A new shelter home for destitute elderly persons was inaugurated in Kolkata on International Women’s Day, aiming to provide free housing, care and medical support to those left without family or financial backing.

A shelter for those with nowhere to go

“Tomar Thikana” has been set up as a 12-bed care home designed specifically for elderly individuals who have no family support or permanent shelter.

Unlike conventional old-age homes, the facility will not accept paid admissions or public applications. Instead, members of an organisation behind the initiative will identify elderly people living without support systems and bring them to the shelter.

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The idea, according to those involved, is to create a safe space where elderly individuals who have been abandoned or left alone can find stability and care.

Medical care and everyday support

Residents at the shelter will receive regular medical supervision with support from a hospital. This includes health monitoring, treatment when required and assistance with day-to-day living.

Organisers said the focus of the facility is not only to provide accommodation but also to ensure dignity, safety and a sense of belonging for the residents.

A Women’s Day initiative

The initiative was launched on International Women’s Day and aligns with this year’s theme, “Give it to Gain.”

The facility, named “Tomar Thikana”, was inaugurated in the presence of several public figures and professionals from healthcare, social service and public life. Among those present were Dr Manabi Bandyopadhyay, vice chairperson of the West Bengal Transgender Persons Development Board and principal of Krishnagar Women’s College; Debraj Chakraborty, member of the Mayor-in-Council of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation; fashion designer Santanu Guha Thakurta and psychiatrist Dr Dipankar Mukherjee.

Speaking during the inauguration, one of the important delegates, Soma Chakraborty, said the shelter was conceived as a meaningful way to contribute to the community rather than marking the day symbolically.

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“Tomar Thikana is not just a shelter, it is an attempt to restore dignity and belonging to those who have been forgotten by society,” she said.

For the people behind the initiative, the goal is simple: to ensure that elderly individuals who have nowhere left to turn can find care, stability and an address they can finally call their own.