DO YOU BEG, ARE YOU A BEGGAR ?!

05-06-08 1447 Hrs

DO YOU BEG? ARE YOU A BEGGAR??

That's an offensive title, huh? I agree. So, what made me keep this title? No particular reason....I felt like keeping it, so kept it! :P

So, what's your idea of Begging? What?!? You don't beg? Alright, that's great! Then you're surely the person i want, to read this article.

Many a times while travelling, through trains or in our vehicle or any other place, we see "beggars" coming to us n beg for a rupee. And of those many a times, I’ve heard my co-passengers commenting something like this, "..such ($&^#$) beggars, such shameless people..." Very good. They should get an award for making such a comment, right?

If that's the idea of the word beggar, how do you explain this :

When in your childhood you begged your parents to get that toy, which you wanted badly.....but you called it your 'Stubbornness'

Then you begged your siblings to please, give you a piece of chocolate they were eating....but you called it part of your share.

When in your teenage, you begged your best friend to get the phone number of your good looking classmate....but you called it 'Crush'.

When in your college, you begged your colleagues to help you with your assignments n projects......but you called it as a part of College life.

When you grew older, you begged your boss for that few days holiday, to go out with your family......but you called it as 'Vacation'.

And when a beggar comes to you for your kindness to ask you for just a rupee.....you make lewd comments to that beggar?

The other day, me & my sis stopped at a local station's stall to refresh our self with a drink. In the meanwhile, a small boy, a less privileged one, comes to us n ask for a vada-pav. I ignored him a lil’, for the drink i was supposed to get, but the next moment I turned to him, he disappeared from his place n saw him going to another person to ask for a share of 'his' vada-pav. And then next moment I heard my sis asking me take this money n buy that boy a vada-pav. All i could reply back to her was....he's gone...

Earlier, whenever i jaunted around, in my free times, i happened to be followed by beggars for a rupee too. Almost everytime I used to take my wallet out n look for a rupee or 2 coin, which were my share of the bucks my parents gave as pocket-money, n if found, used to hand it over to the beggar. I felt sorry for them....but that's what I could do at that moment.

Then one day I went to one of my ol' pal, Naveen. We, as usual, did the usual talking. Then out of the blue he asked me, "..Supraket, tell me one thing. What would you do if a beggar approaches you, when you're just roaming around? Would you give him/her something or won't you?" I became dumb for a moment n all i could blubber out is, "..yeah, I’ll give a rupee or two, if i have it.." Then he replied back, "..I won't.." Exactly, even i felt the very same feeling about Naveen, what spoilt person is he, how ungenerous?! How can he make such comment? Then after a pause, he continued, "..Not because am ungenerous. But i think what will happen to them if i gave them the money? They'll again come to you n beg tomorrow.." I didn’t pay attention to what he said.

Then years later, when a beggar approached me, unlike years ago, i denied giving even a rupee, even when i had one. Later on i myself thought of the very same thing, should i give the money to beggars whenever they come begging to me? If yes, am being generous, if no then am stingy. But if i give the money, am spoiling the beggar more, as am giving him/her the hope that by begging also one can survive. Am giving them the hope that 1 of 10 people they go to beg, will definitely give them the rupee after looking at their condition. Am giving them hope that kind people can’t see their condition n by all odds will give them the money. Am giving them the hope that why to do any other job when you're getting money here too??

So what should one do about it? Rather than giving money like to this to the beggars, we should encourage them to work, do a proper job & earn. And not beg. We should collect money n create some plans to those under-privilege people. ...I don't know anything more. I need suggestions from you, can you support the life of those under-privilege people?

Also, (again!) many a times, i read in newspaper about how many goons force the unprivileged to beg n hand them the money. At first i was shocked n thought its cant be true. But got to hear such things from many sources. This probably was another reason why i stopped giving money to the beggars.

Getting back to that other day story of my sister giving money to the small boy who wanted to eat vada-pav, i kind of agreed to my sister. If believing what the media says, about how the goons force people to beg for money, giving something as kind n not cash to the beggars ain't all that bad too. But again, the question comes as to whether by giving something to the beggar, are you giving them the hope to beg more?

I agree, like the numerous times people commenting to be help the under-privileged people, just the way i just did, you'll think about this for a while, will work a little for it, n then, Zappak, Zukk n Zoooom, it's off your mind. Nevermind. At least, you thought about those people for a while... :)

What's the point of writing this article then? Only i can say is, "..Am just creating a lighthouse in the midst of a sea. Who knows, when a traveler nigh around n in need of some light n direction.."