Beggars - a life time of no respect and dignity

Beggars - every where you turn in Pakistan, you can see them - at traffic lights, public places, near shops. Some are begging for money because they are poor and have children to feed, others flaunt their disabilities by showing some tumour or their twisted bones. It can literally make you cringe and make you give them money just to make them go away. 

There are some women beggars who have little kids in their arms, usually with a cloth over the babies' heads. I always noticed that the babies were usually so calm. Never have I ever seen a crying baby or a screaming one. After doing some research, it turns out that half of the babies are drugged and sedated so as to not create a scene. Some after constant drugging even pass away. The other half.. Are already dead. So these women, who pretend to need money for their children are actually harming and killing these little infants, who have done nothing other than being born in the wrong household. 

Then are the people who flaunt their physical disabilities. It is one thing to have a physical disability; God tests his men in very different ways, but it is an entirely different thing to flaunt it and try to gain sympathy in monetary terms. That is like throwing your self-respect and dignity on the ground and stomping your dirty foot over it. 

After that are people who are actually quite well, they have no disabilities whatsoever. But they are just too lazy to actually work for money. Hence, they choose something that comes easier - begging. They choose to beg for money instead of working even a low wage job. Once, a beggar came to a relative asking for money. My relative asked her why she chose begging as a life career instead of doing some proper work when clearly she had the abilities to do so. Her reply was - "baji paisay dainay hain toh dain, warna keh dain nahin dainay. Ye kaam shaam na karayain." 

There are also small children, literally 3-4 year old children who are forced to beg so that their parents can snatch all their money from them as soon as they go home. These kids are sent to some public place or near traffic lights, while an elder watches over them from a distance and then as soon as they get some money, the elder just takes it all away. These kids, who should actually have been in schools, are on the roads, learning to beg, and forgetting a thing called self-respect. 

I don't believe in beggars. I don't believe in throwing your dignity for a Rs.10 note. I don't believe in people who choose to beg instead of doing proper work for money. Yes, we all give money to beggars, because it's sadqah, but it still does not in any way mean that you should choose make begging a career and make the most of it. Life is not easy for anyone. Every one has to work hard. Choosing the easy way out is not really the answer and never will be.