beggars and begging scams are increasing at an alarming rate as a concerned citizen, write an article on the problem of Begging in India in 150-200words
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
Begging is one of the most serious social issues in India. In spite of its rapid economic growth, India is a poverty-driven country, which is also leading to the growth of beggars in the country. Most of them come from Bangladesh and some of them are from India. There are few beggars in the country who actually are the real ones, who beg because they are handicapped, because of their inability to work or because they are old or blind or because they really need money for basic needs. There are many others who live far below the poverty line and opt for begging to earn their livelihood.
In some cases, we find the entire family is involved in begging. The family members keep on increasing with marriage and birth and each of them gets into begging on streets or temples. Children of such families do not go to school but only beg. They have to do begging because their family’s income is not enough to feed the entire family in a day. Here, poverty is one big reason for such a situation. But at the same time, begging is not the solution for such a situation.
Begging in India as a scam
But poverty is just one side of the story. Poverty is real in India but not begging. Begging in India has become a big racket in the country. For many, begging is just like any other profession. They go out to earn money, not by working, but by begging. In fact, there are begging gangs in cities like Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Kolkata etc. These gangs have their own gang leaders. Each leader allots a particular territory for a group of beggars and the day’s earnings are shared among them. The gang leader keeps the larger share. These beggars are so involved in begging that they don’t want to work elsewhere. It’s strange but true that some of these beggars earn in thousands and lakhs, much more than a normal middle class worker.
It is very difficult to find out who is a real beggar and who is not because looks are very deceptive. Even the children with their dirty faces with pleading looks are properly trained to beg and look real. Sometimes our heart melts when we see a young woman holding her tiny baby, begging on the streets. In most cases, the baby is found sleeping. This is a scam. Many sting operations have revealed that babies are rented to give credibility to begging. Sometimes, babies are drugged for the entire day so that they look sick and they can be easily carried from one area to another by the young women beggars.
The beggars are trained to become very persistent while begging that you are bound to give them money. This is especially true for foreigners when they do not know how to react in such situations and ultimately give money to the beggars. Some of the young beggars also become anti-social elements of the country. They get into drugs. To buy drugs, they start with begging first, then slowly graduate to pick pocketing and then move on to bigger scams like robbing and killing.
What should we do?
Begging has grown at a significant rate in India. It is estimated that half a million people in India are beggars. The government, varied organizations, activists claim that many measures have been taken to abolish begging and it has been successful to a certain extent. But the trend of begging still continues. We are also to be blamed. We as Indians are very orthodox, God-fearing and have a religious frame of mind. This compels us to do charity. And one easy way is to visit a nearby temple and give alms to the beggars there.
But as the citizens of this country, it is our moral responsibility to stop this menace and the best way is to stop giving alms. It might seem that we are very heartless in not giving money to a little child begging on the street, but this is one step that we can take to prevent begging. If more and more people come out and take a pledge that they are not going to give a single penny to any beggar, irrespective of their need, I am sure, beggary will then be completely uprooted from our country.
Answer:
Despite India's rapid economic growth in recent years, poverty and begging are still among the biggest issues in India. For a foreign tourist who's not used to seeing so much widespread poverty, it can be confronting and difficult to resist giving money. However, the reality is that it's likely you're not actually helping.
Important Things to Know
It's estimated that there are around 500,000 beggars in India -- half a million people! And, this is despite the fact that begging is a crime in most states in India.
In general, beggars can be categorized into two types. Those who have no choice and are forced to do it, and those who have mastered the art of begging and make a substantial amount of money from it.
While poverty is real, begging is quite often carried out in organized gangs. For the privilege of begging in a certain territory, each beggar hands over their takings to the gang's ringleader, who keeps a significant share of it. Beggars have also been known to deliberately maim and disfigure themselves to get more money.
In addition, many children are abducted in India and forced into begging. The statistics are alarming. According to the Indian National Human Rights Commission, up to 40,000 children are abducted every year. The whereabouts of more than 10,000 of them remain unknown. What's more, it's estimated that 300,000 children across India are drugged, beaten and made to beg every day. It's a multi-million dollar industry that's controlled by human trafficking cartels. Police do little to address the problem because they often assume that the children are with family members or other people who know them.
Plus, there are inconsistencies in the law on how to deal with child beggars. Many are too young to be punished.
Quite a bit of welfare work in India has been directed at reducing begging, including provided beggars with jobs, with varying degrees of success. The most common problem is that the beggars are so used to begging that they actually prefer not to work. In addition, many of them make more money from begging than what they would if they did work.
Where Is Begging Most Likely to be Encountered?
Begging is most prevalent anywhere there are tourists. This includes important monuments, railway stations, religious and spiritual sites, and shopping districts. In big cities, beggars will often be found at major traffic intersections as well, where they approach vehicles while the lights are red.
Common Scams to Watch out For
In Mumbai in particular, visitors are often approached by a child or woman wanting some powdered milk to feed a baby. They will assist you to a nearby stall or shop that conveniently happens to sell tins or boxes of such “milk”. However, the milk will be expensively priced and if you hand over the money for it, the shopkeeper and the beggar will simply split the proceeds between them.
Beggars also rent babies from their mothers each day, to give their begging more credibility. They carry these babies (who are sedated and hang limply in their arms) and claim they have no money to feed them.
How to Best Deal With Begging
Beggars come in all shapes and sizes in India, and they have many different methods of pulling at your heartstrings in an attempt to get money. Visitors to India should give some advance thought as to how to react to begging. Unfortunately, too many foreigners feel that they MUST do something to help them. The beggars are also often quite persistent and won’t take no for an answer. As a result, tourists start doling out money. But should they?
While it can seem heartless, it's usually best to ignore beggars in India. There are so many that even if you want to give them, it’s not possible to give to them all. Another common problem is that if you give to one beggar, such a gesture will quickly attract others. The reality is that, as a foreigner, you're not responsible for solving India's problems
Also, do keep in mind that the beggars can be very deceptive, even the children. While they may be all smiles or pleading faces, they could very well be speaking rudely to you in their own language.
Tips for Giving
If you really do want to give to beggars, only give 10-20 rupees at a time. Only give when you’re leaving a place, not arriving, to prevent being mobbed. Try to give to those who are elderly or legitimately crippled. Especially avoid giving to women with babies because the babies usually aren't theirs.