In India begging is not a profession. But Millions of people pull-on their families by begging. Every state is full of beggars except Punjab. The highest beggars I have seen in West Bengal. In West Bengal the beggars include blinds, handicaps, leprosy patients, senior citizens and physically weak persons. It is also seen that young lady begs with an infant. The person who is able to create sympathy on others mind, is a successful beggar. Sometime the beggar’s condition draws sympathy automatically but mostly acts for begging.
In early 1991, I was in Kolkata. Every week Saturday I used to go
to home town (Lalgola) by train and Monday morning return to office. One day I was going to Lalgola sitting on a window seat. At Ranaghat station an old man (aged about 75 years) came to me and told, “My son, I am a retired primary school teacher. I had come to Kolkata for some work. On return I have lost belongings including the money purse. I could not take lunch for want of money and have no money to go home by bus from here. Please give me ten rupee as help. I saw a teacher is in trouble. Immediately I gave him a ten rupee note. He took the money and went away.Six months passed. I had forgotten that incident. On Monday morning, as usual I was returning to my office. At Ranaghat station the same old man came to my window and told the same story what he had described earlier. At once a daily passenger shouted on
him. The man disappeared without taking money. I became surprised. I could not believe that a man of 75 years can cheat the public like this way. He was drawing public sympathy in the name of primary teacher whom everybody respects.In Mumbai, I have seen an agent drops the beggars in the morning at various points of the city. He again collects them in the evening and takes their earnings in lieu of their food and shelter. Public says that the city has a racket which kidnaps the children from various parts of the country. They make the children handicraft and compel to beg. They provide their food and shelter and become millionaire from their earnings.
In Delhi, near to my home a beggar (leprosy patient) used to beg. One day I came to know that he supply coins of Rs. 1450 daily to nearest mother dairy booth in exchange of Rs. 1500. The mother dairy man also told that he is from Rajasthan and the owner of 15 acres of agricultural land. The total land he has purchased by begging. In Delhi, a beggar had died in winter season. Millions of rupees were discovered from his bed. The entire notes were kept inside his mattress.
These are few examples of Indian beggars. But all are not having the same status. Ninety percent beggars are really poor and hand to mouth. But one thing is true that most of them are lazy and not interested for physical labour.