sahiti

These days it has become an eternal dilemma for me whenever I see an unkempt tramp/child/old man stretch his/her arm before me for alms! To give or not to give! Gone are the days when I used to generously dole out whatever coins I had, to whoever cared to ask. What caused the change? Of course, more awareness! The news of doctors who clinically chop off arms of beggars, kidnapped kids being used for begging, the "rich" beggars who give loans to auto-wallah's, the lady beggars who bring infants on rent from the daily wage earners, the all pervading beggar mafia which turns begging into a lucrative industry! I, for sure, don't want to be a part of this industry!
The Supreme Court banning begging and making it an offence doesn't help. The police men, the bureaucrats all get their "rightful" share, you see!
Ideal condition would be for police to arrest whoever is begging and segregate them into the voluntary and the forced beggar categories. The ones who have been forced into this "profession" can be put in some NGOs that give them vocational training and rehabilitate them.
Left are the "professional beggars" who make my insides churn. They think they kind of know how to evoke "pity" ("revulsion"??).They are dirty; their hair is matted and un-oiled, walk with limp even when all the arms are in place, and shiver slightly and look pleadingly in a dramatic way while begging!!! For these seasoned "beggar by choice" types, who got used to the easy money and carefree life style, there seems to be no excuse. They should no doubt be arrested and used for some social work in return for their daily maintenance. They should not be mixed with normal prisoners.
I even feel that if proved non-lucrative, this "voluntary beggars" and beggar mafia may explore new vistas of livelihood! But till then, my conscience doesn't let me just ignore their existence. These days I adopted a new way to calm it… never giving in cash and always giving in kind, like food, clothes etc. So now I am giving out biscuits, chocolates, fruits or part of whatever food I am carrying to the kids begging while I travel that helps my soul rest in peace, till I find a better way to help them.

FYI
1. Dr butcher chops off limbs for beggar mafia
http://in.news.yahoo.com/060729/211/669qy.html

2. An NGO
http://www.janasevasisubhavan.org/Appeal.htm

3. 5 kids will go missing the next hour
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/22488.html

4. Website for tracking missing children launched
http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/10/stories/2007021013590100.htm

5. Every second missing person is a child
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/23210.html
(Gosh! Look at the related Stories !!!!)