How to deal with the beggars

noflylist

My point was, in India the poor beggar has no choice, hope of getting a job. Yes, I would give directions if I was brave! US beggars are all bigger taller than me!

machadinha

My point if it wasn't obvious is it's a little easy to say don't you think.

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noflylist

agreed


...can't argue with a MOD

capt_mahajan

Oh yes, you can.. You can win the argument too, without the swat team breaking down your door

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Nick-H

Did someone call for the swat team?

Or shall I go back to sleep?

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Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

machadinha

Get them knee pads ready Nick

Vasko

This has to be the most original and bizarre suggestion so far.

Maybe one could also hide a hijra in one's backpack...

issac_new

I find dealing with beggers varies completely depending on who the begger is, where you are etc. ill sometimes give to someone who is severly disabled and ask me nicely, but if they are in any way aggressive, blocking my path etc i will not.

In most cases I find the best, and most rewarding thing to do is to interact with them. An ex-pat friend of mine often hugs the kids in her area; most of them are starved of affection, or anyone to treat them remotely normally. I was surprised at the results; when they see her again they don't ask for money, they just want a hug or a laugh. Its still a bit of hassle, but its non-threatening.

Obviously this wont work if your in a hurry, but it is suprising how different things are if you adopt a more positive approach. Rather than telling them all to 'jaao' (go away) when a begger child approaches forlornly, why not ask them 'tumhara naam kya hai?' (what is your name?) or 'tumhara pita ji ka naam kya hai?' (what is your fathers name? - even the poorest kids seem to keep an immense respect for their father). More than a few kids will smile at something like this, and sometimes even forget about asking for money. if you can speak hindi, try to have a conversation with them. If they do still ask, just say sorry, nahi. they are much less likely to ask again than if you had gone straight in with a nahi or a jaao. Of course it is unlikely to work as well with the real hardcore beggers that hang around paharganj. they are a different kettle of fish altogether, i consider them touts. save your jaaos for them.


i never forget my final night in Delhi. I was in connaught place and 3 grubby little girls saw the foreigner and naturally ran up to me and started following me - 'money, give...'etc I paused after a few steps and with my best hindi asked them what their names were and how old each was. They seemed to take great pride in this, along with a fair amount of giggling. They asked again for money, I appologised and two of them skipped off. The third, the youngest at about 4, just looked at me and told me she was hungry and wanted ice-cream from the nearby streetseller. so i explained to her that ice-cream really is not so good if you are hungry becuase it has a lot of sugar in and is not good for your health, so she shouldnt be eating it, but if she would eat some bananas instead, i would give her some money. She nodded and happily took the money. Assuming she would run straight to the icecream-wallah I watched from a distance and was pleasntly suprised to see her cross the road and buy a big bunch of bananas for her and her friends. one of the sweetest little kids ive met.

I think that when dealing with beggers its important to try and remember they are mostly decent people who have been dealt a truly s*** hand in life. I spent some time in a slum school for the poorest of the poor and really they are not so different as the rest of us; they still have hopes, dreams etc sometimes they even laugh. i see too many people, tourists and natives, blank them out completely and treat them as if they don't exist, or worse.

Maywind

Capt M, forgive my very late reply. I can only imagine how that must feel, really wanting to help, but that you have to resist doing a good deed. That must be frustrating.

I'd like to mention the couple of times someone really wanted to help: they offered it from a distance and kept this distance until I approached them with my query. Even when I didn't need their help, when they kept their distance, I always walked up to them and thanked them with a handshake or friendly pat on the shoulder.

For whatever it's worth (and I do NOT mean to sound prejudice), these particular instances were all in Mumbai...

capt_mahajan

If there are so many riders to helping, I'd rather not

lotus blossom

yes, i think that it is important to acknowledge them, as fellow human-beings, realizing that it could be us in their shoes.

i love this story!

yes, i've heard stories from people who had jobs, homes, a life before the streets. often, i'll smile and/or sometimes say 'sorry' if i have nothing to give them, but the smile seems to be something that most of them respond to. i also worked with homeless veterans for 2.5 years, so am pretty sensitive to the issue of begging.

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lotus blossom

One-thirds of the total number of beggars in the city, or 29.52 per cent, are below the age of 18. Most of them said they beg for food and clothes while 21.47 per cent children take to begging on the instructions of friends or others. The study says 66.37 per cent of beggars are able-bodied and above 18 years while only 33.63 per cent have some kind of disability and 69.94 per cent of them are male beggars.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/070829/32/6k368.html

jfit

I felt sorry for a child begger once and gave him some mony 30 seconds later I was swarmed by older beggers touching and pulling at me, it was the scariest thing I have ever experienced when travelling, and I learnt my lesson in a big way.

zoossh

i'm still juggling with this issue over somt time. and i find that an effective though not always possible solution. i do not give when being approached but i do give food to very shabbily dressed children i met on the street who didn't ask for things. i may look for stores selling some food that fills, such as packets of instant noodles. but i have no shops i can buy any food from, i keep a couple of sweets with me and rewards cute kids i like.

as for beggers, i would have to ignore them. it is not something that i can handle

Haylo

As I live near Stratford Upon Avon, we have our fair share of visitors and I make a point of trying to help people out when I can, even inviting people back to stay. However, if my approach was met by a "So what are you after then?" reaction, I imagine I would swiftly become far less inclined to help!

Thanks for offering a different viewpoint, as the French say "To Understand All is to Forgive All" (Err... They say it in French of course ) and every little thing I learn about India and the way things are there makes it seem that bit less scary.