Pervasive beggary is shaming us

We have poverty eradication programmes aplenty but none by way of eliminating beggary. Thus, we get to hear of the declining numbers of people below the poverty line being claimed as poverty alleviation successes. This should have commensurately reduced beggary. But this is not happening; on the contrary, street begging has seen an exponential rise. During the month of Ramadan, poor people from out-lying areas enter the city as temporary beggars.

The ungainly and morbid manifestations of  begging with  broken flailing limbs, even a sedated child held tightly by the arm of an emaciated mother rapping on car windows bring slur on ourselves in the ultimate analysis. We cannot simply wish it away in view of its entrenched nature but we can will it away backed by a well-coordinated action programme.

Given the evident disconnect between declining poverty and rampant beggary, two imperatives crop up for urgent attention followed up by focused containment measures. First, an authority must be clearly designated, empowered and logistically supported to be dealing with begging practices thriving as business on the prevailing alms-giving culture. The Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations as such designated bodies should have nodal agencies or composite task forces to do the job. Secondly, government bodies, non- government organisations and the corporate sector will have to coordinate efforts to help the mayors in putting adequate rehabilitation measures for those resorting to begging as a means of livelihood. Eradicating child beggary through setting up schools is a good way to go but then the major task involves rooting it out at the parents' level.