Beggars and Vagabonds
You just can’t escape them. They are everywhere. On the streets, at every traffic signal, at every temple, at all entertainment places, from towns to big metropolises - Indian beggars are omnipotent and unstoppable.
The city where I live is well known for its prowess in the IT field and the growth of the economy has been scorching over the past few years. The money just keeps rolling in for a privileged few, yet there has been no dramatic drop in the number of beggars. In fact there has been a steady increase to say the least. To illustrate the state of beggars, especially that of young children who take to begging, I would like to hark back to a joke I read some time before.
“A poor little girl was begging on the street. A man passed by and the girl mumbled, "Please, sir, give me some money for a fix." The man answers astonished, "Good heavens! But, how old are you, little girl?" "I'm eight, sir." "Oh, my god, and how long have you been into drugs?" "Since I was raped, sir, when I was four." "RAPED?! And who raped you, little girl?" "I don't remember, I was drunk”. It sounds hilarious, but that’s the poignant reality of the deprived children.
Just yesterday, I was standing at a signal when a little girl came and stood by me silently, begging for alms. Many must have taken a rupee out for her that evening - I didn’t. For one thing, I didn’t want to encourage a petite girl to take to begging, and for another I was amidst extensive traffic honking relentlessly making it impossible to take my purse out. I have no regrets for it though. A little girl begging in the dark when she should be tucked in at home, safe and sound, fast asleep - a pathetic sight.
Like prostitution, begging is an old profession and it’s sad that old habits die hard. For some, like in the case of the small girl it is just a family tradition. It is not that easy to give up the skills of earning a livelihood. In so far as I discern, charity is a virtue, but there is a significant difference between lending alms to a person who is old, weak or disabled and to somebody who pretends just to win a flash of pity from us and a few rupees.
Another point that strikes me as significant is that of the present day scenario of vagabonds. There are several ways of amusing oneself. Aiming cow dung at passengers in a moving bus was probably the one that had appealed to a pair of vagabonds walking beside the bus at a crammed bus terminus. As the bus started, I saw the two smirking but did not have an inkling of what they were up to. Almost suddenly their hands went up as they took aim and the next instant a black lump came flying through the window only to disintegrate into patches on half a dozen unfortunate men inside. Bewilderment was followed by indignation at this vicious amusement and as the bus sped away, I saw the two young vagabonds apparently pleased at what they had done laughing uproariously. It was comforting fact that I was not one of the victims of the loathsome game. An experienced commuter said that one should be grateful that dung and not stone was chosen to aim at the passengers. This social trait provides ample grounds for abhorrence towards the idle rogues and sturdy beggars.
In the circumstances stated above, what baffles me most is the inordinate delay in the curbing of this social evil, if I may call it. Now the question is, what can be done from our part? No law or reform can stop the profession of begging unless we as citizens do it in a way that we find just. Let us not encourage it where it shouldn’t be.
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