An Indian Beggar

Beggars are very common in India. We see them everywhere. They can be seen at the bus stop, railway station, temple, and at all public places. They make appeals to you. They try to touch your heart.

There are hundreds of varieties of beggars in India. Some varieties are of blind beggars. As they are unable to see and do any work so they start begging. Such a type of beggars does deserve our pity. Also, there are beggars who are cripples and lepers. They are unable to earn their livelihood. Actually, all beggars have their novel methods of begging to get alms from people.

At the same time, there are beggars, both young and stout, but have opted to beg as their profession. Then there are beggars who like sadhus, but actually, they are not. Most of such type beggars are drunkards, sinners, and thieves.

There are others who simply pose to be disabled. In fact, they are not they have printed cards with them. They show it to the people. They pretended to be dumb. A number of small children move from one bazaar to another bazaar asking for some money. Actually, these are the kinds of professional beggars who also indulge them in the habit of begging. Sometimes, they are the agents of a cheat who gets his work out of them. This is being done in an organized way. The cheats make a lot of money.

Ladies, both old and young, take pity on such type of begging. Children and give them some coins. You can even see these begging children smoking or enjoying ice candy. No doubt, these are the sons and daughters of professional beggars, yet they won't do any other job but begging. If you offer these children some light job they won't do it. They would simply live on begging.

The beggars live in colonies outside a town. The colonies are in very dirty localities. All sorts of vices are practiced there while the woman goes out begging her husband to gamble and drink. In fact, all of them remain free. An Indian beggar starts his day from a place of worship. There he gets a few coins. Some religious-minded people w\even give them sweets, fruits, etc. So these beggars have their breakfast also there. Then in the afternoon, they would go to the streets. Some house ladies give them food while others oblige them with old clothes.

Beggars are a great nuisance in India. Certain states have made laws against begging. The government has made homes free of really disabled and deserving persons. But they do not like to live there.

There are some genuine beggars also like blind, cripples, and lepers. We should not encourage begging. The people in India need to be educated against this social vice.