BEGGING - A MENACE OR SOCIAL PROBLEM ?

The poor man's issue of begging has more to do with the Indian subcontinent than with the rest of the world . The begging has some of the chilling facts of begging and the dark side of this serious social problem which craves for the prompt (?) attention of the authorities in the whole of the Indian republic. However, what is surprising is the shocking findings of the Herald Survey.
It is indeed a matter of shame that hapless parents are forced to begging by their own children some of whom must be financially well-off. They are undoubtedly ungrateful offspring of rather unfortunate parents whose children happen to be without any filial obligations. They are remorseless that their own parents are in the streets at the mercy of the people and the inclement weather.
Even though this is a social problem, what is at the crux is the apathy of the policy-makers in failing to address the issue of begging squarely like in advanced countries having better social indices. As per the Economic Survey of 2003-04 an estimated 260.30 million Indians do not have adequate income to have a square meal a day. What do the authorities expect them to do other than seeking an alternate employment of begging. The places of worship assure them of a decent income to fill their stomach, apparently after paying the local goons and the omnipotent police-men.
The media too is irresponsible in not giving due attention to this crying problem.They either under-report or totally black out the sordid side of the poverty. So much so that, some leading News papers recently carried stories that the daily average income of the Indian beggars would put the average salary-earners to shame. The media must hang its head in shame for highlighting such rubbish stories that merely further the cause of neo-liberalisation and in the least interest of the poorest of the poor. Incidentally, in the rapid growth of the country, they are considered as the dispensable citizens of the republic who are deprived of their share in the progress as well as the wealth of the country.Not that these measures can put an end to this social problem, it can to some extent alleviate the sufferings of the beggars who are at the mercy of several inimical forces.
It is indeed a social problem requiring the active support of all of us. Therefore, please so not turn away the omnipresent beggars but help them.