In India, begging is a commercial venture, it is a profession and that too, a lucrative profession. This is irrespective of age, gender, race, religion, caste, education, or socio-economic status.
People who beg have their own reasons behind doing so. They state that they got no work or the work did not pay enough or they are unable to work or their needs are more or they have a big family to fend etc. People beg even to get married or for their daughter's or son's marriage.
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| Stop giving alms to beggars in India |
The question that they don't want to answer is why they did not plan their family or why do they want to spend so much extra on wedding or why they did not save money for all these forthcoming reasons. The real fact is that all the reasons they give are lame excuses to not work and get some shortcut money.
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There was once an able-bodied man who was begging. Someone told him that if he works at his shop, he would get 200 INR per day. Do you know what the beggar replied? He said he earns 500 INR daily without working. So you see, without doing any work, the beggar gets 15000 INR per month. And when five members of his household are begging at different places, the net income of the family would be 75000 INR per day without work. And upon that, they pay no taxes and also get free rations of grains from the government.
There was once a beggar who was caught by the police in Sharjah few years back. They found 40000 dirhams on him. He said he got all the money through begging. So begging is a lucrative profession in India. Why would beggars leave begging? In fact, more numbers would join them every day and every year.
This is not limited only to the lower socio-economic strata of society there. I know a psychologist who acts as if she is an expert in the subject. She does something here and there and does vain and loose talk and gossip. And what about her income? Well, her brother gives her money every month and she spends it lavishly on self. She is not better than a beggar.
The basic thing is that such beggars do not have self-respect. They do not feel bad in taking money from others without working for it. In fact, they also employ their children and teach them how to beg. A lot depends also in the upbringing and how one feels about the whole thing. People beg also on religious grounds. This is common around temples and hospitals. Beggars know their donors mentality well. They flock places and occasions when they know people would donate amply.
Though begging is illegal in India, the law is not well-implemented. The police there are hands in gloves with the beggars and get commission from them for allowing them to beg. The police turn a blind eye to it. When you complain, they will make some acting that they are shoving away the beggars but they never really shoo them them.
Neither is the government keen to stop it because this is their vote bank. The beggars are so many that the government gives them some money and alcohol one day before the election and in return get their votes to win elections.
So, don't expect the government or police to stop the nuisance of beggars. They will never do it because the government and police lack will and are benefitted by the presence of beggars on the roads.
It is only the society and people that can stop it. All they have to do is to stop giving alms, whether it is for religious reasons or otherwise. Stop the use of occasions like shrad, marriages, child births, festivals, etc. to give away money. By this act, you are supporting begging and not really helping beggars to get uplifted and change and stop begging. Instead teach the beggars work or give them free education. Give the beggars work. As the famous Chinese philosoper, Confucius said:
"Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life."
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