Latest news with #BombayPreventionofBeggingAct
Indian Express
06-07-2025
- General
- Indian Express
‘Begging to survive, not to earn': Study reveals why Mumbai's homeless are forced to beg
A study of over 500 individuals living on the streets of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai conducted by The Koshish Trust, highlights that, for most, begging is not a choice but a last resort in the face of destitution. The survey's findings show 391 respondents rejecting the notion that begging yields substantial earnings, and 285 strongly disagreeing that it is easy money. More than 200 respondents countered the widespread assumption that people who beg are simply unwilling to work. The report challenges deep-rooted misconceptions surrounding begging – a criminal practice in the eyes of the law. While preparing the report, I Exist: People's Narratives of Living in Destitution, the researchers spoke to 504 individuals, including 290 women, 204 men, and 10 transgender persons, living and surviving on the streets of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The Koshish Trust works to address homelessness and destitution and has been a key advocate for reforming anti-beggary laws in India, emphasising dignity and rehabilitation over criminalisation. It has challenged legislation like the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, which criminalises destitution. Among the voices documented is Aamir, a frail 62-year-old man who sits outside a dargah in Mumbai. 'I feel immense shame. I have to die seventy times a day. It would have been better if Allah had granted me death,' Aamir, who once worked at catering sites and supported a family, is quoted in the report. After his wife passed away, his sons mistreated him, leading Aamir to choose the harsh life of the streets. Today, he earns merely Rs 100 to Rs 150 a day, sitting for 12 to 15 hours outside the dargah. Mohammad Tariq, Founder-Director, The Koshish Trust, says, 'The primary objective of this work was to document original voices and bring them to the common citizen, in hopes of changing how people perceive those who beg for survival.' He further says, 'It is often assumed that destitute individuals do not want to work. But a closer look at their stories reveals social, economic, and emotional barriers. To be employable, one needs not just skills and willingness, but documents, references, and hygiene. Even if a homeless person wants to work to transform their life, is society ready to give them that chance?' Tariq emphasises the need for community empathy to break the cycle of poverty. He highlights the 'invisibility' of these citizens, noting that they exist beneath even the poverty-stricken strata of society – groups that are at least acknowledged within the social structure. While many may label their unhygienic conditions as a convenient way of keeping up the look, the study report debunks a prevalent myth that homeless individuals spend less on their needs. 'A person without a home incurs significantly higher costs for even the most basic necessities. Daily activities that housed individuals take for granted – bathing, using a toilet, eating, and accessing drinking water – become financial burdens for those on the streets,' the report states. This is echoed by study data, where 229 respondents cited affordability as the biggest barrier to cleanliness. 'Public bathing facilities, where available, charge Rs 20-30 per bath. Add to this the cost of laundry and soap, and monthly hygiene expenses quickly become unaffordable,' states the report. Another 121 individuals reported difficulty accessing public toilets. Twenty respondents, particularly women, revealed that they deliberately remain unclean as a defence against sexual harassment. 'They spoke of using dirt as armour, of deliberately cultivating uncleanliness to ward off the predatory gaze of men,' the report states. A total of 66 respondents said they live in constant fear of abuse. The report emphasises that destitution erodes an individual's identity and emotional well-being. Contrary to the stereotype that those who beg are indifferent to humiliation, 325 respondents said they feel deeply hurt by the judgment they face. Another 317 reported intense helplessness, while 252 described feelings of humiliation from being treated as less than human. Only 48 respondents said they felt unaffected by others' perceptions. Shama, who has sat outside the Haji Ali Dargah for over nine years, is another voice in the report. 'It's hard to describe what I felt the first time I sat here,' says Shama, once a hopeful bride from a small village in Uttar Pradesh. Her now estranged husband had brought her to Mumbai with promises of a better life. 'Whoever is sitting here has nothing. Everyone is subduing their conscience and begging just to survive,' she further says. Despite her despair, she hopes her daughter, who studies at a nearby madrassa, will one day have a better life. The survey reveals that, despite their dire circumstances, many destitute individuals continue to nurture aspirations. As many as 156 respondents expressed a strong desire to improve their children's education, seeing it as a way out of poverty. Another 146 hoped for a better standard of living for their children. A sense of resignation is also evident, with 216 respondents saying that they no longer have any expectations from the state or society. Another compelling voice in the report is that of Rupa Kale, 30, who was born on the streets near Colaba Market and remains homeless to this day. Her father migrated to Mumbai from Solapur in 1975 after a devastating drought, surviving by selling small items on the street. However, after the 26/11 attacks led to a ban on street vending near the Gateway of India, Rupa had no choice but to turn to begging. Her experience is far from unique. The survey found that 34 respondents had been harassed or evicted by authorities. While society often paints the homeless as problematic or lazy, the survey shows that many are trapped by circumstances. For example, 118 respondents cited serious health issues as contributing factors, and 48 had suffered accidents. 