Beggars

I felt a little uneasy writing this article, because I didn’t want anyone to interpret what I say the wrong way. So as you read, please remember that this is not supposed to be “Elliot’s Guide to Dealing with India’s Poor People: the Observations of a Disconnected Rich American”. This is simply an account of my personal experience, which includes concepts/activities/behaviors that have been explained to me by the people I’ve met here. That being said, let me tell you a little bit about institution of begging in India.

Beggars are everywhere—outside of churches, schools, malls, and stores. You can’t walk more than a kilometer without being approached at least once—especially if you’re white. It’s not so much the fact your skin is lighter as it is an obvious indication that you are a foreigner. While you’ll often be asked to pay more for rickshaw rides and approached more often by beggars and hagglers, there are actually lots of “advantages” to being white (this sounds like a ridiculous thing to say, but please just bear with me). At many restaurants and hotels we’ve visited, the staff seemed to make a considerable effort to ensure that we had everything we needed. Even my teachers and friends at school consistently ask me “how everything is going”, if my living conditions are adequate, and in general, go out of their way to make me feel comfortable. But beggars know you’re a foreigner too, and the general assumption is that white people are rich.

Deciding whether or not to give money can be difficult. My friend Zeeshan told me that begging has developed into sort of a “business” in India (as it has in many countries). There are entire families of beggars who work under “pimps” (for lack of a better word). The pimps sometimes employ hundreds of beggars and control several neighborhoods. But the word “employ” can be misleading; essentially, the beggars turn over everything they make during the day in exchange for food and shelter, and the pimps buy themselves a pair of Ray Bans. It’s sick; and what’s even more sick is that there have been reported incidents of self-mutilation by the beggars and even mutilation of their own children in an attempt to increase their collections. Zeeshan also told me that there are very successful professional beggars. He explained that by successful, he meant that there are families that make so much money begging, they own a house, a car, and even a big screen TV. “It’s very hard, man, very hard. Some people really do need money; you just can’t tell who they are.”

He’s right; it’s very hard. It’s nearly impossible to really know. When beggars ask for money, they almost always say that they’re hungry. In this instance, an obvious alternative to giving money is simply to give them food. If they’re legitimate, they’re very grateful.

I’ve given cash to someone only once. She was a little girl (about 7 years old) who had developed a sort of street performance. She had a large metal ring which she used to do contortionist body movements through. After a series of gymnastics, she concluded with a string of back handsprings down the sidewalk and ended with a back flip. I gave her some money, because I was pretty impressed.