If Begging is an act of SHAME....then offering is an equal shame

This question has been running in my mind for a long time. Why do people beg??????? I have had discussion with number of friends on this in the pat. Every one have their own point of view some said its right and the others argued its wrong. I always believe its wrong. The ones who argued its right to beg always said that the others fail to look at the reality. Now lets talk about the reality before that lets see who actually begs.........economically deprived (very broad classification though), physically challenged, MOTHER's WITH NEW BORN (u see them often in signals) aged people and there is this category which always looses money and get stranded and would seek for their transport expense. We generally offer money to aged and physically challenged but why do we do the same to people who are healthy and young. We should never encourage anyone mentioned above to beg coz these days people have a lot of opportunities to make out a living. Especially the the highlighted category, few days back I read an article in a weekly magazine which said that there are people who rent out new born and infants to beggers. They do this to create sympathy and this article went on to say that they DRUG these babies to make them look dull out of hunger and not to pesture them while they beg. If a baby is drugged it generally lies there idle on the shoulders of the begger. I started to take closer look at those babies after reading this and was shocked to see the description was true.

 

Now lets see some realities:

 

Today I met two people who inspired me to write this article

1.Murugan - Carbage Collector

2. Sekar - Street Hawker.

 

Murugan - collects plastics, papers and bottle's from garbage and sells it. This is collected by some wholesaler. I asked him why he does this and why didnt he find another better job. He said he could not find a job and I thought this guy is lazy. I was surprised to know he walks not less than 50 to 60kms a day starting from 5am in the morning. So he is not lazy. His earnings were wuite interesting he makes 200 to 250Rs a day but there is challenges like rain and other things. He was happy with this earning and says he could make a living out of this. A decent living upto him which he earns out of his hard work not begging. He told me that he would die rather begging. I wanted to appreciate him some way, I had no idea to offer him money and make him think otherwise so I gave him food packets and some snax I bought for my lunch though the offering is worth for 100+Rs I felt good doing that also, i told him that this for sharing his business confidentials.

 

Sekar - sells bags in T Nagar. He carries his inventory on his shoulders and does a pitch to every passer by. I wanted to talk to him as I did with Murugan this time I had to invest 130Rs to get information from him anyways the investing is worth both ways. He, his father and his mother all earn at home. He sells seasonal products and he started by selling peanuts and felt his return are the same. So with help of his cousin who has a road side shop, he started selling products like this which is on a commission basis. His cousin gives it for 100Rs and it is talent to sell it to any price anything more goes to his pockets. He said at the end of the day if he has reached not his base target of 150Rs a day earning he would give away for a very less margin but most of the days he is able to achieve it. He give his mother 100Rs and the rest for him. His recent achievement is buying a DVD player since he likes watching movies and hearing songs. Though he was better than the first one, still he works hard to make a living.

 

These are realities and I do not understnad why people still beg? especially people who beg with children in their hand. I also think government and non profits can give out micro finance to help these small time sellers and give them little money at a very low interest and support them.

 

Conclusion:

 

DO NOT APPRECIATE BEGGING!!! rather Help people like Sekar by buying products from them and little magnanimity you can even buy it without bargaining or less bargaining and Help peopl like Murugan to come and collect those waste papers, bottles this way your trash can become someone's bread. Last but not least: you can see aged, retired people working as securities and watchman's you can help them coz they work hard to earn their bread.