Owl Speak
Beggarly Indifference
Hollow Hallowed Circle
In the lighted corner of a darkened world, you can see in plain sight the suffering that never ceases to cease. A child getting his first shot of drug, middle aged one getting his last. There are well heeled people passing all around, some wearing Prada’s, others with their Gucci’s strolling amiably through the bright white hallowed circle of Connaught, where none of them can see the perfidy of humanity
It is for the same reason that the circle should be named the ‘Cannot’ circle, for it is there that light never reaches. Ironical it is indeed that under the brightest lights, one can see the darkest face of humanity. Indeed, it is only in our country that no one can see the plight; the people pass as if they are some other species immune to the sufferings. The bright windows and the glittering panes of the shops are indeed far more palatable to the eyes. The bars that churn out the costliest spirits cannot be blamed for the stupor that has engulfed everyone.
The issue is quite simple, inequality persists in our country and so does poverty. There are people who are willing to inflict gross self injury on their bodies daily, just to earn a piece of bread and another dose of their crack and they co-exist with the richest clientele in the poshest markets of the world. An evening worth of shopping that someone does there is enough for a beggar to get his annual rations. The question here is not that one has worked harder than the other; rather it is the condemnation that a part of society has suffered and is likely to suffer for a long time that contrasts with the easy money that the other has inherited.
Pinching the eyes shut
The easiest and the most common reprieve for anyone who looks at a forlorn face, one of the countless ones in the city is that “these people” should not be encouraged. “These people” really don’t want to work; that there’s a gang that is involved in begging and that no matter how much one helps, one cannot help enough.
By labelling the poor as another sub-class of humans, what essentially is being done is outright discrimination. It is discrimination because firstly, you have made out the beggars to be sub humans and thus undeserving of ordinary empathy and secondly by associating negative traits to them, you are forsaking your duty of helping your fellow beings. If parsimony has to be practiced, then the least we can do is to be at least open about our intentions, rather than downgrading the already fallen.
It is not difficult to see, if you pass through the alleys of any market for that sake in the entire country, there are scores of people lying around, especially in the night when they have nowhere else to go. A society is known by how it treats its poorest and if a judgment has to be passed on our own standards then we should not flinch in calling our society double faced and spineless. While we talk of morals and the necessity of a good government to come up, there is dearth of simple humane actions by a vast majority. While we profess religiosity and spirituality, we cannot even stoop down to help up a fellow being and the cruelty of it all is like the scar, which cannot be hidden.
If there are laws for mandatory education of children, then what are the millions of them doing on the streets with large plastic bags in their hands and heads addled with drugs. If our nation was so outraged with the rape that happened in Delhi, then why don’t we heed at the rapes that happen every night on these very streets. Young children are violated, mentally challenged girls are brutally taken and thousands of innocents are sold for paltry rupees… and all of this happens right in front of us, when we shut our eyes, utter our respective God’s name and turn away.
If you happen to be awake in the early mornings, you will see children passing through the streets. Even in the harshness of January, the barefooted army would collect whatever they can lay their hands upon. Stale bread, broken syringes, outdated medicines and fight off the rowdy dogs on route. While the speakers of temples, mosques and Gurudwaras bray, asking the faithful to rise up, these children take their bags of rubbish and recede back into the darkness.
Paper Tigers
Like any other thing our society couldn’t resolve, begging too has severe laws. The Bombay Prevention of Begging act, 1959 accords not less than 1-year detention in certified institutions, which of course don’t exist. Rehabilitation homes for disabled, for poor and orphanages don’t occupy the same status as those of malls. The organised begging rackets make sure that the policemen don’t bat an eyelid at the activities, and a lack of voter id means that the politicians too don’t care. Even as lack of employment forces many able bodied and literate youth into begging, the laws regarding begging are not clear.
The laws that we have chosen to adopt are a throwback to the Victorian era Europe, where the beggars were termed as an eyesore and impinging upon the civilised society. The nebulous definition of beggars can include anyone ‘looks’ poor and thus can even include the daily wage earners. Under Beggary Act, 12 statuary institutes were constituted to prevent begging and to train and employ them. These institutes however are mired in pitiful conditions without being able to impart the necessary skills to help people out of poverty.
Being Human
Perhaps, it’s too early. We aren’t developed enough. No, its far too early, we are not kind enough, not humane enough, not concerned enough and certainly not developed enough.
It’s sad because most of the begging that occurs is related to the basic needs of the people. Sure there are organised gangs of people and sure there may be some who are too lazy to work, but surely there is also an altogether other side that no one wants to explore.
Talking to the beggar to know why is he/she in such a pain and what do they need. To at least treat them as a real entity and not as a piece of rag floating around in a drug filled wind sailing to nowhere.
I don’t know how to solve the problem, to give or not to give, to blame the government or the society.
I do know that as a human being I have a duty to help another when I see him suffering.
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