BAHAWALPUR:
Those that remain empathic towards the poor and the needy need to understand the complexity of situation before coming up with conclusions about them. With the rise of the beggar mafia in Pakistan, it has become extremely hard to differentiate those who are begging out of true need or those who are treating it as a way of earning easy money.
The sad reality in Pakistan is that poor children are forced into beggary from a small age, with many unaware of what they are actually being forced to do. Such practices need to be dealt with strictly, and culprits involved punished severely. It is also important to note that giving money to those affiliated with the beggar mafia merely adds fuel to the fire since they are encouraged to recruit more people. In light of the situation that has severely aggravated over the years, a two-member bench of the Sindh High Court, comprised of Justice Mazhar and Justice Arshad Hussain, has directed the Sindh IGP to take action against those involved. Even though the situation demands a crackdown on the mafia running this system, one needs to look at the situation from a broader angle. Rampant corruption, extreme inequality and soaring inflation have made citizens miserable, with thousands rendered homeless and millions falling into acute poverty. In such a situation, where there may be no way out, an individual may have no other choice but to earn a living through immoral means. This, however, does not justify the actions of such individuals but analysing the problem in its totality helps in understanding the root cause of the problem. Even though a crackdown may dismantle the mafia temporarily, more may spring up amidst dire circumstances in the future.
There needs to be radical change not just within institutions but also in the mindset of citizens, especially the ruling elite, if we are to stop such evil practices from persisting. Instead of cutting down the branches, we need to severe the roots.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2020.
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