Tuesday 22 April 2014

Beggary a "Social Problem"

Beggary is a major problem which is today affecting large population of India. There are large number of beggars in India who are forced in to doing begging because our societies fails in providing any good alternative to them.

For the last few centuries India has suffered acute poverty. From the ancient times, the main cause of poverty was various taxes. poverty, disability and unemployment is the problem of beggary which is a social problem.

The other issue is slightly more serious where large numbers of beggars are in begging for earning easy money. The major issues with this beggary problem are non awareness about this whole business, society’s failure, no humanitarian solutions and failure of government in stopping beggary because of which large number of children deprived from right to education & childhood. Indian government never tried to rectify the faulty system by repealing anti-poverty or beggary laws. In fact, poor women, children and elderly people need help from the government to obtain food and shelter.



Bombay Beggary Prevention Act 1960
An Act to consolidate and Where it is expedient to make uniform and better provision for the prevention of begging in the state of Bombay, for the detention training and employment of beggars and their dependents in certain institutions, for the custody, trial and punishment of beggar offenders and for other purposes to consolidate and the purpose of making uniform and better provision for the prevention of begging in Bombay, Government has amended the law relating to beggers.

Short title
This Act may be called the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959.

Extention 
It extends to the whole of the Union Territory, Delhi.
It shall come into force on such date as the Chief Commissioner may by notification in the Delhi Gazette, appoint.

DefinitionsIn this Act, 
"begging" means:- 
  • Soliciting or receiving alms, in a public place whether or not doing such as signing, dancing, fortune telling, performing or offering any article for sale;
  • Entering on any private premises or the purpose of soliciting or receiving alms;
  • Exposing or exhibiting, with the object of obtaining or extorting alms, any sore, wound injury, deformity of diseases whether of a human being or animal;
  • Having no visible means of subsistence and wandering, about or remaining in any public place in such condition or manner, as makes it likely that the person doing so exist soliciting or receiving alms.
But does not include soliciting or receiving money or food or given for a purpose authorises by any law, or authorised in the manner prescribed by the Deputy Commissioner or such other officer as be specified in this behalf by the Chief Commissioner.

The government of Bangladesh is banning beggars. With a law approved in an open vote, the parliament has decided that anyone who asks for charity in public, or displays handicaps or mutilations in order to obtain money, will be punished with three months in prison.

According to United Nations estimates, about 40% of the population as around 150 million live under poverty line and forceable to do begging. As per the latest estimates available for the year 1999-2001, Jammu and Kashmir has the lowest percentage of people living below the poverty line (3.48%) and Orissa has the highest percentage of people living below the poverty line (47.15%).

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