Social ills: Poverty driving people to beggary

A man who was forced to take to the streets for begging by his physical disability.


Shazia Mehboob September 10, 2011

ISLAMABAD:


The limited nature of the welfare schemes that are meant to reduce poverty and help the indigent sections of the citizenry is driving many people to beggary. The sight of beggars on every turn of the road adds to national gloom and promotes the feeling of despondency. While beggary may have become a lucrative profession for the many, there are among them those few too whom circumstances have forced to this life of shame. Qalandar Hassan belongs to this category.


Hassan who belongs to Farash township of Islamabad lost the use of both of his arms and legs after a long bout of typhoid fever in 1996. The paralysis deprived him of his sole source of making a living, a tea kiosk which the Capital Development Authority (CDA) took away after his illness. He was unable to pay its rent.

“I will always remember the first time I went out to beg. We had been starving for a week and our better off relatives and friends had refused to provide any help.” Qalandar broke into tears narrating his tale of woe to the Express Tribune. Initially his wife supported him, but poverty soon laid her down with tuberculosis leaving the family of seven without any source of living. His eldest son Imran, now 15, is asthmatic and is not of much help.

“I wonder if I will ever have a life free of poverty and illness again,” said Hassan helplessly seated on his broken wheelchair, his back covered with sores due to prolonged use of the chair.

Narrating his experiences, Hassan said he had approached the Ministry of Social Welfare as well as the Pakistan Baitul Mal for the treatment of his wife and son but to no avail.

When nothing worked out for his family, beggary seemed to be the only way out. One of his neighbours took him to Blue Area on his cart and dropped him on the footpath of a busy road. On his first day at ‘work’ he was able to collect Rs150 from which he purchased flour for his family. This was something he had never imagined fate would make him do.

“I want to go to school but it is not possible,” said Hassan’s younger son who pulls his father’s chair on their begging rounds.

When Pakistan Baitul Mal’s Managing Director, Zamurad Khan’s attention was drawn to the plight of Hassan, who was once a diehard jiyala of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, he said PBM’s funds were limited but all efforts are being made to provide financial assistance to the needy and destitute. Khan claimed the PBM was previously receiving Rs8 billion from the government which had now been reduced to Rs2 billion, which is not enough to meet needs of every disabled person.

He said this was the first time that PBM had been made corruption-free which had encouraged private donors to donate funds.

Hassan’s story is not unique to a single household; in fact it tells the tale of countless such families who due to their circumstances are forced to pay futile visits to social welfare offices. Their miseries leave several questions on the credibility of both public and private welfare organizations, who claim to be working for the disabled, orphans and the destitute.

The welfare organisations may be right and striving to help the marginalized of the society but then who is responsible for the plight of Hassan and many others like him. Despite having a CNIC for the disabled, they are not getting financial support. Why do we have people amongst us who suffer at the hands of diseases that become incurable only because of their financial status?

During the time when PPP is in power, a strong PPP activist who has given his entire life to the party is currently leading a terrible life due to his health condition. Hassan also remained in prison for five years when Bhutto was hanged during Zia regime.

He appealed to the President Asif Zardari for financial help as he does not want o continue this humiliation and undignified life.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2011.

COMMENTS (2)

Talha | 12 years ago | Reply

Sad but in this country where odd matters take urgency such things are common.

I wish sense comes to people and they strive for a society that helps people.

Zalim Singh | 12 years ago | Reply

What a sad story. Really depressing. In India on the other hand, there is shortage of working hands in industries, offices, business et al. I work for a manufacturing industry and it is hell trying to arrange enough manpower to run the factory. We run around daily searching for casual employees. But we still see some beggars (not many thought as compared to 10 yrs back). Most of these beggars are able bodied. These people do not want to work. begging is easy money for them.

But the above story is definately a sad one though.

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