“Mom and dad only send us to beg and bring money”: Child Beggars
Vadodara, January 18,
2018: Child beggars have increased in the society and should now be looked upon
as the parents who are responsible for the nourishment of children are
themselves sending them for begging and bringing money at home.
“My name is Shiv. I am 12
years old and I have a sister of 9 years old. We beg daily from morning to
evening and then we go back home at night. My dad is addicted to alcohol and my
mom doesn’t care much about us.” Said one of the child beggars. Shiv said that
his place for begging was fixed and he never thought about changing it because
he used to earn the highest amount of money from that particular area.
Continuing he said,” I have no shame in begging because my mom told me that it
is okay to beg in families like ours. I don’t understand much about whatever
she talks but many a times, she cries a lot and my father doesn’t even look at
her.”
Raju, a 13 year old kid,
who begs daily and stays with Shiv said that,” I and Shiv are always together
and we beg daily. Begging is the only thing we know because that is the only
thing which our parents tell us to do. My parents and Shiv’s parents stay near
only and hence we always stick together. But we never stay together while
begging so that we can earn more because people either sometimes buy us food
then usually they buy only one product therefore we go turn by turn so that we
can get equal things.” Raju even drinks bidi
and wishes to drink alcohol because of his dad. He said that he also wants
to try whatever his father drinks because whenever he drinks that he never
scolds him.
Divya, a girl living in
the same colony where Shiv and Raju live (in the protection of Shiv’s parents),
said,” I like to play with Shiv and he takes me every day to beg with him.
People many a times don’t give money to Shiv but they give money to me and I
always tease him saying that. I never saw my parents and I know that because
Shiv usually keeps saying that I was found on the road of colony. I don’t think
much about my parents because whenever I see Shiv’s parents fighting, I don’t
like it.” Divya has, several times, tried to run away from Shiv’s home because
of violence done at her by Shiv’s father but ultimately used to come back because
of nowhere else to go.
Child beggars have
created groups in city in different areas. When asked about schooling, children
said the same thing that they also wish to go to school in uniform and have fun
in vehicles but when they ask about their schooling to the parents, the parents
reply negatively saying that schooling is not meant for them and that they
should keep begging only. Usually, a bunch of child beggars seen together live
in a same colony or building or in a same area and daily beg on the commands of
their parents and never raised a voice against it because of their unknown
rights and domestic violence.
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