BEGGING BUSINESS
Before I start this post, I express my gratitude and heartfelt and a BIG THANK YOU to my dearest friend and brother Tarun Rohra for sharing some vital information on the topic. I also Would like to express my thanks to Google for some important data.
Imagine yourself going somewhere and suddenly you approach a beggar and specially a deformed one. Maybe they do not have eyes or a body part is not in functional order. You see that beggar and feel sorry and give some money to the poor beggar and they go away. You might think that you did a great deed by giving some money. Here is the time that you are wrong and there is more than what meets the eye. Your amount of money does not really reach the beggar. In fact it goes to their leader who makes them beg. Sad but true. This begging problem specially in India has taken a shape of professional business.
There is a large syndicate that is operating in quite some parts of India. The ring leader kidnaps children and many times makes them handicapped in many ways and send them to beg and earn. Later when the children go to beg and whatever money they get goes to the ring leader and children get nothing. So the money you think has gone in the hands of a poor beggar has actually been wasted. This was also shown in Danny Boyle's award winning film The Slumdog Millionaire" starring Dev Patel, Irrfan Khan and many more.
At many times Begging is not just limited to money. Many times beggars ask for medicines also. For that they prepare bogus prescriptions and fake patient's name also. This something new I came to know that even for medicines beggars do all this and God knows that the might be doing with the Medicines. Does it reach the required patient?? I really have no clue about this.
Then there is one more scam in the begging business.If the beggars get something to eat like biscuits. After they get biscuits specially the brand new packed ones they give it to shop owners in exchange of money and then with that money they probably buy cheap drugs. Again money wasted indirectly. Above Medicine scam and this biscuit scam information was given to me by my friend Tarun as he has gone through this.
https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1781351
The Above link is a survey about the Begging problem in INDIA covering maximum states and Maharashtra is Ranked 27th in this survey.
Since in the start I raised the problems that how this business is going or proceeding. Now anyone who reads this might think that what is the solution to this. i can give an Idea on personal level as to how we can do our part that might just help. The first and the most important step to curb this Begging menace is do not give them a single penny from your side as the reason now is known to many. If any of them cry that they have not eaten for some days buy them some eatables and make them eat in front of your eyes so that you are assured that your money again is not gone in cheap drugs. In Anyway do not give them any amount of money.
In the above survey there were quite few mentions that how NGOS,Government and many bodies are coming ahead with schemes and plans to tackle the Begging problem. Many plans are being formulated for rehabilitation of children involved in begging. The governing authorities will do their work in rehabilitating the beggars but will this Menace of Begging ever get curbed or rather be done with. Will the people involved in this Begging Business ever understand that now their time to stop has come? It is a difficult situation. Even with all facilities or plans we make for them to do better, will they change in future and stop getting involved in this Begging Business.Only time will give the answer.
The END
