India's has shown a tremendous economic growth over the past few decades, along with rapid industrialization, increased foreign investment, and a burgeoning service sector.

Also India has emerged as one of the world's fastest-growing major economies, with significant improvements in various sectors like infrastructure, technology, education, healthcare etc.

However, despite this growth, poverty and beggary remain persistent issue in the country and almost 5 lakh people are involve in this practice.

To address the same issue and to find solutions to irradicate the same issue The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India organized an open house discussion on ‘Preventing beggary and rehabilitation of individuals engaged in beggary’.

The event was chaired by NHRC, India Acting Chairperson, Smt. Vijaya Bharathi Sayani.

She said that despite rapid economic progress and several initiatives and welfare programmes implemented by both the Centre and State Governments, the continuing practice of begging indicates deep socio-economic disparities in the country. As per the 2011 census, there were more than 413 thousand beggars and vagrants in India. They include women, children, transgender and elderly who are forced to beg for survival.

She also mentioned how giving and accepting alms that was a part of spiritual practices aimed at cultivating humility and charity has lost its original intent and has transformed to begging either due to poverty or criminal activities even involving the trafficking of persons including children for this purpose generating a substantial amount of money.

Further, as a result of societal neglect, physically challenged individuals have no choice but to depend on others for survival and daily sustenance.

NHRC, India Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal present at the event said that recently, the Commission issued an Advisory to the Centre and State governments and UT Administrations to develop strategies aimed at eliminating the need for begging and enhancing the quality of life for those involved in it.

He pointed out that if 80 crore people in the country can receive free food grains, rehabilitation of about 4 lakh individuals engaged in begging should not be difficult.

Shri Lal said that if different stakeholders including civil society organizations worked together it should not be difficult to rehabilitate them. They can also have access to food grains, housing, electricity connections, toilets, and cooking gas by providing an Aadhar card to them.

Earlier, giving an overview of the open discussion, Shri Devendra Kumar Nim, Joint Secretary emphasized the need to re-evaluate existing laws and approaches, advocating for a shift from punitive measures to a focus on rehabilitation, in alignment with constitutional principles and recent court rulings. This shift offers a path to more effective and humane solutions to the issue of begging.

Shri Rajesh Kumar, Director of the Society for Promotion of Youth & Masses said that his organization has nearly achieved 100 percent Aadhar Card enrollment for the residents of their shelter homes.

Shri Chandra Mishra, Director of Beggars Corporation Private Limited, shared how he is transforming beggars into entrepreneurs by involving them as stakeholders in his company.

Major approaches drawn out from the meeting ;

1. Identifying and mapping areas with high concentrations of begging, and conduct a survey of beggars to create a comprehensive database.

2. State governments should work towards issuing Aadhaar cards to all beggars, facilitating their access to social security schemes and benefits.

3. Begging should be decriminalized, as punitive measures and rehabilitation efforts cannot be effectively combined.

4. Beggars are not a homogeneous group; therefore, initiatives for them should be tailored to meet their individual needs.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Tushar Pandey/MSM)