Beggars cash in on Ramadan

With the commencement of Ramadan, hundreds of professional and non-professional beggars become the claimers of charity causing nuisance to the people. The beggars in groups can be seen at the entrance of mosques, fast food vendors, markets, inter sections, bus terminals and thickly populated downtown areas of the city where they make the life of people miserable by demanding charity in the holy month of Ramadan. The menace of professional beggary is gaining momentum in the month as every Muslim wanted to give charity in shape of Sadqa, Zakat and Fitrana.
One of the beggars, Nazia, mother of three kids, said that she relied on people’s charitable mood during the holy month as she had to get money for her sick children. “In Ramazan people give money generously so I usually ask for help in Ramazan,” she said.
Ten years old Ahmad, who sells sweets and gums near a traffic signal, said the holidays were the suitable days to work rather than rest as his father asked him to spend hours in selling gum to motorists. “Most of the people give me money and do not take the gum,” he said adding that his two brothers often join him to peddle at night. “We urge people not to give money to beggars as that will only increase their number,” said an official concerned. He claimed to be aware of the fact that people wanted to be charitable in Ramazan and help the poor, but “they can donate money to orphanages as they cannot tell if a beggar is actually needy,” he said. Though different non-governmental organizations and other institutions are working for the rehabilitation of beggars to eradicate this menace from the society, the positive results in this direction are still far to achieve. According to customers, these beggars had started using new tactics to gain the attention of people for the purpose of getting money. They said that beggars were now asking for charity in the name of religion. “The act of beggary has been now converted into a profitable business as mostly the general public believes that inability of the authorities concerned to control beggars reflected that there is a strong mafia which is managing these beggars,” said a resident of the commercial market of Cantonment area. Groups of women with crying infants, young men with bandaged arms, middle-aged disabled men, barefoot children, eunuchs and others could be seen selling low-quality products in different bazaars.
“These beggars sometimes create awkward situations by holding the arms of people and forcing them to give money. When someone refuses to give them money, they use offensive or abusive language,” said a shopkeeper. “Begging should be banned in the country by adopting proper legislation,” he said and added that legislation must be enacted to put an end to this profession. “However, deserving cases should be helped and others should be given gainful employment.”