India: where cry of humanity is at large

The news of Abhinav Bindra bagging a gold medal in the shooting event at the Beijing Olympics sounds music to the ears of every Indian. So does the news from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) that Chandrayan the Indian mission to the moon is all set to take off this year. Definitely feels proud especially when this comes at a time when our young and vibrant nation has turned 61 and celebrating the Independence Day on Friday, August 15, 2008.

However, there are some glaring realities that stare at our face when we walk around our motherland on its eve. In such sites the cry of humanity seems to be at large. I can narrate a few anecdotes from my personal experience to illustrate my point.

On a sunny afternoon, I stopped at the Chidambram, some 58 kilometre south of Pondicherry to see the beautiful 13th century temple dedicated to Lord Nataraja. As I walked down the dusty lane to take a look at the fabled temple, I was mobbed by few young females, holding infants in their arms, and begging for alms. I was aghast to see a big number of them approaching any foreigner visiting the temple. Most of them were young woman invariably holding toddlers some of whom were sucking their open breast. The cry of humanity haunted me at this site and the call of my consciousness forced me to part away with all the loose change to them.

At another occasion I stood at Chennai’s Madyakailash traffic junction, notorious for long hours of traffic jam. This is a place one has to take on the way to the IT corridor. Here one can spot several visually challenged persons moving with a collection box begging for alms. A six member blind orchestra playing live music backed them up. The soulful music that reverberated the air from the sound box put on top of the truck parked near the busy traffic junction, forced many like me to part with the loose changes.

These two episodes minutely profile the problem of beggars in the country and I could see a pattern in them. There are few distinct type of people engaged in this activity. One category forms of the old aged persons. In other category are those with physical deformity, like absence of limbs or having wound on their body. Then there are child beggars both boys and girls engaged in this activity. Young females with infants in their arms form another category. Those who are blind is yet another category. Added to them are the transgender.

There are several places where one may find beggars invariably in India. Local trains, railway platforms, railway satiations and place of worship where one can spot beggars. They are also found on the traffic signals, subways over bridges, market place and generally where large number of people frequent every day. In short, it’s difficult to not to spot a beggar in the Indian social milieu.

The most interesting aspect about these beggars is that in spite of being an epitome of abject poverty, misery, and pains some them are musical artist par excellence. One can find them play old songs, often full of pathos to draw attention and evoke sympathy. Often they would take the name of god and say’ “if you give then one paisa to me, god will give you ten lakhs.” There are some among then who have incredible folk talent. Their soulful folk songs impress the audience so much so that they are forced to give alms.

There are several reasons why one is forced into begging in India. It could range from abject poverty and family problems to failure in business or poor health. Some are forced to beg because their family members have abandoned them. In case of women they are abandoned by their husband, in case of old men they are abandoned by their children. Most of them took to begging out of compulsion that later becomes a matter of choice.

While some beg for survival, there are others who take to it easy to earn money. In Chennai rough estimates say that the amount involved in begging roughly could around Rs.15 crore every year. A member of a blind orchestra standing at the traffic junction could make nearly Rs.2, 000 a day. One good day can fetch up to Rs.200. The small children could add up to those numbers.

The Census of India counts beggars as non-working persons and begging is an offence under the Prevention of Begging Act, 1945. As per Section 144 of the Indian Railways Act, illegal hawking and begging are banned at railway stations. However, the fact is one cannot escape them if one visit railway station, bus station, market place, parks and temples.

There are reports that suggest about the existence of organized racket involved in this activity. This could be discerned from children seen begging in residential colonies for school fees. These kids carry bonafide certificates from schools which they don’t actually attend and doing this as a job on rental basis. Similarly the involvement of significant number of visually impaired persons, females with toddlers and child into the begging activity points the existence of some gangs. The police however deny this fact and say they can act only if some specific complaints were received by them.

Often beggars find themselves on the wrong side of law. Several beggars complain of police harassment that often chase them away or demand money for ignoring them. When a person is picked up from the street for begging, either he or she is taken to government run remand homes or to the care centres run by non-government organisations.

In government run remand homes the beggars could stay up to 15 days and if convicted up to three years. Those who stay long time are taught carpentry, tailoring, weaving and pottery. Those who are for short duration often return to their places and continue begging. Government has no statistics of what the inmates do after their period of confinement is over.

Compared to the government run homes NGOs are involved in rehabilitating the physically disabled, aged and the juvenile beggars are doing better job. Most of the old on the street that are on the verge of death are given end-of-life care. Those who are healthy are provided an opportunity for alternative livelihood through education and skills so that they live a dignified life.

At a time when our nation is on vibrant mood and turning 61, the countrymen should be alive towards to such realities that stares our faces. A rededicated effort should be made to rehabilitate them as they remind us: think twice it could be another day for you paradise.

Author

Syed Ali Mujtaba is a working journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba@yahoo.com