No let-up in child begging

Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 17

After city residents started discouraging child begging, those running the racket has found an innovative way to supplement their income. Instead of posing as crippled and lame for alms, children can be seen selling balloons and other products at major intersections across the city.

At Tribune Chowk, nearly 20 children were seen selling balloons. When asked about it, a child ran away from the spot.

A youth draped in white clothes and begging from commuters on the pretext of pleasing Shani Devta said, “These children took you to be a government employee. That was the reason they began running away on seeing you.”

An official at the Social Welfare Department said they had to abandon their drive against begging keeping in mind the safety of children.  

He said many children often identified them and began running away on seeing them. “We fear that while  running away from us, they may meet with an accident. We do not want to put their life in risk. So, we are devising a new strategy to keep a check on the menace,” said the official.

 Surati Devi, a native of a village near Lucknow, who took refuge under a mango tree and busy filling balloons, said her four children and husband sold balloons here.

She lives in Hallo Majra. “Our shack has been demolished by the authorities. Now, we have built a temporary shelter at the same spot. In the morning, we come to Tribune Chowk to earn a living by selling balloons,” said Surati Devi.

“We are not involved in begging. There is a gang that brings children from Zirakpur and leave them at city roundabouts,” she claimed.

A woman sitting besides her had three children. They also sell balloons. At the Sector 35 light point, children were selling balloons bare feet. One of them said they kept selling balloons till late in the night.

“Bahut thandi hai, per mummy dava deti hai aur neend aa jati hai (It is really cold here but our mother gives us medicine and we go to sleep),” said a child.

A youth, who was seen selling pencils and clothes at the same intersection, said the medicine was nothing else but a cough syrups, used by drug addicts. The Sector 17 market was abuzz with both beggars and children selling balloons. The police tried to shoo them away but soon they emerged again and started seeking money from people.

A store owner said already their business had taken a hit due to encroachments by street vendors and now child beggars were turning customers away. The situation was similar in front of Elante Mall. However, the mall authorities have deployed private security guards to keep them at bay but the open parking lot is serving as a den for child beggars.

Probe findings

The Social Welfare Department had rescued over 30 children recently.  During the probe, it was found that they were being ferried to the city every morning. An official demanded that the police should keep a vigil on the Zirakpur-Chandigarh highway and the city railway station in order to check the practice. 

“Each morning, a large number of child beggars are brought to the city. From where are they coming? The money collected by these children is going in whose pocket? The police should keep a watch on such elements,” said an official at the department.

Harjinder Kaur, Chairman, Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR), said the menace of child begging brought a bad name to Chandigarh.    

Anti-begging drive begins today

• Sources in the Social Welfare Department stated that  Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore has issued orders to all stakeholders, including the police, Child Welfare Committee, Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Right, to act against the menace.
• An official of the Social Welfare Department said from Monday, a drive will be launched under the supervision of three SDMs of the city. The driver will be videographed.  The rescued children will be taken to the children’s home and the culprits will be booked under relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act. They will also be booked under the Anti-Begging Act of Haryana, which is also applicable in Chandigarh.