Jumping into the local train before it stops on the platform is the most coveted skill any Mumbaikar possesses and I am no exception to it. After catching a seat to sit in the Thane-Vashi train and seeing the morose faces of those who were unable to do it, I closed my eyes for some peace and meditation. Suddenly on my bag, a small girl thrust a placard. Observing it carefully, I realized it was another way to beg and get little alms easily. The placard simply told my mother is ill and I require money. The girl came back collected the placard and went begging the whole compartment. I usually don’t give alms to beggars and also discourage other people and today’s day was no exception. But somewhere in my mind a question crops up, are my actions justified of not giving alms? Sometimes I do feel guilty that I should have helped her. Till my destination to alight arrived I was seriously thinking over this issue.
What prompted the girl to beg? Is the condition she showed us on placard a reality? Has begging robbed her of her childhood? Or was she forced into it by someone? These questions will remain unanswered till my death!
Begging- Stand near any traffic signal, small children surround you. Stand in railway compartment; you will constantly be poked on your knee by a small child to give you alms causing some embarrassment to you in train. They don’t leave you till they get their alms. Once a small child beggar was asking a half eaten ice-cream from me at Vashi bus depot and was crying madly for it. I gave it but her brother came and started asking it from my friends eating nearby. Seeing the scenario few of my friends ran away fearing a whole group of beggars will come after them. Such is the case in India. Main reason for this- POVERTY.
All of us know that children begging in the streets are the ones who are forced to beg by others for their own greed. Poor Indian families are huge and they send their children to collect money in scorching sun. Do you all remember the dialogue from Slumdog millionaire that Salim had said to Latika- ‘Chhote Bacche ko saath legi to dugna kamayegi’. Yes, on Indian streets you see poor Indian moms carrying them on their backs and begging. It really hurts me to see this scenario. When will this situation change?
The Indian government allocates corers of rupees for welfare of poor but where does all that go? Corruption siphons up half the money and rest reaches Swiss banks. The result is the poor get nothing and the condition remains the same since independence. Very few people benefit from schemes for welfare of poor.
The solution for this is an independent government body in which the funds directly reach poor without any government red tape. Secondly poorer people should be encouraged to send their children to school which creates awareness among children about the various government schemes. Ultimately education is the strength that can empower the poorer ones towards prosperity. The government should open special houses where poorer children can be taught for free and can be kept from all the bad vices of society.
These are the few solutions I have mentioned above are a few steps that can be done to make our society more powerful and make it independent of people who want to use us as puppets. It is the youth that has to empowered so that Indians reap the benefits of prosperity.
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