The current socio-economic problems giving rise to various menaces. Begging is one such menace which has really aggravated in the post-floods situation which has added to our economic woes.

A recent report says that the number of beggars in the megapolis has crossed over two lakhs, thronging the main roads, lanes, and round-abouts of the city. Children beg not only because they do not have the means to seek an education but to become breadwinners for their families. The reason behind our streets filled with children asking for alms is not the lack of education but increasing poverty.

Parents force their children to beg because of the poverty that engulfs their family. The bigger their families are the bigger the number of helping hands required, pushing children - as little as two years of age - to beg. So one theory is that parents of the begging children should be provided livelihood, so that they send their children to schools and not to begging.

 Though begging has always been an issue in our society, but in the post-pandemic scenario, this menace has aggravated to an alarming level, with child beggars becoming a nuisance at almost all roads, footpaths and lanes and in front of buildings etc.

Overall,   there are an estimated 25 million beggars in the country, making around 3  per cnet  percent of the country’s total population.

There are criminals dens which run the begging businesses but at the same it is the socio- economic circumstance which some people into begging as in the wake of the lockdowns induced economic crisis after the corona pandemic, due to which the number of beggars seem to be on the rapid rise.

What is most unfortunate thing is that majority of the beggars are young children, can be seen sleeping on the roads at nights and begging during the day light.

In Sindh, there is a complete ban on child begging since 2018 and as such he social welfare departments were directed the social welfare department to take children off the streets and rehabilitate them at government welfare centres.

The issue of beggary is a matter of great shame and concern. Beggars are seen at public places, railway stations, near  mazars and mosques. Begging involves neither physical labour nor mental exertion. Begging flourishes because people tend to be generous. Innocent people are forced into begging by anti-social elements.

Some beggars earn more than most of the low paid persons. They get used to a life of leisure. One cannot escape their pleadings for alms. Sometimes it seems as if begging has become a part of an organised crime.  Some of the beggars appear to be quite healthy and stout.

It seems that they have found begging to be the most convenient method of earning money.

The physically handicapped beggars should be taken care of. Banning of begging is a positive step and will help counter the menace of beggars in the society. Many people consider begging as a source of money without doing any work. It is a well-known fact that many of the child beggars carried by beggar women are not  their own   children.

Among them are children kidnapped from hospitals  or other places which are then  sold to childless  couples or end up with beggars who use them to attract alms givers.  Most of them become beggars and drug addicts in their later lives.  The ban, if effectively enforced,  would enable all children ,whether the beggars’ own or kidnapped, from a life of misery and crime and enable them to become  equal citizens of the state.

While enforcing the ban on child beggary it should be ensured that children recovered from the beggars are put into schools or welfare centres and given proper education to earn their living by decent means  after growing up. The ban would of course be enforced by the police. But once the police picks up such children, then they would have to be handed over to some government or private organizations.

Fortunately, there is enough capacity in the country in the shape of charitable and social welfare bodies to look after destitute or poor people.

At the same time, there is no dearth of charity minded people and social welfare bodies in the country who would like to help  these children get proper  education and become useful citizens. All that is needed is some government body or established welfare organization to take the initiative.

The authorities should implement this ban on begging so that the pursuers and perpetrators of begging should be dealt with an iron hand. Priority should be given to the eradication of extreme poverty.

Beggars who are willing to work should be trained according to their ability, health and talent. The ban on begging will help curb the trend of forcing children into this trade. The government should provide necessary vocational training to rehabilitate them. The expenses incurred should be borne by the government. Healthy beggars should be forced to work for their livelihood. People should stop giving alms to beggars. If begging is not checked immediately, it will turn out to be a big social evil in the near future.

Meanwhile, some sections of the society say that there is a need for holistic approach to the issue. Children begging on streets is a heartbreaking sight. There is perhaps no one who has never felt sad for these children. Even if one doesn’t have a change to spare, one does look at them and hopes for their better future from the comforts of one’s air-conditioned cars.

Now the Sindh government has thought of doing something for these children. The government’s new policy looks towards banning child beggary in the province along with enrolling these children in government-owned welfare schools. While this is a noble cause, there is one issue that even activists fighting for an end to child labour or in this instance child beggary tend to forget.

Published in The Daily National Courier, January, 04 2023

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