The Beggar's Paradise

I was stuck in a traffic jam for a few minutes, while waiting for the red light to turn green a boy around the age of four approached us. He had a medium size ring in his hand and by using it he did a few gymnastic tricks for us. We all watched him and when he approached us for money, we all shooed him away. Looking at his miserable face and broken spirit, for a second I thought, I should have given him a rupee but the red light turned green and the traffic started to move.

I saw this boy for the last time standing at the road side looking blankly at the vehicles that passed by. He may not have eaten for days or may have been beaten for not bringing enough money back. I have heard and often followed the thought that we should not give money to child beggars however do we care to think about their survival.

I have heard many politicians and common men taking the pledge that they will eradicate poverty. Over the years politicians and political parties have changed but poverty has not even aged by a day. Every city in India is beggar populated.

How does one remove poverty? Is it as easy as removing makeup from your face? If we could not help them manage their lives in sixty years where is the guarantee that we will be able to help them in the next ten years? Even hope has its limitations and we have been hoping against all odds for a very long time now.

The child beggars have no future. Those lucky few who will grow up will either end up being seasoned beggars or criminals and the vicious circle will continue.

I no longer believe in the system that discusses about ways of removing poverty and uplift of the poverty stricken people. Hopes and believes look good in fiction when it comes to real life then only action matters. We are known by our deeds and not by our thought patterns. I haven't forgotten that face yet and I wish I could have at least given a heed to his condition.

I don't know about you but I will give money to the kids if I do not have food items in hand. Did they choose to become beggars or did circumstances make them one? After years of being like one do you think they want to change? May be the life they feel comfortable in the life they have led so far. Of course, they face lot of problems from the society but then whose life is smooth anyways. Why do we always leave it to the government to take decisions about the society that we live in? Why an incident like women beaten by goons in a pub becomes a rage in the country and people write to media and government to take action when on the other side a one month old baby of a beggar may have died due to lack of food? Ok. I agree I have never heard such news before but then maybe there was no spice in it either.

I may be looked down upon by a few who may read this post and they may intelligently raise a concern about "encouraging child begging" but it is just all right. Sometimes, rather going by the society laws I guess it is all right to listen to your heart.