The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Operation round-up nets 80 of them

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Saturday, Dec 08, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Operation round-up nets 80 of them

Staff Reporter

Only 5 per cent of the beggars in the city are natives

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Shepherded: ‘hijra’ arguing with a policewoman in plainclothes before being taken in a vehicle after they were caught in a joint drive against beggars, in Bangalore on Friday.

BANGALORE: Besides enhancing the privileged Bangalorean’s lifestyle, is the booming economy in the city encouraging beggars? Yes, if a Social Welfare Department official is to be believed.

After a daylong joint drive to apprehend beggars by the departments of Social Welfare, Women and Child Development and the Police here on Friday, the official told The Hindu that only five per cent of the beggars in Bangalore were native. All others, he claimed, had come from other States.

Just as white-collar workers commute between cities, beggars from neighbouring States descend on Bangalore in the morning and pack up in the evening in many cases. Besides such beggars, there are those from States like Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh who have made the city their home and were thriving, the official noted.

A majority of beggars earn not less than Rs. 500 a day, as people believe it pious to offer alms.

“Public should desist from offering alms, and then only the menace of begging can be eliminated,” the official said, adding that no amount of enforcement would be helpful unless the public cooperates with the government. Since Thursday, the team of officials rounded up over 80 beggars in the city. During the drive on Friday morning, the team caught four “hijras” at Kalasipalya. Another “hijra,” Anisha, along with three of her compatriots, argued with the officials saying they were there to have breakfast. However, after some probing, Anisha confessed to this reporter that they were into begging. “Other than begging, we have no other option, and we are not harming anyone,” she said.

Anisha said one of her companions, who managed to flee, would inform their leader and “soon we will be out.” This is the first time the team had nabbed “hijras” as there were numerous complaints of harassment by them, an official said.

A woman who was caught along with her two kids near K.R. Circle was seen pleading with the officials that she had to go to Pavagada, her native. For Yamanappa, a leper, caught near Hudson Circle, there was no other alternative except begging to make a living.

Mani, aged 80, told the official that the Rs. 400 old-age pension was insufficient to take care of his health. “I have lost my wife and I don’t have children to take care of me,” he said. He was caught many times, but came out.

Another beggar, Gopal, 55, claimed that he was not a beggar and had gone to Victoria Hospital to get treated. He even displayed the outpatient slip issued by the hospital. The nabbing operation covered K.R. Circle, Corporation, City Market, Sajjan Rao Circle, M.G. Road, Commercial Street, Brigade Road, Madiwala, BTM Layout and Koramangala, according to officials.

The beggars who were rounded up would be kept at the rehabilitation centre on Magadi Road and provided vocational training, said M. Ramaiah, secretary, Central Relief Committee.

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