BEWARE – THE BEGGARS ARE ON THE PROWL (11th Oct 2009, 1810 Hrs)
Once I was sitting in a bar and sipping my beer when I saw a poor woman approaching the cash counter. The cashier greeted her as if they were old acquaintance. The woman was cheerful and immediately on the cash counter, she placed loads of coins. The cashier asked her how much it was and immediately from the cash box, took out nine hundred rupees notes and gave her. She thanked him and left. I was a bit surprised and out of curiosity asked the cashier about the woman, looking at their trust factor.
Yes, even you will be surprised to know that the woman was a beggar and every day at around 9 pm, she comes to exchange the small coins in hundred rupees notes. You may ask me, “Daily?” Yes, daily! That means her monthly income is in tune of 27,000 rupees a month. Many of the MBAs and graduates must not be earning that kind of a salary per month, but here’s a woman beggar in Mumbai, who earns in five figures. Amazing reality, isn’t it? I was as amazed as you all when the cashier told me, how he manages the small change (coins) problem every day to run the business. The lady has never cheated him since the last five years about the numbers.
So the next time, you put your hand in your pocket to take out that one rupee coin, think again, to give to a beggar, who is actually richer than you are in that Park Avenue formals. Begging is a multi-crore industry in India as there are millions, who lead their lives in tattered clothes looking hungry, beaten and thirsty, while there are billions who don’t hesitate to slip a coin out of pity to such lakhpatis (millionaire). Strangely, these beggars are richer than you, me and everyone around them.
In spite of earning 3.24 lakhs per annum, these beggars live in slums and wear dirty tattered clothes. However, every evening, they spend good amount of money eating chicken, mutton or fish enjoying their drink as if there is no tomorrow. The next day morning, they get ready in their dirty tattered clothes to win hearts of millions to end up 900 rupees richer. Truth is stranger than fiction.
The reason I told you about this reality is because of the current election in various states. Unlike the woman beggar, clad in spotless white khadi, politicians prowl only for few days before the election to beg for votes from you, me and everyone. By now, we all know these beggars clad in spotless white khadi are all crorepatis (billionaires) but they don’t hesitate to beg from poor people and enjoy life thereafter. They are both beggars and a parasite for the society. It is sad and a pity that our society has closed their open eyes by overlooking this menace and callousness behind these two every-growing industries. Like bloody fools, we feel pity and never hesitate to give them the power of one (one rupee coin & one precious vote)!
Once I was sitting in a bar and sipping my beer when I saw a poor woman approaching the cash counter. The cashier greeted her as if they were old acquaintance. The woman was cheerful and immediately on the cash counter, she placed loads of coins. The cashier asked her how much it was and immediately from the cash box, took out nine hundred rupees notes and gave her. She thanked him and left. I was a bit surprised and out of curiosity asked the cashier about the woman, looking at their trust factor.
Yes, even you will be surprised to know that the woman was a beggar and every day at around 9 pm, she comes to exchange the small coins in hundred rupees notes. You may ask me, “Daily?” Yes, daily! That means her monthly income is in tune of 27,000 rupees a month. Many of the MBAs and graduates must not be earning that kind of a salary per month, but here’s a woman beggar in Mumbai, who earns in five figures. Amazing reality, isn’t it? I was as amazed as you all when the cashier told me, how he manages the small change (coins) problem every day to run the business. The lady has never cheated him since the last five years about the numbers.
So the next time, you put your hand in your pocket to take out that one rupee coin, think again, to give to a beggar, who is actually richer than you are in that Park Avenue formals. Begging is a multi-crore industry in India as there are millions, who lead their lives in tattered clothes looking hungry, beaten and thirsty, while there are billions who don’t hesitate to slip a coin out of pity to such lakhpatis (millionaire). Strangely, these beggars are richer than you, me and everyone around them.
In spite of earning 3.24 lakhs per annum, these beggars live in slums and wear dirty tattered clothes. However, every evening, they spend good amount of money eating chicken, mutton or fish enjoying their drink as if there is no tomorrow. The next day morning, they get ready in their dirty tattered clothes to win hearts of millions to end up 900 rupees richer. Truth is stranger than fiction.
The reason I told you about this reality is because of the current election in various states. Unlike the woman beggar, clad in spotless white khadi, politicians prowl only for few days before the election to beg for votes from you, me and everyone. By now, we all know these beggars clad in spotless white khadi are all crorepatis (billionaires) but they don’t hesitate to beg from poor people and enjoy life thereafter. They are both beggars and a parasite for the society. It is sad and a pity that our society has closed their open eyes by overlooking this menace and callousness behind these two every-growing industries. Like bloody fools, we feel pity and never hesitate to give them the power of one (one rupee coin & one precious vote)!
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