Begging to be saved from alms-seekers

Slumdog Millionaire may have won many international movie awards, but the popular film did get its share of criticism for its depiction of poverty in India. How far away from the real are things you see on the big screen? Beggars are the first thing that foreigners notice in Mumbai. They are everywhere — at traffic signals, railway stations, and all tourist hot-spots.

People may be sympathetic towards the poor, but they don’t think encouraging beggars will contribute in reducing poverty.

“Foreigners may pity the plight of the beggars and offer them alms, but they will not like it when they are forced to part with money. It is troublesome for anyone to walk on the road, or at the marketplace, when someone follows them and badgers them to give money,” says Sajeev Sharma, an IT professional.

Sonali Salvi, a travel agent, who helps foreigners book trips to tour the country, says, “There may be many campaigns like Atithi Devo Bhava, but our government doesn’t do anything to make a visitor’s stay comfortable.”

She adds, “People who travel to India have a limited budget and giving alms may not be that much of a stretch but they will think twice before spending every little penny.”

Manish Chimani, a senior research associate, thinks employment will end many of our problems. He says, “We do feel bad when we see poor people on the streets, begging for money. But, if they are healthy and young, they can seek employment. They can work and sustain themselves, instead of begging. Our government has not done enough to address this issue.”

Foreigners don’t mind parting with money to help the poor, but they feel that concrete steps should be taken to ensure that they lead better lives. “My heart goes out to the underprivileged and I don’t mind giving them money. But that is not a solution. It may encourage child labour and abuse, as someone could be forcing them to beg. Instead, you should give them food, clothing, education and for anyone old enough, a job,” said Nicolo Peruzzo, a traveller from Italy.

“We must be ashamed in accepting the fact that to the world we are an emerging super power with Indian companies making their presence felt on the global scene. But while the rich are getting richer, the poor continue to beg on the streets. The government needs to bridge the economic gap in the country and they need to implement policies to do so,” says B Manjula, chairperson, Centre for Media and Cultural Studies, TISS.

Our take

Foreigners come to witness poverty

Begging is now a profession in the city. Young kids and the elderly are trained to beg. Some movies have depicted this but I wonder why no action has been taken to end this menace. I don’t blame the kids who we see begging on the streets. Often, it is the underworld and the mafia who are forcefully making them to do it. Giving them money is not sufficient, nor is it the solution to anything. The foreigners coming here pity them. Hence, they try to help. Many foreigners come to India to get a first-hand experience of poverty as they don’t get to see such things at home.
Bonita Singh, Altamount road

Beggars alone don’t tarnish our image

There was a time when I felt sympathetic towards street kids and beggars. But then I realised that many young children are being exploited and forced to beg. Giving alms to them will not make a difference to their lives. I prefer feeding the needy. I don’t think that beggars alone tarnish India’s image, but it reflects the huge disparity that our society has. The slums, filth and the many infrastructure projects in the city are some factors that are sullying the image. Beggars irritating foreigners is an issue that needs to be addressed, but there are other important issues that need our urgent attention.
Kirti Tawde, Dadar

Government should take strict action

Beggars in Mumbai don’t spare anyone Just to get a rupee out of you, they will follow you for a considerable distance. I have often seen beggars troubling foreigners. They believe that foreigners are generous and emotional, and they like giving money to the poor. They think that they can extort huge amounts from them. Such incidents spoil India’s image. Foreigners have this impression of India being a poor country with beggars everywhere. This is documented in literature and movies. The government should take strict action against people who train children how to beg and harass people.
Daryl Samuel, Tardeo

Their take

They haven’t changed my love for city

As sad as I am to say this, beggars are something you inevitably get used to when living in Mumbai. There are many of them, and I encounter them daily while going to office. They have a routine and usually swarm around tourist joints such as Leopold’s Café, asking for money while bombarding you with compliments. Sometimes, you give them money, and sometimes you don’t. Regardless of this, I have never felt threatened around them. Beggars are something that everyone living in this city will encounter, whether you’re a foreigner or not. They have not changed my love for the city.
Astrid Lindberg, Swedish national, living in the city for four months

Once a plastic bottle was thrown at me

I look Indian and have dark skin so the beggars have not troubled me as much the fair-skinned people who have been with me. I have found the physically challenged beggars to be harmless most of the time, but the others are very aggressive and stubborn. They keep asking for money and refuse to go away till you give in to their demands. A beggar once threw a plastic bottle at me when I tried to ignore him. The authorities should do something about this because this is the first thing that visitors notice, and this sets their opinion on the city and the country.
Calvin Ferns, French national, living in the city for two years

It’s inhuman to make a child beg

Movies like Slumdog Millionaire make one aware of what one will encounter when one lands in India. But there is a difference between what we see on the big screen and what’s actually out there. Beggars are a part and parcel of the city. They are not a problem if you know how to handle them — men are usually passive, but the women do get aggressive at times, especially when they are refused money. What bothers me is the way Indians treat them. There is no sense of sympathy and they look at them with indifference. People’s attitude about child labour needs to change. 
Cristiana Peruzzo, Italian national, living in the city for three years