Beggars from outside Assam, mostly speaking Hindi, often beg for money, but rarely for food or clothes...
Digital Desk: The number of beggars at traffic signals and roadside in Guwahati has significantly increased in the past few years, with at least 5-6 beggars at each signal. These beggars are often children, women, handicapped boys, 6-8-year-old girls. However, despite the presence of 2-3 traffic police constables, they do not force the beggars out of the area.
Beggars from outside Assam, mostly speaking Hindi, often beg for money, but rarely for food or clothes. They prefer cash and may have made begging a profession, preferring only money.
They use traffic signals as their workplace, dressing in dirty clothes for begging in the morning and returning home in the evening. They prefer cash over food or clothes, making their presence in the area unusual.
Most begging women are fit enough to perform basic tasks and earn basic wages. Poverty often drives them to begging, but many young beggars are drug addicts, relying on cash for sustenance.
Begging has become a significant business in Guwahati, with some groups potentially earning significant income daily. Particularly children and women are often left at traffic signals for begging and taken away by agents in the evening. The majority of their income is then surrendered to their exploiters. Some argue that these beggars are not truly beggars, but rather begging for cash for substance abuse or their business. It is advisable not to give them any money.
The Assam Prevention of Begging Act, 1964, a 59-year-old law, has not been effective in stopping and rehabilitating beggars in Guwahati. Despite a mission and collaboration with seven NGOs, many beggars remain in the city. The government should establish beggars' homes, ban begging, implement anti-begging laws, and develop rehabilitation plans. The government should also link beggar rehabilitation schemes with social welfare schemes, as directed by the Supreme Court on July 27, 2021.
Promoting child begging and running a begging racket should be made a criminal offense punishable by law. The person promoting these activities should be punished under the law to eradicate begging from the city.
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