Beggars may not have a choice but the government should have

Who says beggars have no choice? They surely have choices for selecting their way of drawing their would-be benevolent public's attention. The range of ways to attract notice is vastly wide. Some of those are ingenious and some others are crude or macabre and still some others are in between the two. But first the beggars' teams or bands! Like the band music they form a chorus party with a lead singer. The leader sings the introductory lyrics for the rest to take cue from and repeat the response, harmonies or echoes. It makes quite an impact. Mind it, they chant their appeal through the lyrics but the 'response' part invokes the prophet (Sm) or Allah Almighty or both. The members of such a group can all be blind or a mixed one. Usually they are on the move and at times they can post themselves at a convenient intersection of roads or open space elsewhere.

Another type of such roving beggars forms a two-member group. They also chant some lyrics but the response part is a shrill sound like tenor in contrast to the first's bass voice. Some of these beggars have lost their limbs and can move only on wheelchairs or by rolling over the footpath with thick rubber sheets protecting their knees or bodies. So pitiable are these hapless human beings that no amount of kindness can be equal to the care they need. Almost each one of them has a tragic story. Years ago, an investigative report shed light on the plight of deformed beggars. They were not born so but a very powerful gang are responsible for collecting missing children and mutilating them early in their childhood. One simple guess can confirm this. How do these beggars take their designated positions? The underground gang brings them early in the morning and pick them up at night.

These are extreme cases of beggary but there are others who give a deceptive look. At first, there is no way of considering them beggars because their attires are neither torn nor dirty. Maybe, their sirts or sharis are a bit cheaper but that does not instantly reveal their profession until they extend their hands for alms. They are either roving beggars or the kind who chooses strategic locations such as kitchen markets, both sides of a footover bridge or the corners or a portion on the bridge proper. A few of them are intrusive enough to tug on to pedestrians' pants or shirts. That they occupy a segment of the walkways is none of their concerns. It is however quite baffling how they share the footover bridge's space with hawkers. These people of contrary occupations cannot mutually be in peace unless of course they have the blessings of their patron extortionists.

The other type who stay at both ends of the feeder road or streets connecting the metro rail, railway stations, launch and bus terminals target the newly arrived passengers. At the time of paying the fare of rides on rickshaws, auto-rickshaws to be correct, or other transports, a hand or two jut out begging alms. The same happens in time of paying the vegetable retailers or grocers at the kitchen market. After the pandemic, the number has increased and the female of them seem to be more on the rise. However, there is a positive sign noticeable these days. This concerns a decline in the use of babies by female beggars. This ploy of hiring babies and drugging them so they did not cry has been debunked and in the face of total indifference of alms-givers, the vile practice is fading out.

Yet beggars are not short of intriguing ideas. A new breed of beggars emerged immediately after the restrictions on people's movement were relaxed following the easing of the pandemic. Women who never begged started accosting shoppers appealing for help in purchasing one or two kilograms of rice. A shopper would consider it a humanitarian duty to get the begging soul buy rice. But soon this became a trend and when rice retailers cautioned the shoppers of the continued deception, this tactic has become outdated. Then again, another type with a full family ---husband, wife two or more children with one invariably on the lap---would accost members of the public to plead for some money so that the family can buy some food for the children and go back to their village.

It is a whole range of begging ploys that continue to develop into a horrible culture. There were efforts to rehabilitate beggars but the way it was done can be considered just a cosmetic surgery. Let alone the hardened beggars like the hardened criminals, others could be rehabilitated if they were offered an opportunity of employment. But at a time when skill sets are in demand for jobs, how can the beggars think of getting employed! The government and policymakers, however, have an onerous duty to provide for them in some way.