BEGGAR PROBLEM

 

 

The study of the beggar problem conducted by the Madras School of Social Work, has revealed certain basic and hitherto unknown facts about beggars. It clearly shows how this chronic problem of eradication of beggary and rehabilitation of beggars, has not been tackled by the Govt of India in a scientific way. The data collected shows that there are about 5000 beggars in the city of Madras and about Rs.46500 is given to them by the public, as charity during a month.

Statistics recently compiled by the Railway Board show that during the last year, as many as 900000 beggars were apprehended in all Railway stations in India. While most of them were merely chased away fro Railway premises, more than 22000 of them were actually prosecuted and Rs.18000 was recovered from them as fines.

If these amounts given to beggars as charity and recovered from them as fines, are organized and utilized in a rational way for caring the diseased and disabled beggars, providing elementary technical education to boys and girls to train them for useful occupations and employing the able-bodied on some trade or occupation, preferably on a co-operative basis, then half the battle against beggary is won.

It seems that the problem of beggars is manageable and the only reason for its continuance is that no party, in or out of power, has taken either a serious or an adequate interest in them. It is disheartening to see a few uncared for sons and daughters of India, begging in crowded places, adopting various techniques of trade like pleading, shouting, crying, singing, displaying the disease or deformity (lepers sometimes threaten to touch you) only to excite the feeling of sympathy and charity.Everyone who passes them, throws a few coins in their outstretched hands to gain ‘PUNYA’ thereby. It is exactly on the exhibition of this piety that beggary has been thriving in India, defying measures for its eradication. An assault on this problem of beggary should start with those who consider it their duty towards God to give alms to the destitute. No doubt the indiscriminate charity considered as religious obligation has perpetuated this problem. I t has also created a class of holy men and fakirs who live on mendicancy and are venerated by the masses. This has given scope to a large number of beggars who move in villages and cities in the garb or sadhus and fakirs. Educating the public is thus the main prerequisite for the eradication of beggary.

If only a fragment out of the big outlay is allotted to meet the problem of beggars and the State governments come forward to contribute their share by way of land for cultivation and site for shelter and education, the problem can be solved.
......My first article published in.... INDIAN EXRESS .......dated 21-9-1960