Shillong city in the past
(ST file photo)
few months has witnessed a staggering rise in the number of beggars especially in the Khyndai Lad area.
There are a good number of beggars and pavement dwellers in the city. Some of them are adults in poor health condition. Moreover, there are many juveniles who roam about in the city as beggars.
The presence of these beggars have of late become an embarrassment to the people as well as for the tourists and this has also spoiled the beauty and cleanliness of Shillong known popularly as the Scotland of the East. The beggars in their bid to take money from people go to the extent of pushing people or clinging onto their belongings. Voices have been raised time and again against the menace but to no avail.
It may be mentioned that Saturdays are the favourite hunting days for beggars especially at GS Road, where scores of beggars line up along the footpath outside a temple seeking alms and offerings in the form of food, fruits etc., from devotees who come in large number to the temple every Saturday. These beggars have been blocking traffic and obstructing pedestrian movement for years now.
The reality is that the problem of begging is nothing new and is prevalent throughout the country. It is estimated that there are about forty lakh beggars in India. At present begging has become a profession.
Every one of us has seen numerous kinds of beggars. Some are blind, lame or crippled, and so take to begging.
First of all, some people are physically incapable of doing any work. The only manner that they can resort to in procuring food is by begging. Such beggars easily win the sympathy of others. They deserve it also. But the number of such leprous, blind, or otherwise invalid beggars is not very great as compared to other kinds of beggars.
There are some people who have been forced to beg and eat off pavements as they do not have a proper shelter. Child and orphan beggars also are very common. There are people who are physically sound but who undertake begging as their profession, for it enables them to earn their living easily. It can be noticed that there are many people with sound health who become beggars. The law should prevent such people from begging.
It is also reported that there are organizations who train children in the art of begging. Orphans and kidnapped children are engaged in this profession form early childhood. This type of begging is indeed very harmful. It must be checked without any delay.
Besides taking stringent action against these beggars, it is important for the State Government to look into the human aspect while addressing this problem.
Further, the Government should start its own institutions, where widows, orphans, and other helpless people may find shelter. The NGOs can do a lot in this regard by ensuring that a common shelter is provided to the homeless. The Government should also see that only those who are crippled, helpless or homeless should be given support.
By taking such initiative, the Government will be able to prevent them from joining the profession.
The Government should also pass laws, which should make begging by persons below a certain age a crime. Many people with sound health and in their prime become beggars. The law should prevent such people from begging and at the same time, alternatives should be provided to ensure that there are employment oppurtunities that can be provided.
Though the problem of begging is gigantic, yet it can easily be solved, if there is will and determination to do so. By creating healthy public opinion against it and by passing laws which make this profession a punishable offence, the problem can be solved within no time.
It may be recalled that former Urban Affairs department minister, Paul Lyngdoh had attempted to make begging an offence.
As part of the Clean Shillong campaign in 2009, Lyngdoh had stated the decision has been necessitated following complaints from the tourists and the people of the state that the beggars are inconveniencing them to travel to different tourist places in the city.
(By Lamphrang
Nongspung)