Begging –the most disreputable job

Masum Billah: Streams of seasonal beggars have flooded the city of Dhaka with a view to earning some extra money to face the hard days. They have crowded in other big cities as well keeping the Eid-ul fitr ahead. Rural urban divide and fast growing rich and paupers have given rise to this picture. The people living abroad and the businessmen of various kinds have gifted the city with some posh areas and many fashionable private cars of varied colour and size. The  poor and deprived of rural areas  gather in the cities occasionally to have some financial blessings from the ultra modern gentlemen who have made their fortune either by business, or working abroad or working in foreign missions. A survey conducted in 2009 by some NGOs which found that 67 percent beggars are involved in begging due to their poverty, 20 percent for disability, 10 have taken it up as profession. Seasonal beggars move to the capital ahead of Ramazan, Eid or after natural disasters, including drought, flood or monga.  BEDO (an NGO) assistant director Muhammad Qarmul Huda commented. So, it clearly says poverty and natural disasters are mainly responsible for begging. The small percentage of professional beggars has also some reasons which we can find through the comment of Sabuj Mollah, a disabled pauper in front of Rajarbagh Police Line said, “ I enjoy  begging . I earn at least Tk 100 a day and do not need to pay anyone a commission. In my younger days I pulled a rickshaw and often had to pay a commission to police and extortionists.” His comment shows us another reason of begging by able bodied persons which deserve serious attention of the authorities concerned. Small business men or rickshawpullers are to share their hard earned money with the mastans and police compelling them begging as it remains undisturbed.

To address this problem effectively the causes of begging must be identified first which has roughly been done. First of all  total number of beggars should be counted. The ministry of Social Welfare has taken a praiseworthy decision in this regard. Ten NGOs have been selected to conduct the survey with each interviewing 1000beggars. The NGOs include BEDO, Aparajeyo Bangladesh,  Jonashebakendra, Somaj Kollayn O U nnayan Sangstha, Hitaishy Bangladesh, Association for Renovation of Community Health Education Service, Country  Vision,National Development Society and BRCT. These NGOs will conduct the one-day survey in association with their partner organizations. The government has allotted Tk 240 for counting a beggar which would include interviewing and photographing the subject, Beggars Cell, ministry of Social Welfare , said. “to rehabilitate the beggars  and offer them a better living, the government  is going to conduct the survey in the capital , which might be expanded in future.” Post-survey the government will rehabilitate 2000 beggars in various shelters and old age homes and provide the able-bodied vocational and technical training. The beggars will be given training –based on their age and abilities –in carpentry,automobile, repairing bookbinding, bread or biscuit making factory and tailoring among other. The beggars will be sorted into three age groups of between one to twelve years, between twelve years to fifty  and those above fifty years of age.It’s a commendable job on the part of the government which should have been done much earlier.

A schema of Tk 12.47 has been taken to provide accommodation  to disabled paupers while the healthy ones would  get opportunity of self employment in their districts of origin. Thousands of people are found seeking alms at  bus  stands, railway stations, markets , court areas, traffic  intersections and in front of temples,shrines and mosques in the capital  and other metropolitan  cities.  A large number of them are women and
children. “Now I can move around the city freely. During religious festivals  and on Fridays – we all gather either at the graveyards, high  court
premises and mosques. We gather in front of academic  institutes during public examinations.”—-a beggar comments thus.

Hundreds and thousands of high-rise buildings are vying with each other to reach the sky with all modern amenities not less than the developed countries.  Side by side hundreds of beggars obstruct and surround the passengers at every crossing where vehicles wait to see the green signals. A contrasting picture indeed! National prestige also comes here. When vehicles get stranded due to traffic jam, the scorching heat of the sun,
tension for unnecessary wastage of time make the passengers’ life miserable. It is further aggravated   by the beggars by frequent disturbance and pressing the passengers and passers-by to give alms. It is interesting enough that the able bodied men and women are seen begging without putting any shame on their face. It is known to  us that the city dwellers suffer acutely  from domestic help. With the passage of time both husband and wife go out of home to do jobs. They need permanent domestic workers who now prove to be a very costly commodity in the city. Many able bodied women  don’t want to remain in the house for 24 hours thinking  it better to beg and earn their living which is not ethically correct. Our Prophet Muhammad(sm) seriously discouraged begging as it is the most disreputable job. We know how he taught one person who begged him some food.
The prophet (sm) himself made the handle of an axe and suggested the man to earn his living by his own labour. But now living in the digital age we see sophisticated, seasonal and lame beggars. However physically disabled persons deserve our   sympathy and love and help but not in the way we practice now. Our Ministry of Social Welfare must devise some ways to ensure their normal living with some dignity. We have big big ministries but the problems lying in various sectors under these ministries have been going on year after year.  This is because different departments   just do the routine work instead of finding out any newer ways to address the problems concerned.

Begging has been a long time problem in our country which deserves due attention of the government, civil society and NGOs working in the country. Some pragmatic steps need to be taken to say good-bye to begging as it does give nothing to society except disgrace.

( Masum Billah, Program Manager:BRAC Education Program and Vice-president : Bangladesh English Language Teachers’ Association ( BELTA), regularly  writes on various national and international issues,Cell: 01714-091431,Email: [email protected])