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Beggar-free movement from Tamil Nadu

Student-led association-Atchayam Trust, joining hand to tackle the social menace of poverty

இரா இராச குமார்2 Stories

Thursday January 12, 2017 , 4 min Read

Atchayam team rescuing the beggar

Since modern era, many countries were still facing the poverty due do various cause. From MDG to SDG(sustainable development goal) there are many goals set by the UN to shattering the social evils.Each and every nation fighting with socio-economic problems like a health issue, poverty destitute, human rights violence, etc. Not only a country's effort but also the multi-institute of international's efforts to kill the beggar problem.

Story of Atchayam Trust

Before three years, we have met many incidences that affected our hearts lot. One of my senior shared his empathy towards beggar's life, i.e., once he met the old beggar at Salem bus stop and then he collects the beggar's details. After few days, he again met the same beggar at the same place.As a student, he helped that beggar and changed into a real citizen.Then we gathered as a team in our college from all department student and started thinking about a solution for the beggar's menace.

Within two months, we formed the Atchayam trust with a support of our college teachers and eminent persons. In between the gap of 2 months, we collected various details and document about beggars. Each and every year we were conducting a lot of programs such as beggars welfare like awareness, beggars rehabilitation camp, beggars rally, etc.

Even lot of youngsters are supporting our movement.We did the field survey of beggars details which covers three districts

From volunteers to leadership co-ordination, everything planned by our autonomous discretion with following India's constitutions procedure of NGO. Sometimes people may be sceptical about our service; we are fully transparent to public and the government;

Till now, we rescued more 100 beggars from 4 districts. We need beggar-free India.

Now, we are putting a lot of effort to expand our activities, throughout Tamil Nadu.

Few NGO is also supporting us, and even our college alumni were helping us.

India's current status about beggars:

Many people are destitute or from many decades because of non-effectiveness of govt policies.Booming digital India, Make in India as faster pace to compete for the foreign country.But still, we don't have single bill related to beggar's issue. Our govt has failed, to provide houses to slump people, especially for major urban cities.

In India, begging is completely illegal as per Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959. This act is still following by GoI, and also many states too. As many as problems arise from the various place beggar mafia, child-begging, human trafficking, child abuse, etc.

Nowadays the beggar's are doing professional begging, child begging, not only disabled person but also healthy individuals are alms on the same street. Some beggars are doing criminal activities such as Theft, murdering, cheating.They are simply enjoying the life of others money without doing work.Few families make begging their hereditary profession, and they were acting like poor people and earning more than labour wage also maintaining a bank account with handsome money. Thus, this makes ugly for society and nation.

Types of the beggar:

1)Family beggars who are begging from generation to generation as job;

2)Religious beggars who are alms for spiritual purpose;

3)Professional beggars whose regular attitude of alms-seeking

4)Orphaned beggars;

And also begging due to the Family dispute, Unemployment, Health-Related Issue, The Refugee crisis, Drug Addiction, etc.

The need of the hour:

The legislation still enacted the bill to stop this begging. Street begging is a nightmare for India. After 70 years of independence, we facing the severe epidemic of begging in all the street of the cities.Most of the people experiencing bad about beggars, but now try to understand the situation of India. Neither blaming govt nor beggar, kindly help them other than the money like providing food, issuing job, etc.

SDG's one the goal is eliminating poverty from all over the world by 2030.