Posted on August 19, 2007 - by rdilipk1

Beggary in India

A common scene while you are driving, at any crossing in Delhi is that of a group of beggars pouncing onto the vehicles at these crossings, the moment the light turns red. You wonder at what is happening at times because these people don’t even care that they could be run over by a vehicle if it doesn’t halt for some reason. The same is the situation when the light turns green. They are still there in the middle of the road not bothered about the heavy traffic.
Another common scene at these crossings is a SIGNBOARD reading “”Do not encourage beggary””. The government is bothered about the rising numbers of beggars.I am very happy to realize this fact when I see this signboard. But are we doing enough to stop the increasing number of beggars.

I was driving and came to a halt at a red-light crossing. Suddenly a girl jumped in front of my car projecting a worsely burnt arm and asking for some help. The hand was so badly burnt that a mixture of a watery secretion and pus was dripping from it. I was taken aback for a second and as she started pushing her hand into my car, I shouted at her to stand back. There was a kind policeman standing on the side of the road to whom I gestured as to what this was and why he was not doing anything. He replied, “”Kuch dekar ravaana kar do”” meaning “”Let go by giving something””. I could not do anything but smile and as I dropped a 2 rupee coin into the girls hands, I read a white sign board reading, “”PLEASE DO NOT ENCOURAGE BEGGARY””.