandemic, border closures triggered deep distress, particularly among elders requiring urgent medical access. This experience revealed how fragile the district’s infrastructure has been, caught between two states’ administrative priorities.
Thus, Kasaragod represents not only a pluralistic culture but a borderland dependency, with elders navigating hybrid identities and dual socio-economic ties. Shifting Labor and Economic Patterns Traditional agriculture, including arecanut plantations, increasingly relies on migrant workers from Bengal and northern India. Similarly, the district’s healthcare system depends heavily on home nurses and aides from outside Kerala.This shift produces two realities:Elders retain their ancestral homes and properties but often employ outside labor for maintenance.Local identity grows more layered, as newer communities balance old demographic equations.Such transitions underline a central paradox: elders remain custodians of land, memory, and home—but increasingly reliant on outsiders for occupation, care, and labor.
The Kerala Paradox: Ageing Without Wealth Kerala is celebrated worldwide for longevity and social development. But longevity has arrived without proportional prosperity. Unlike rich nations that became wealthy before ageing, Kerala and Kasaragod are growing old amid modest resources.For many elders:Pension or retirement income is absent or insufficient.Health expenditures outpace personal savings. Widows, in particular, face long years of financial as well as emotional vulnerability.
The Mahabharata reminds:
“जरामृत्यू हि à¤ूतानां खादितारौ वृकाविव”
“Old age and death devour beings like wolves among sheep.”
The Atharva Veda blesses:
“कृण्वन्तु विश्वे देवाः आयुष्टे शरदः शतम्”
“May the gods grant you a lifespan of 100 years.”But here, longevity often equals chronic disease without sufficient support. Loneliness and Emotional CostsWith migration of children, the sharpest challenge many elders face is loneliness. Phone calls and digital chats, while welcome, are a poor substitute for presence. Widows suffer disproportionately—grappling not only with solitude but also economic precarity and lack of immediate medical support.
The Ramayana counsels:
“It is difficult for the children to repay the debt of what the mother and father have done to bring them up.”As family structures contract, the risk of depression, dementia, and social disconnection rises dramatically, calling for urgent innovations in psycho-social geriatric care. Rays of Hope: Infrastructure and Digital Access Despite hardships, the last decade has delivered notable improvements:Expansion of the national highway (NH-66) has woven the district closer to Kerala’s mainstream. Kannur and Mangalore airports have eased access to distant family and specialized health services.Electrified railway lines now make travel safer and faster for elders. The digital ecosystem—from telemedicine consultations to digital pension accounts—has increased elders’ autonomy.Slowly but surely, elders are learning to use digital platforms, bridging distances with dispersed families. Geriatric Care: The Emerging Focus The Geriatric Society of India (GSI) has recognized the urgency of focusing on elder health. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, dementia, osteoarthritis, and cancer require specialized and coordinated care. Rehabilitation and palliative services are expanding, but unevenly.
Mental health awareness for seniors, especially for widows and isolated individuals, is increasing.Cultural interventions, like community storytelling circles and performing arts festivals for seniors, help battle isolation. This inaugural conference in Kasaragod aims to consolidate these different strands into a coherent roadmap: medicine, psychology, culture, economics, and governance.
GSICON Kasaragod: Shaping the Future The first Kerala State Conference of the Geriatric Society of India is not just symbolic. It marks a turning point for Kasaragod.It brings together medical experts, public health professionals, administrators, and community leaders.It provides a platform to brainstorm practical geriatric service models tailored for Kasaragod’s unique needs. It highlights inclusive practices—ensuring local services address Malayalam, Kannada, Tulu, Konkani, Beary, and Urdu speakers alike. It will catalyze innovations—from mobile geriatric clinics and telemedicine networks to community-based day-care models—so elders need not suffer in silence. As the Ramayana says:
“To respect and obey the wise is the way of righteousness.”
GSICON embodies this principle by placing elders at the center of policy, science, and compassion.Conclusion: A District’s Mandate Kasaragod stands at a threshold. With seven languages, historic cross-border links, and plural identities, it is uniquely placed to model inclusive, compassionate elder care for all of Kerala.By aligning government policy, professional expertise, and community participation, the district can ensure that old age is not a stage of neglect but a time of dignity, creativity, and fulfillment.
As Sanskrit wisdom teaches:
“शयानं चानुशेते हि तिष्ठन्तं चानुतिष्ठति।
अनुधावति धावन्तं कर्म पूर्वकृतं नरम्॥”
“Karma follows man—whether he sleeps, stands, or runs. "GSICON Kasaragod is a chance to sow the right karma for collective wellbeing. If we act with vision today, the elders of tomorrow can live with security, pride, and love.Final Souvenir NoteKasaragod: Ageing with Wisdom in a Land of Many Tongues and Changing Times.
This inaugural conference is the beginning of a new chapter—where ideas converge, solutions emerge, and a brighter model of geriatric care for Kasaragod takes shape.
- Dr Narayana Paradeep
(Information gathered from Various Sources)
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