Better-off Beggars
Editorial
In these times of tension and turmoil often individuals as well as groups of people can generate news that can be interesting and fascinating. Such a piece of news has originated at the Indian capital New Delhi where beggars earn more than 100 dollars a month which is almost equivalent to half the wages of a middle-class employee. That is not all, a bigger family of beggars with three children can collect around 5000 rupees by their gimmicks and antics. And for earning their livelihood they don't have to go to school or specialised institutions to learn the trade.
Despite India's material progress and a burgeoning middle class with tremendous purchasing power, half of its population of about 900 million lives under poverty line for whom education, healthcare and employment are a far cry. The situation is no better in the other two countries of the sub-continent. Against this dismal backdrop a large segment of the poor are forced to beg for money, food and clothing. Yet there are others who take it as a profession which is at the same time easy and paying. An Indian daily interviewed some of the beggars and came up with interesting answers. Some of them even refused to take up any other business as they thought begging was more 'profitable'. But they don't have full freedom in the trade as 'bigger and powerful beggars' control the weak and smaller ones and at the end of the day they have to share their earnings with the 'bosses! As usual the policemen have their 'bit of the pie'.
New Delhi has been the capital of India since the days of the Moghuls. The British ruled India from this city for nearly 200 years and the independent India has been ruled from the same ramparts of the capital. The city has its old and new faces of tremendous historic importance. Apart from the locals, hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors come to this city every year and the beggars of this metropolis definitely deserve to be better-off than their counterparts in other parts of the country!
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