Mool Raj
We commonly witness child beggars on the streets of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly crippled children, roaming the crossroads and walking between vehicles, begging for food or money. They are frequently seen begging near railway stations, as well as in rail coaches, bus stops, parks, in front of hotels and restaurants, in markets, at traffic signal lights, near temples, mosques, churches, dargahs, crossings, public places & bazaars, and from door to door, particularly during festivals and Friday prayers at nearby mosques & localities. A few years ago, the concerned department, in coordination with the police department, launched an operation to free beggars, including children, in major J&K cities.
However, many men, women, and children continue to beg in the city, particularly at prominent locations. Instead, the numbers appear to have increased in recent years. In the cities of Jammu and Srinagar, there are many child beggars, most of them are between the ages of 4 and 13. There is presently no official figure for the number of child beggars in J&K because accurate data on them is difficult to gather due to their transient and floating nature.
In these two major cities of J&K, young street children and street girls are mostly involved in begging. They could be orphans or runaway children. They are slum children who live on streets, railway platforms, parks, near temples and dargahs, in markets, beneath flyovers and bridges, near bus stands and stops, and in temporary houses in slums. Some of them perform begging songs. Even though they beg for their daily food, they are unable to obtain it adequately. They have also been accused of stealing and other petty offences. In reality, these street children struggle to make ends meet as child beggars.
Some individuals of Jammu’s slum areas are so impoverished that they cannot even feed themselves. To aid their family, these poor people’s children become child beggars. From their appearances, these beggars appear to be outsiders in J&K. They come in the morning, beg all day, and then return home in the evening with assistance. In other cases, the child beggars’ parents or siblings are sick. They beg and collect money for their medical and food expenses. These poor people’s children beg because they cannot find work because child labour is illegal. Some of the children who beg are the children of drug addicts. Working as labourers, their mothers are unable to support their families. They begin begging for assistance for their mothers. Begging is frequently imposed by family members. They believe it is better for the youngsters to beg rather than work. Some mothers bring one or two younger children and leave them begging on the street. Adult beggars may rent or share newborns, children, or various types of children from other women in order to earn more money and offer half of their profits to those women. Some teenage mothers give their children sedatives so they can sleep peacefully, and the mothers ask to have their children diagnosed as ill. In the towns of Jammu and Srinagar, there are even some ‘commercial’ child beggars. Their exact quantity is unknown, although they may be found around the city. The majority of them are minors who have been trafficked from other parts of the country, and the begging trade is run by some groups or individuals. Agents leave these children in public places to beg in the morning. The agents return in the evening to return them. There are covertly provided specific houses for them. They spend the night within and only venture out during the day.
According to reports, many of these child beggars have had limbs amputated or even acid poured into their eyes to blind them because disabled child beggars attract more attention and earn more money than healthy ones. Other physical abuses for the purpose of increasing earnings include pouring chilli pepper on a child’s tongue to produce the appearance of obstructed speech and using medicines to improve a child’s energy and alertness. According to reports, child beggars in the twin towns of Jammu and Srinagar are committing several crimes these days. Because defective children attract attention and earn more money than healthy children, some able-bodied people are found pretending to be lame, dumb, or blind. A small number of child beggars participate in criminal activities such as theft, pickpocketing, drug dealing, and even prostitution. The majority of drug users have a propensity of regularly sniff chemical-based drugs. Alcohol, cigarettes, and other psychotropic substances are also often utilised. Some of them also utilise injectable medications. The majority of them employ multiple substances. Furthermore, many of the gangs who operate the forced begging network are also drug dealers, thus the children under their control are frequently drug addicts.
The child beggars have little hope for the future; indeed, they believe that they will never have a better life. As a result, they are exceedingly vulnerable, with many of their physical, emotional, and social requirements unmet. Children who engage in begging are frequently subjected to additional physical and verbal abuse, as well as sexual victimisation and other forms of brutality. The majority of girl beggars are assaulted, raped, or implicated in night crimes. The majority of children that engage in begging have little to no schooling. Because of their living conditions, these youngsters are exposed to considerable health risks. They are vulnerable due to a lack of sufficient food, proper sanitation, enough shelter, and medical care. Due to a lack of understanding and monitoring, they have a substantially higher rate of HIV infection. The issue demands special attention from the appropriate authorities. More strong legislation is needed in the Jammu and Kashmir UT to prosecute both child trafficking and forced begging.
Social and religious organizations, NGOs and concerned government departments should reach out to these child beggars for their comprehensive basic needs that including education, healthcare, protection and rehabilitation. Orphanages and shelter homes are required to provide necessary help to child beggars without families. A proactive role from the city dwellers is essential to make the city of temples and tourist heaven Srinagar city free of child beggars.
(The author is a freelance writer and can be reached at [email protected])
