I always was a workaholic and firm believer of efforts in achieving success. I never used to give money to beggers thinking that I am encouraging the ' Begging ' attitude.
but......Now I feel different.
I feel these are the lives which have not got enough opportunities to show that they can stand on their own feet. Beggers as described by charles Dickens or as seen in Mumbai could be professionals. They might be like a character as described in one of the Sherlock Holmes stories. But I now strongly feel that they are not beggers by choice. they become beggers because other means of earning livelihood don't exists for them.
At important signals, In Pune we see many beggers who do ceratin acrobatic tricks to get attention and then money. I used to ignore them earlier. But more I have observed them more I am impressed. The small kid amongst them prepares himself for that 30 second show. Paints black moustache Hits the drum very mechanically and other girl looking confident twists and turns her limbs, passes through the small metal ring. does somersault.
Hey....!!! these kids are small ones like my kids. These kids are exposed to hazards of traffic. they have to tackle traffic, smoke, signals and police or other authority and impress the standstill traffic to put their hands in their pockets and earn few coins in fraction of seconds.
I salute their survival instincts.
I admire them. Hey we have ruined circus where same kids will earn something. We don't attend the Social functions because we have important Australia India MAtch on TV or fav soap running for years. We have turned blind eye to this population ...may be earlier days their forefathers were given good platform by society.
We are turning into stinking Social ecosystem.
We should GIVE opportunites , platforms to these families to show their art We should pause to clap for them. Don't look at them with contempt. they are humans who have urge to perform. Urge to live. Urge to earn livelihood.
We should give them handsome bakshish.
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novel perspective
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