'The central purpose of doing this exercise was to listen to and document the lived experiences of people in destitution, and more importantly, the way they want to tell their stories. Unlike research studies, this report is a people's narrative about their lives. It's done with the hope that we attempt an honest reflection on why people live such difficult lives,' Tarique says.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Time of India
Facing action in MP, Bhopal beggars shift base to Nagpur
Nagpur: The city is witnessing a significant influx of beggars from Bhopal, driven by the stringent enforcement of the 'Anti-Begging Law' in Madhya Pradesh. Crossing a distance of around 350km, the beggars are arriving in motley groups in Nagpur from Bhopal. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In the past, the city witnessed a similar influx of beggars from Indore after the local administration and police tightened the noose around them by implementing the Anti-Begging organised begging gangs, previously operating in Indore and now Bhopal, shifted their activities to Nagpur following the implementation of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) Section 163, which bans begging and almsgiving in these crackdown in Madhya Pradesh, which included registering FIRs against both beggars and those giving alms, pushed these groups to seek new territories. Nagpur, being the closest major city, is now experiencing a surge in beggars at traffic signals, street corners, and road islands, raising concerns about public safety and urban city police's attempts to drive the beggars away yielded temporary results as the alms-seekers returned within a short time. The cops, overburdened with other important operations, seem to have lost the zeal to chase the beggars away beggars are proving to be a major hurdle in the city police's ' '. The initiative has been launched to save homeless persons from getting exposed to the heatwave. Sources involved in the mission stated that the beggars from other states try to be rescued here and seek benefits, while the local ones remain indicate that many of these beggars are part of organised networks, some with criminal backgrounds, posing a potential challenge for the Nagpur police. CP Ravinder Singal has already initiated surveys to identify begging hotspots and is collaborating with civic bodies and NGOs to address the issue through rehabilitation and enforcement under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959. "We are working on a multi-phase plan to survey, rehabilitate, and, if necessary, take legal action against those exploiting minors, women, and the elderly," he stated.
Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Indian Express
After 60 years, state hikes wages in beggars' homes from 16 paisa/day to Rs 40/day
In a landmark move, the Maharashtra government has revised, for the first time in nearly half-a-century, the monetary compensation paid to destitute individuals housed in state-run beggars' homes. The wage, which stood at a token Rs 5 per month, has now been raised significantly to Rs 1200 per month. The decision was approved by the state cabinet on Tuesday. Maharashtra currently operates 14 beggars' homes, collectively housing 4,127 individuals. These homes are meant to provide shelter and vocational training for people categorized as beggars under the law. India's anti-begging laws, including the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, are rooted in outdated colonial-era legislation that criminalised poverty and vagrancy. Initially enacted for the state of Maharashtra, the Act has since been adopted by several other states across the country. Under the current law, any person found in a public place without visible means of subsistence, or soliciting alms through activities such as singing, dancing, fortune-telling, or street performance, can be labelled a beggar. The Act grants broad discretionary powers to the police, who may detain individuals they suspect of begging. Those apprehended are produced before the Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Kurla, which exclusively handles such cases. Following a summary inquiry, the court may either release the individual or commit them to a beggars' home for a period ranging from one to three years. The law mandates that these institutions offer instruction in agricultural, industrial, or other vocational skills. Many inmates during their stint in the beggars' home are made to work in either agriculture fields or workshops associated with the homes. Until now, this labour was compensated at just Rs 5 per month a sum unchanged since 1964. The revised rate of Rs 40 per day will cost the state an estimated Rs 50 lakh annually.
