Essay for Media and Society SeminarsBeggars Of Hyderabad.

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Beggars of Hyderabad

According to the union of concerned scientists an average American is exposed to 3000

advertisement messages. An average of 850 films is released in India every year. We often hear

similar statistics from different survey reports and organizations, but have you ever thought the

average number of beggars we see each day and the statistics of their economy? Most of us have

some preconceived notions about the beggars, their lifestyle, economics etc. This essay tries to

demystify some of those preconceived notions and tries to peek into the realities of their lives.

This essay deals with various aspects like the statistics, economics, livelihood and lifestyle,

human trafficking, drug peddling etc.

Study and the statistics

The Hyderabad Council of Human Welfare (HCHW) conducted a study on understanding

the economics of beggary in the Twin-cities. After a two yearlong survey, the results were

released in a book titled ‘Beggars in Hyderabad-A Study on Understanding the Economics of

Beggary in Hyderabad-An Insight into Rehabilitation Possibilities (2008)’. HCHW director and

author Mohammed Rafiuddin says there were 73,00,000 beggars across India who earn as much

as Rs 180 crore a year and the number of beggars in Hyderabad is 11,000 approx. with a total

earning of Rs 15 crore a year. Of them, 53 per cent earn between Rs 900 and Rs 2,400 per

month. The per capita income of beggars was Rs 41 per day out of which 33 per cent was spent

on entertainment, personal habits, including drugs, and only 20 per cent on food. According to

the study 33% of the beggars of twin cities are part timers and mostly comprise of agricultural

labor that come to city during summers and draught times.

Exploitation

According to available statistics 40% beggars are women and about 23% are children

below 14 year age. Organized begging has become the new trend in twin cities in last few years.

There were many cases reported on Drug peddling and consumption, Mafia networks dealing

illegal organ and blood selling business, prostitution from these communities. These syndicates

force woman beggars into prostitution and are sexually abuse. According to Mrs. Archana Kiran

a social activist who works with an NGO there were instances where mafia networks and

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syndicates involving child beggars in drug pedaling. During her work with Aaasa State Govt.

initiative on HIV/AIDS she has noticed that the child beggars were lured with Biryani packets,

Marijuana etc. and were sexually exploited.

We heard similar kind of stories when we tried to interact with a few families stay at

Boda Uppal area of Hyderabad. While giving his account a child beggar named Ratna Babu from

tells us that there are about 450 beggar families that stay in Boda Uppal area itself. Apart from

these there were some reports about woman run syndicates that gather infant children from slums

and rent them to beggars on charge of 15ors per day. These syndicates collect an average

commission ranging from 45 Rs to 110 Rs for each infant kid they rent for one day. This makes

us recall a dialogue from Slum dog Millionaire ‘a crying kid in the hands of a beggar fetches

double money’.

The other side of the story

“The above all is one side of the coin on the other side there is some lakhs of Rs

turnover” says Mohammed Rafiuddin, the director of HCHW. Rituraj Sapkota a young

documentary film maker from Hyderabad who produced a documentary on Beggars of

Hyderabad with title “Kings of the road” says that he has interacted with some of the richest

beggars of Hyderabad. According to him there were fulltime beggars who own multistoried

buildings, smoke costly cigarettes and also do money lending. In fact we were shocked when he

hands out a few photographs of some beggars who come to begging location on scooters, park

them in nearby cycle stand and get into the business. “If we observe the official statics the richest

beggar earns more than Rs 9000 a month and real figure are even more”, he adds.

Support from Govt.

There are about 15 NGOs that work on these issues spread out in different parts of the

city. These organizations carry out various activities ranging from providing alternate livelihood,

providing educational facilities to child beggars, Medical facilities, sleeping shelters etc. State

govt. has taken up some welfare activities like providing shelters to sleep, providing alternate

lively hood etc. Greater Hyderabad Municipality went a step ahead and recruited 2500 beggars

as sweepers, garbage collectors and parking fee collecting agents. The major drawback in

Governmental schemes according to the social activists is that all Govt. schemes assume that

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poverty as main cause for begging which is actually not in the real context. Most of the beggars

own acres of agriculture lands in their native places. Natural disasters like draught, floods etc.

has resulted in their migration to Hyderabad as beggars. Some of them were even victims of

human trafficking and organized begging.

Rehabilitation possibilities

Before devising new rehabilitation plans and schemes it is important to study the pitfalls

of the existing ones. The new rehabilitation plans should address something more than their

financial poverty like retaining their dignity, human trafficking, organized begging etc. Police

department has to act tough towards the Mafia and syndicates that encourage begging to use it as

a shield for their illegal activities. Child beggars are to be identified, counseled and are to be

admitted in welfare hostels run by state govt. providing alternate livelihood by setting us small

scale industries, recruiting them as contract labor in various industries. Take steps to reduce the

new migrants in to city this can be done with effective natural disaster management programs.

Proper implementation of rural employment scheme can reduce migrants and part time beggars.

NGOs and Corporates can be pitched in a various levels. It is important to address the root cause

and devise proper remedy to eradicate beggary instead of showing them away from cities using

force.