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| Friday, 4 June 2004 |
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Begging and bluffing - the distinction blurs by Manjula Fernando
There is a sudden influx of beggars on the streets of Colombo and in the suburbs. Young and old, male and female beggars have stormed the cities in great numbers. Some are in crutches, some have dirty bandages all over their bodies, some are blind, deaf or dumb but 'most' have no visible illness. They all confront us with a heart gripping story; a story that forced them to take to streets and look upon the masses for a 'rupee or two' - the masses who are also more or less beggars, but somehow opted not to go public. The first thing that comes to our mind every time we face a 'not so genuine' beggar (a very common experience for those using public transport these days) is - Is he for real ? The more sorrowful their story is, the more suspicious we feel. Through experience we have come to know that 'true' beggars rarely have a moving story and even if they do, only a very few share it with a stranger. They just bend their head and seek a donation. The most peculiar beggar-story I heard this week was from a man who claimed to be a small time photographer turned beggar. He was begging on buses to collect Rs. 5,000 to fix his broken camera. He was well clad for a beggar and had a large bag round his shoulder - his camera bag. A silver coloured pen jutted out of his shirt pocket. The man got into route 170 bus I was travelling in from the 'Dental Institute' bus stop at Ward Place. A lady with a dominating demeanour who was somewhat offended by his fake show blurted out "Is the money really to fix your camera or for your heroin fix?". I heard the man respond in a similar tone as I got down at Borella. In another instance, I was at Borella near the YMBA pedestrian crossing. A man jumped out of a three-wheeler which was travelling at a fair speed. Looking closely at the man, I saw he was carrying a white stick in his hand. The man hurriedly crossed the road without waiting for the traffic to cease. I waited for a few minutes before crossing so as not to endanger myself. As I walked towards the supermarket the man with the white cane was kneeling near the DGI shop with his eyes closed. Two boys came out of the shop and looked at the man. One said 'Pau Machang. Keeyak hari deepang ' (Pity. Give him some money). As I was looking, the other tossed several coins at the man. This surge of fake beggars is also posing a threat to citizens and depriving the real beggars who are on the street for a living. A friend once told me of an experience she had recently with a hefty looking beggar. This one too had a story that went on for several 'bus-stops'. With no noticeable physical abnormalities and ailments, the beggar was seemingly capable of earning his living. My friend had looked away in disgust. The man had glared at my friend who was travelling alone in the bus that was virtually empty since the office rush had ended. Despite being disturbed by his intimidating appearance, she had managed to ignore the man. One of the features in this new surge is the number of robust men, possible heroin addicts with red eyes and brown fingernails, posing as beggars on the street, looking somewhat dangerous. Many a time I have received threatening looks for ignoring their pleas. Some of the beggars have found permanent dwellings near traffic signals - the brave ones who volunteer to squeeze the wealthy class. Women carrying drowsy children on their shoulders is a common sight at traffic lights. The young woman you see often near the Kanatte junction says she is from Dehiwala and claims it is her three-year-old daughter that she is carrying on her shoulder, though I very much doubt this. The child had a bandage around her right ankle. The mother said she was run over by a push bike. Begging is said to be a lucrative business. The more pathetic you look the more attention you get. You see some beggars with protruding yellowish tubes out of their chest, nose or neck. Should not these people be in hospital ? According to police, all rehabilitation activities for beggars are now at a standstill. The Redeegama Rehabilitation Centre has stopped receiving beggars due to overcrowding. "We used to catch beggars on the street especially those near the traffic lights, put them in our buses and drop them at far away public places close to temples and churches as an alternative method to clean up the City," a senior police officer who wished to remain anonymous said. "This worked for some time as most of the beggars stayed behind, content with what they received there. Only a few who wanted more money and loved the city life came back. But we know it is illegal. The rehabilitation houses under the Social Services Ministry refuse to take in more beggars. We had no alternative," he said. The police has stopped dispatching them out of cities after receiving threats from beggars that they would seek a legal remedy under human rights laws. The National Child Protection Authority also said they have not implemented any particular program to help child beggars. But a project to set up day centres targeting street children is on the way. These places are expected to keep street children away from sexual abuse and other criminal activities. It seems that the authorities are passing the buck when it comes to the question of beggars. No one is willing to take responsibility, or for that matter understand the gravity of the social problem. Begging is prohibited under our law. But even the developed countries cannot eradicate this social malaise. But just because ours is a poor nation can we allow our cities to be overrun by fake beggars? |
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