I guess that South Asia and particularly India has the largest number of beggars in the world. Their number is so many that most urban dwellers in South Asia are now fed up with beggars and have often negative attitude towards them. Some people have the weird fantasy that beggars are well off and earn more than most people. They have a weird notion that beggars are lazy and want to earn easy money by begging and not doing any work- as if India is now full of employment opportunities.
Yes, for some beggars- this is the case. They are basically lazy and begging is very easy. It is also true that some beggars are skilled actors and can create sympathy too to get some money. And some even would go as far as deforming their own body or removing a body organ or two to look deformed and get some extra money by creating sympathy to the passers by. So, I did not get too much surprised to find that one Indian TV channel discovered that some healthy beggars get some doctors to remove their limbs to deform their body so that they can earn some extra money. 10,000 rupees or about $215- this is the charge that a doctor demanded from a beggar 'to amputate a lower leg, leaving a stump that may draw sympathy -- and a few rupees -- from passersby. He then suggests chopping off three fingers from the man's left hand.' (Source: Reuters)
This has created huge uproar in India. Opponents of begging have found their best proof to vindicate their 'absurd' theories. This news is now all over the Internet. Someone has even called for a ban on begging. However, the doctors are yet to be arrested.
What is so funny to me in all this farce is that hardly anyone is talking about the main factor behind begging- poverty. Most people in India earn less than $2 a day and they don’t have their own home, they cannot get 3 decent meals a day. Literacy for them and for the government means just being able to write their own name. More than 80% people do not have even life insurance. Many farmers commit suicide every year as they are not able to repay loans of as low as $1,000. Many men leave their wives because of poverty. Many parents drive away their children because of hunger. These things are common in every part of India. So, there is nothing unnatural that thousands of people end up in the street and beg. This is the only thing that the distressed people can do.
The only painful thing for me is to see that the media has now joined this farce. Of course, for media getting more viewership rating is the most important thing just as getting more visitors for my blog matters most to me at the end of the day. So, poor beggars! It seems that the only way they can get media attention is when they amputate their organs. Otherwise, the media will be busy to write about the shining economy, the marriages and divorces of the celebrities and the luxury of rich people. Poor beggars! You must know how to create impact. Media loves those people who can create impact.
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Calling such a great human tragedy as farce is very disappointing.I wish you had taken the trouble to examine the ramifications of the evil of forced begging. There are organised gangs who force many to begging after maiming them. As regards the propensity of media and bloggers to sensationalise anything for pecunary gains is somewhat pardonable as a few others have been instrumental in unearthing crimes and scandals.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 4, 2006 3:41 AM | Permalink to Comment