If someone earns just $10 a month, how would you think of that person? Will you be jealous of them? Will you feel that they are in a lucrative work? Well, I would surely feel sympathy for them for such a low income- no matter what the job is. However, it seems that some people in India do not feel like me. They are even complaining that the beggars of Mumbai are involved in an attractive business! Remember the average monthly income of a beggar is just $10 and still they are complaining. I am quoting from a report published in the Hindustan Times:
"Beggars in this metropolis earn Rs 180 crore a year, the state legislative council was informed on Wednesday.
Stating this in the House, Minister of State for Social Justice Dharmaraobaba Atram said amendments will be made in existing rules to curb the activities of beggars.
Vilas Awchat (Shiv Sena), who raised the issue through a short discussion, said according to the provisions of a legislation enacted in 1959 to curb begging, those who sought relief for people affected by disasters could also be prosecuted.
Once this flaw was realised, necessary amendments were made, he said.
The number of beggars in Mumbai, which was 20,000 in 1963, rose to three lakh in 2004, he said."
So, the total earning of 0.3 million beggars in Mumbai is Rs. 1,800 million ($38.50 million) a year and if you do some easy calculation then you can easily find that the monthly average income of one beggar is just a little bit more than $10. So, you can see that there is nothing to be excited about the life of a beggar in Mumbai or it is not a lucrative business either. There is no doubt that some beggars are earning good amount of money but most of them are barely surviving.
Of course, in a modern country, begging should never be encouraged as it creates often many social problems. So, if the state government wants to eradicate or curb begging then it is a good thing. However, the economic condition of India and mismanagement of the economy often force many people to go to the street and turn into a beggar. So, instead of going after the beggars the government should first try to address the factors that contribute in the increase of begging.
In the end, I am happy that some Indians have taken up this issue in the message board of Rediff.com.
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Mumbai beggars earn Rs 180 crore a year!
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