Have you ever thought why almost every child in the hands of beggar women look drowsyIJ The shocking reality is that the children are given tranquilizers so that they don’t create disturbance when the women beg.
Begging women, holding a sleeping child in the arms, are a common sight at the busy intersections, including Ballupur Chowk, Clock Tower, Saharanpur Chowk and Darshanlal Chowk. Few groups of the beggars, who carry a drowsy child in their arms, are also active near ISBT.
Under influence of sedatives, child's head leans to the side. The beggar women use the tiny tots to appeal to the emotional aspect of the people when they approach them saying, kuchh paise de do baabu, bachcha bahut bhukha hai (please give me some money, the child is extremely hungry).
The beggar women go to each vehicle when it stops at a traffic light. Referring to the children looking drowsy and weak, they play the emotional card. Their trick acts on most of the vehicle uses, who showing pity on them give a coin of Rs 2 or Rs 5. As the vehicle user drops the coin in their begging bowl, they approach another vehicle. In the process, the child in her arms keeps sleeping. He doesn't cry under influence of the tranquilizer.
Special Task Force (STF) recently got input about this trend catching up in the beggars’ group. According to STF sources, the beggar women reportedly give some tranquilizers to the babies in order to make them sleep during the ‘business hours’ that continues till late evening, starting early morning.
A STF cop came across the revelation while preparing a strategy to rehabilitate the children involved in begging few weeks back. The beggar children, in the age bracket of 4-11 years, are also addicted to the sedatives, including thinner, commonly used for removing ink.
A well-placed source in the STF said that around a dozen beggar women who reportedly use thinner on their children were identified recently. “The beggar women using the tranquilizer on their tiny tots are least bothered about the health of their children,” the cop said.
The STF cops are in the process of drawing a concrete plan to rehabilitate the little children. If the sources are to be believed, this unhealthy trend is catching up fast. The beggar women keep moving from one location to other. They live in the slums around the city. Rescuing the little children is a challenging task as they are too young and cannot live alone. They could be saved from the effect of sedatives only by rehabilitating their mothers, the beggar women.
The STF cops also accept that ensuring action against the women would not serve the purpose. So, a concrete strategy is being formed. The cops have contacted all stakeholders. They will hold a meeting with the stakeholders to save the children of beggars. SSP STF Senthil Akdai Krishanraj S accepted that some such instances were noticed. “The STF is forming a strategy to rehabilitate the child beggars with the help of stakeholders,” the SSP said. The STF would also launch a drive to save the children being given sedatives by their parents.
So the next time you come across beggar women, don't pay them alms. If you do so, you are inviting trouble for another toddler as these women will exploit you emotionally and their child's health as well.