Begging is a major problem in our society with no end in sight, especially in Karachi. Just like shops display different clothes, the streets are full of beggars in different guises trying to fool people. Some pretend to be crippled, some act blind, while others shake tin cans asking for money.
Some even sit in wheelchairs and claim to have a tragic background, making people feel sorry for them. But the problem doesn’t stop here. There are also instances when groups of women get on public buses with the aim of stealing money, wallets, and valuables from passengers. Beggars in disguises go to great lengths to look injured or ill, with their faces made to look burned and their bodies wrapped in bandages. Some pretend to have lost their arms or legs.
The real question is: who brings them here? Who takes them back? There seems to be an entire mafia behind the proliferation of beggars that organises everything. But we, the people, are also responsible. We give alms to these actors without thinking twice when instead, we should be looking around in search of those who are actually needy but never ask for help. This will eventually help curb the problem on a larger scale.
Faria Sherwani
Karachi
