From beggar to millionaire

Who says begging is mean job when earning touches in lakhs? Many might well not believe it, but this is true. The story of Mohammed Jakir, an illegal immigrant from Bangladesh, is not of rags-to-riches one earned through growth accomplished via nine-to-five jobs or gruelling entrepreneurship of street vendors or small retailers or even toiling farmers. It is a story that shows how begging can make a huge difference so much so that a man becomes millionaire in his lifetime. While many of us may not earn as much money by sheer hard work and honest ways of earnings as Jakir could by begging, the beggar community should feel joyous that someone like them went on to create a record. In all, Jakir has amassed Rs. 75 laks.

Mohammad Jakir, the 42-year-old amputee, like thousands of other Bangladeshis, started begging at the age of 20. Jakir belongs to Mohammedpura district of Bangladesh. He, like other illegally living Bangladeshi nationals, crossed the Benapura Indo-Bangladesh border and came over to India in 1986. Jakir had lost his hands in childhood, and with no hands to work with, he made up his mind that he was destined to begging. That was perhaps the only left for him. Once in India, Jakir selected Mumbai as his work place, and for years, he begged on the streets near Gateway of India. Unlike other peers, Jakir was lucky to receive more money. Some he used to spend on his family in Mumbai, while the bulk of his daily earnings he started saving. And in two decades, Jakir saved enough to become a millionaire in Bangladesh.

According to this millionaire beggar, who revealed during interrogation, he earned a lot in Mumbai as people (Indians) shows extreme sympathy towards the handicaps. He even received a donation of Rs 1,100 from a single person. Other beggars would surely be envious of Jakir when they happen to listen to his earning. Some beggars, like Jakir, are lucky to find good clients, who are sympathetic to the poor state of the poor.

With huge regular earning, Jakir opted for a family life. Due to money more than average middle class families in Bangladesh, Jakir managed to marry a teenage girl, Naseema and also bought a house at Murtinagar. His being a handicapped did not stop him to grab a nice, young girl. So far, Jakir could produce five children from Naseema, four of them girls, who were born and brought in Mumbai. Not only he helped sustained his family but also saved enough money to become a millionaire.

However, Jakir revealed an interesting thing: he left Mumbai for Ajmer, as people in this business city lost care for handicapped, and with time Jakir felt that the earning might not be according to his expectations. So, he came to Ajmer for 'Urs'. It was again a turning in his begging career. In Ajmer, due to annual urs and frequent visitations of devotees in good number, Jakir found a new destination that could help increase his income.

Perhaps some day a Bollywood producer might think of making a motivational movie on the subject. Perhaps Jakir may find place in Guinness Book of Record. The next day when you meet a beggar on the traffic signal you should not be sure of his fortune. Dresses, like those of Jakir’s, don’t show off the real picture. Did we ever try to check the withered wallets of beggars? Only God knows how much they keep and still stand with askance face and protrude hands.