We often see a person come to our house for a coin or a handful of rice or something to eat. He is a beggar. Generally a beggar is blind or lame. He is disabled. He begs from door to door. He has nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep. He begs for alms, money, food, etc. Sometimes, he asks for clothes. He accepts happily whatever he is offered. Some beggars insist for more money and cause irritation to people. He even goes on to pursue the man to fulfill his demands.
Beggars beg for a living. They usually do not have a house to live in. While some of them reside in slum areas many are denied entry even at such places. They lead their lives living on the footpath. In the big cities, footpath and road side areas are the only places they get to sleep and lead their lives.
We see dirty rags on the body of the beggar. His body is also dirty. His hair has no oil. He has a bowl in his hand. He goes to other people’s house for alms. There are different modes of begging. Some beggars sing. Some cry piteously. Some request the passersby for alms. Some spread pieces of cloths. When a beggar gets something from anyone he gives blessings to him.
Begging is an evil. It has several causes. Some people are unable to work. They are either blind or lame. Such people take to begging. Some people are landless and homeless. They do not get any hob. So they become beggars. Some beggars are professional. They do not want to work. They make money easily by begging. Our religion praises charity, and charity encourages begging. It is very difficult to figure out whether the story being told by these beggars is genuine or fake.
There are some beggars who are genuinely deprived of the basic necessities and need to beg for their livelihood. They have no other means of fulfilling their needs. On the other hand, there are beggars who have good amount of wealth and are also physically fit to do different kinds of work to earn money. However, they still choose to beg as it means easy income for them. In such a scenario it becomes difficult for people to distinguish between the needy and the fake.
Begging is one of the major issues in our society. The government must take stringent steps to stop this. Those who are really disabled may be allowed to beg. But those who are professional must be punished.
...Thank You...
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