Refuse alms to discourage begging

Enroll child beggars below 14 in school

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Beggars are mainly seen at crowded tourist places, outside temples, roadside and traffic intersections as they can collect more money at these busy places. At traffic intersections, they don't let vehicles move till they get money. Many beggars have mastered the art and earn substantial amount of money and hand it over to their masters. Also, if we keep on giving alms to them this ease, they would never try to better their life, hindering the growth of our country. Govenment agencies and NGOs should be proactive and make sure that all children below fourteen are enrolled in schools. Also, there should be sufficient number of skill development training centres and these should be free and accessible to the poor, so that they can make their life useful and better and provide our country the qualitative and productive human resource.

Amit Kesarwani 

Encourage beggars to earn their livelihood

Initially, one used to think that beggars at various places such as intersections, bus stand, railway station and shopping areas are economically poor and jobless and must be helped. However, inspite of rapid economic growth, the reality as per the government's statistics shows that it has become a organised business with gangs of beggars working in their assigned areas and handing over large percentage of the earnings to gang leader on a daily basis. As of now, India has approximately five lakh beggars, including three lakh children with the highest percentage being in West Bengal and UP. On an average, only ten thousand out of forty thousand missing children are traced out annually. Deliberately disfigured, maimed, beaten, rented out and sedated children are forced to beg. The city is no exception. Unorganised and organised beggars can be seen all around, troubling citizens. We must discourage begging by refusing to give them easy money. They should be encouraged to earn their livelihood.  

Col Virender (retd)

Authorities must rehabilitate women  

Beggary is a stigma in our society. We encounter a large number of beggars at almost all public places in city. Since we are God-fearing and have a religious frame of mind, these sentiments of ours are exploited brazenly by these people. Although they are stricken by poverty, they do not wish to work, too. The alms we offer encourage them and sometimes we find that their entire family is dependent on begging. There is an urgent need to discourage beggary. For this we need to resolve not to offer them any kind of charity under any circumstances. These people should be persuaded to earn their living by working. Small children should be encouraged to join schools being run by NGOs, that charge no fee and other expenses. The women folk can be asked to work as domestic help. Government authorities should also come forward to rehabilitate these people so that they can quit begging and earn their living. 

Pursharth

Strengthen poverty alleviation schemes

Hordes of beggars are a common sight at traffic lights, railway station, bus stand, temples and tourist spots in city. One comes across shabbily-dressed women holding small children in their hands, elderly people and sometimes even physically handicapped persons asking for alms. Out of pity, we tend to give them some money. In fact, this act of ours encourages such people to continue begging. Begging is a serious social issue. One can think of helping the handicapped, old, blind and physically incapacitated people. But we should never give even a single penny to beggars who are otherwise physically fit. It is our moral responsibility to stop the menace and the best way is to stop giving alms. This is one step that we can and must take to uproot begging from our society. At the same time the government and NGOs should strenghten their poverty alleviation schemes. These people need to be encouraged to send their children to schools and work themselves to earn a respectable livelihood, rather than leading a life of parasites.  

Prof NK Gosain

QUESTION

With city residents bearing the brunt of increasing dog menace and the authorities failing to initiate measures to curb it, we invite our readers to send in their views on what should be done to address the problem?  

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to btitribune@gmail.com or post it to Bathinda Tribune,  SCF-117, Opposite Harchand Cinema, Goniana Road, Bathinda, by November 17.