Like most other Mumbaikars I have a long commute to office which includes a taxi ride, pushy train journey and then finally to round it off an auto on the bumpy malad/ goregaon roads. The train is definitely the longest stretch of this journey and definitely the toughest but the more interesting as well as you get to see so many stories unfold in front of your eyes everyday.
Yesterday there was this old woman in the train who was begging for 10-20 rupees. The amount she was begging for caught my attention as generally beggars ask for 1-2 rupees. She was apparently collecting money as she had just had an operation for some cancer. Initially I was a little hesitant to give her money as I though it was just using this reason to get sympathy but after seeing some people sitting next to me donate generously, even I decided to give her some money..(for a cancer patient it was very little money but for a beggar collecting this amount from 20-30 people a day will translate into 300-500 rupees a day..)..
In the last few months while talking to some people who work with various NGO's in the city I had realised that the easiest way in which we try to help someone is by parting with a very little amount of money and then feeling as if we had changed the world. I thought ill did deeper and see if she was really genuine probably collect some money from friends and family to help her..OK these were just thoughts only and I confess I have never done anything like this before in my life so I am not sure if this thing would have worked but nevertheless I thought it was worth a try...
So while she was walking past me I asked her how she would be able to manage with these 10s and 20s for her unstable medical condition.....And then her look completely changed...She replied sarcastically people give me 100,200, 500 and more...Further she said I am waiting a big amount of money and this arrangement is just for the interim...But the looks in her eyes had now changed completely..She was looking at me angrily as if I had done a big mistake by asking her this question..By that time other people had also got suspicious of that woman. Somebody said that she was in the same train 2-3 months back collecting money and faking some other ailment. She got down at the next station. Probably sensing that there would be a barrage of questions for which she was not prepared..
As she left I had mixed feelings. I felt bad that i probably was the reason she cold not collect enough money for whatever reason she wanted to collect. On the other hand I felt good that I stopped her from fleecing the unsuspecting passengers..I felt incidents like these will harm the really needy people. When next time a needy person will come to me I will probably think twice before helping him..
I am unable to conclude this article....Suggestions are welcome .....
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4 comments:
Been there done that. I can't agree more to this post. Absolutely true.
Even I had exactly the same feelings when I gave a man who told me that he was robbed when he came to Bombay with his family and wanted money to go back to his hometown.
About the chance that a genuine person might lose, one can't really do anything about it, but continue to donate without second thoughts (and having a feeling of beng cheated, if one is suspicious).
At the end of the day, if one is doing it in good faith, it is safe to assume, that it is a good deed and one would get credit for it.
Agree to Amogh, begging is being used as an easy means to earn some money by fraudsters who wish not to do it by fair means. They deserve no pity, especially when they misrepresent their laziness and fraudulant intentions as a pitiful situation to gullible and kind ppl like us.
I read somewhere that a begger was found dead near some garbage disposal area with a garbage bag full of 100 rupee notes, totalling to well over 10,000 rupees! Later it was found that he had a home in some village with his family living a lavish life-style. I hope I had not thrown away any of my hard-earned money towards such a thug!
The biggest dilemma is begger kids. I have seen really needy ones who are exploited by some Bhai (remember Slumdog M), and I have seen kids who play goti (marbles) with the five-rupee coins I give them for food!
So I best look away whenever I see a face begging, no idea when pity will over-power sound diligence!
After reading this blog I remember the movie traffic signal. In the movie they have shown how big and organised is the begging business. That’s why I am generally reluctant to help beggars unless I see a real need in their eyes..Like both hands chopped off...but again these people do this to gain sympathy..
I agree with Gaurav that I can’t conclude and agree with Amogh that if we give, don’t have second thoughts..Just give it as if it is going for good cause....
Hope I have not hurt the sentiments any NGO
I saw that woman again in the train at dadar..I think because of people like her one day when I actually come across a needy person I will not be able to differentiate...
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