Socio-religious connotations of charity and generosity have been mixed up with the idea of begging
KARACHI: In major cities like Karachi, beggary has rather become a profession for many and is practised on such a vast scale that one cannot drive past a stopover or a traffic signal without being pestered by these trained-for-the-job beggars. Beggary has become more like a mafia group enjoying the backing from the police and other government offices. The police too allegedly get their cut from the abhorrent business.
In fact, nowadays, people perfectly capable of working and earning a livelihood for themselves engage in beggary oblivious to the moral and ethical humiliation the act carries with it. Hence, the social and religious connotations of the concept of charity and generosity have been mixed up with the idea of begging for money. Most of the beggars are children, women and elderly men. Many of whom are handicapped, who easily earn sympathies from people and are also less likely to be returned empty-handed.
The government, NGOs and the local bodies must act to curb beggary, which is prohibited in Islam and other religions. The government should develop a charity and welfare mechanism for the needy and the deserving in order to eliminate the scourge of beggary.
Yumnah Qureshi
Published in The Express Tribune, May 13th, 2018.
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