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**Rs 30 lakh in just properties. One son makes and sells brooms, while the other hawks knick-knacks near Andheri station. He has substantial savings, but would not reveal details.
**Cool quotient:
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**Massu is dressed in spotless clothes when he takes an auto-rickshaw to Lokhandwala every evening. He changes into his beggar attire near Ad Labs. During his working hours, he has a complete sway over the area. You will never find another beggar in his vicinity. He takes an auto on his way home too. Stops at Yashraj Studios for a change of clothes.
Day’s earnings :Rs 1500 to 2000 Begs at: CP Tank, Charni Road Working hours: Early morning to late evening Home is: I BHK apartment at Nallasopara, which he shares with his Family: Brother, sister-in-law and their children Day’s earnings: Rs 1500 to 2000. His worth: The Nallasopara apartment is worth nearly Rs 5 lakh. Krishna claimed he has substantial savings but would not put a figure to it. “My brother manages everything,” he said.
**Cool quotient:**Claims he can’t be bothered with money matters. He retires every evening to his Nallasopara home and hands over the day’s earnings to his brother. “My bhabhi and brother know best what to do with the money.”
NAME: Bharat Jain, 45 Bharat’s Assets:
Rs 70 lakh in properties alone Day’s earnings Rs 2000 to 2500 Begs at: Azad Maidan and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Working hours: Early morning to late evening. Home is: Two adjacent 1 BHK apartments in Parel, where his family stays. Bharat, however, visits home only once in a week. His family, which deals in school notebooks and other study material, has tried on many occasions to get Bharat to give up begging and join the family business.
Bharat’s Parel house where he stays with his family. (right) The Bhandup shop the family has rented out to a juice centre Family: Wife, two sons – one studying in class X and the other in class XII – father and brother. Day’s earnings: Rs 2000 to 2500. His worth: The family apartments are worth close to Rs 60 lakh. The family also has rented out a shop in Bhandup to a juice centre and gets Rs 7,000-a-month in rent. The rent is collected every month by Bharat’s wife. Cool quotient: Bharat speaks impeccable English. He is soft spoken and you will never find him harassing people for alms. http://www.paklinks.com/gs/imagehosting/1839346ae23687c348.jpg
Name: Haji, 26 Haji’s Assets Rs 15 lakh Day’s earnings Rs 1000 to 2000 Begs at: Deonar and Chembur. Usually begs near mosques and
temples. Working hours: Flexi. Picks the best time to be at a temple or a mosque. Home is: A room at Cheetah Camp, where his mother and sister run a zari workshop, employing 15 people. Family: Mother and sister. Day’s earnings: Rs 1000 to 2000 .
Earnings increase mani-folds during festivals. His worth: The Cheetah Camp room worth anything between Rs 3 and 5 lakh. The zari workshop could be worth 10 lakh. The family earns a steady income from the zari business and his mother has tried every trick to get him to give up begging and join the family business. Cool quotient: He says managing the zari workshop is too much
hardwork. "I can’t be bothered with all that. I like to be left alone. Also, I make a decent amount every day.
Thats all well and good...good for the ones who can earn a decent living for themselves in a way that they can. But dont let it lead you to harden yourselves against those who are truly in need. Theres nothing worse on this earth than going hungry, unless its seeing your children go hungry. In america, I;ve seen so many people turn a blind eye. In Pak, I saw people turn nasty to those who were obviously in need. I;m sure that there are reasons behind this hardness. But dont forget - the only difference between them and you is circumstance. Feed a hungry mouth when you see one. I;m sure you'll be rewarded for that.
And as far as those who beg for a living, well you know at least they arent going around breaking laws. I rarely give money to one on the street. I'll buy them a meal or groceries but not give them cash outright.
Kool..Lets play my-begger-is-richer-than-your-begger.
I think this is the only Indo-pak fight that has not happened at GS yet.
yeah man.... our beggers will outclass you just like Sami does it against Agarkar :p
Thats all well and good...good for the ones who can earn a decent living for themselves in a way that they can. But dont let it lead you to harden yourselves against those who are truly in need. Theres nothing worse on this earth than going hungry, unless its seeing your children go hungry. In america, I;ve seen so many people turn a blind eye. In Pak, I saw people turn nasty to those who were obviously in need. I;m sure that there are reasons behind this hardness. But dont forget - the only difference between them and you is circumstance. Feed a hungry mouth when you see one. I;m sure you'll be rewarded for that.
And as far as those who beg for a living, well you know at least they arent going around breaking laws. I rarely give money to one on the street. I'll buy them a meal or groceries but not give them cash outright.
U are right, people start wondering who is really needy a nd who is taking them for a ride and after being accosted 10 times if teh 11th time the guy is really needy ppl have a tendency to consider him an annoyance and ignore him.
Add to it the fact that people who may look needy sometimes are part of or tools of begger gangs. druggies etc.
The real needy people kinda get lost in the shuffle. The approch u have outlined is right though, feed them ot buy them food rather than give cash.
Heres the really sad thing...you can tell who is needy and who is not when you offer to buy a meal or groceries for their family rather than handing out cash....the "career beggars" will turn away but the ones in need will be SO very thankful. Its those families that my heart breaks for.
In Pak, I saw people turn nasty to those who were obviously in need.
On my last trip to South Asia, I saw the same thing in both Lahore and Delhi. The beggars are treated like shyte, they are shoved away and cursed at. I even saw a few ppl threaten to physically hurt these poor kids. I guess when the beggars follow you it can get a bit annoying but such behavior is totally uncalled for. There is no justification for it.
On my last trip to South Asia, I saw the same thing in both Lahore and Delhi. The beggars are treated like shyte, they are shoved away and cursed at. I even saw a few ppl threaten to physically hurt these poor kids. I guess when the beggars follow you it can get a bit annoying but such behavior is totally uncalled for. There is no justification for it.
You should also know of a new 'tactic' by child beggars, they will threaten you with "bad-duaa" if no 'donation' given.
On my last trip to South Asia, I saw the same thing in both Lahore and Delhi. The beggars are treated like shyte, they are shoved away and cursed at. I even saw a few ppl threaten to physically hurt these poor kids. I guess when the beggars follow you it can get a bit annoying but such behavior is totally uncalled for. There is no justification for it.
no man...there is justification for it, when you are being pulled, pushed, grabbed. this attack by aggressive beggers has to stop. I almost fell in karachi once because a begger grabbed my legs as I was getting ready to cross the legs. My mum was with me and she told me to stay cool otherwise I was seriously going to beat him up. u simply do not endanger someone no matter how needy you are.
Point is simple, ask, and if someone can and wants to give they will give. u may be really needy and you may really ask, but grabbing someone's hands or in my case then..legs, or starting to touch someone's kids and asking to give money for teh kids sadqa is just not right.
