Until we stop aiding them as a short-cut to heaven, they’re staying
Simply put, requesting a donation in a manner of supplication is called begging. From public places to posh areas, beggars are a common sight. Similar to prostitution, begging is one of the oldest professions on Earth. In our society, begging has traditionally been tolerated and even encouraged because we have been taught that the person who gives alms to the destitute gain religious merits – but what we have forgotten is that these people are professionals and living idly on easy bread is the sole purpose of their lives. Beggars are not confined to the sect we see on the street clad in torn clothes with filthy hair they can be in many states or forms. Sometimes just noticing one’s surroundings, one can see that begging is not just about having a fortune it also has something to do with being cursed with the endless desire for having more.
From vagabonds to entitled, elected Ministers, they are to some extent the same, inside and out. The techniques may differ, the attire may perhaps be dissimilar but the objectives are almost the same. In our society, most people give to beggars more to earn Sawab (divine credits) rather than out of feelings for the beggar. It is not uncommon to see a housewife give Sadka (charity) through a car window to the beggar after the husband has tried to chase him away. As long as we do not shun this easy track to heaven, no law or reform can stop the profession of begging. Beggars chose different attires and locations to perform their activities. According to figures received from a police station, 8 out of every 10 kidnapped children who were recovered told the authorities that an elderly woman abducted them, usually by offering sweets.
Surprisingly enough beggars have their own specific territories which they protect. The beggar who begs in some posh market area would not allow anyone to come and plead in that area until and unless members from beggar’s union allow it. Beggars are trained in such a professional way or tortured to such inhuman limits that they are scared to death if one asks about their networks or masters who give them protection and bail them from jails. These god-fathers are their gods whom the beggars simultaneously respect and fear. A beggar who took oath from me to keep his name secret, and told me that often these people are well known and influential in our so called sober and “High Class” societies. The doyens who have underhand links with the law enforcement agencies book time and spaces in different parts of a busy city and decide which beggar is to be deployed when and where. Different points have different rates, the stations with heavy traffic have more income and its booking price is also high.
I interviewed a beggar on Margalla road Islamabad. At first he refused to give me any information but due to my constant request and promising 500 Rs, he changed his mood. After sitting with me in my car we went for a short drive. I wanted to gain his trust so that he can feel easy to share info with me. The beggar was a 28-year-old man with a light beard and one arm missing from his body, his ID card had permanent address of Sialkot and temporary address was of Rawalpindi. On asking about his life pattern he said that he is a Hafiz Quran and he can easily make 400 Rs (5 Dollar) on daily basis within 3 to 4 hours. “I don’t stay at one Chowk (traffic point) for more than 4 hours because timing is decided and we don’t break rules”. He also told me “After spending time in ISB, I leave for Rawalpindi in the evening where I spent four more hours on Murree road making some 400 Rs to 450 Rs (about $6 dollar)”.
Earning a total monthly of 875 Rs ($11) per day and almost 25,500 Rs ($330) per month. Far much more than any regular 16 grader Government officer in Pakistan, who hardly have a pay of 15,000 rs per month but his duties are, one can assume, far more hectic. When I questioned him about the amount that he gave to get a virtual permit for this station he replied that there is no fix amount in Islamabad but he has to pay 25 percent from the total of his earnings when working in any point of Rawalpindi. Reports are that there are some beggars in metropolitans such as Lahore and Karachi who even gain incomes up to 80,000 Rs ($1000) per month.
There are two major castes (or, races) that dominate in the field of begging namely Kingary and Patto. Individuals belonging to Patto caste are usually the people who go to any level to get wealthy. Prostitution is common amongst their women and their women often sell their own children to beggars unions or mafias. Their children are sold between 20,000 Rs ($250) to 50,000 Rs ($625). Another thing worth mentioning is that in both of these castes (Patto & Kingary) a groom pay a token money for his bride which starts from 50 thousand and goes to 1 lakh ($1250). This amount can be paid in advance or the groom has to swear on his bride head that he will beg for money until the debt is cleared. While on the other hand each year different unions buy, and sell beggars according to their begging performances. Every year unions from metropolitans such as Karachi come to Lahore to buy beggars. One of the well-known mandi (market) is in Shahjamal Chowk where Urss (special ritual) of Baba Shah Jamal takes place from 12am night till 4 am in the morning. Another renowned mandi of beggars is near Bhatti Gate or Bilalganj Lahore. A similar market is operating in Karachi. According to the beggar of whom I have mentioned earlier had told me that there is a drifter who had removed his feet and one arm just for the sake of begging, each year unions make deal with him and pay him an advance of fifty thousand rupees, to take him for begging. He further told me that there are markets of beggars in Islamabad too.
Around the year scavengers from Lahore and Karachi gather to attend the Mela (fair) in Golra Shariff and Bari Imam, where the trade also takes place in complete secrecy. All of these markets are present near shrines that have high values and respect in everyone heart, giving them an edge of protection from law agencies. According to “The Punjab Vagrancy Ordinance, 1958 (XX of 1958)” page 1259 Section2. Definitions (g) “Vagrant” means a person who: (I) solicits or receives alms in a public place (ii) exposes or exhibits any sore, wound, injury, deformity or disease in a public place for the purpose of soliciting or receiving alms (iii) allows himself to be as an exhibit for the purpose of soliciting or receiving alms (iv) enters on any private premises without the invitation of the occupier for the purpose of soliciting or receiving alms, but does not include a person who solicits or receives money, or gift for a purpose authorised by duels under a prescribed certificate. Section7. “Any police officer may without an order from a Magistrate and without a warrant, arrest and search any person who appears to him to be a vagrant and may seize anything found on or about such person which he has reason to believe to be liable to confiscation under this Ordinance” Now, Section9. “If the Magistrate finds that a person is a vagrant such person shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a period not exceeding three years”.
There are total 26 section of Vagrancy Ordinance, 1958 but none show any harsh law against vagrancy. On the contrary it protects beggars to some extent especially Section2 (g) sub section (IV). Police put hands on beggars when they are given special orders or pressurised by higher authorities otherwise beggars are not touched or questioned. Beggars after detaining are sent to Edhi house that is present in all major cities of Pakistan. From there they are bailed on simple black & white paper proceedings mostly signed by our bureaucrats. Beggars not only depend on begging for income, they are also the most suitable and reliable free-lance criminals. There are groups of dacoits and criminals dressed like beggars. They not only use drugs like Bond, cocaine, coke, marijuana etc. but they are the biggest group of buyers of these drugs. Selling lungs and kidney for money is also part of their lives. For this, they can easily find doctors who would even take life for money and are present in anonymous hospitals and clinics. Begging from house to house and giving information about the residents and structure to professional dacoits also goes in their line of work. They are more mysteries in the life of a beggar than one can assume. Government should take bold and serious steps. Not only to control them but to eradicate their communities and mafias from our society.
