The act of begging is illegal in 20 states and 2 union territory in India. As per 2019 data, India has more than 4 lakh beggars. This is only the recorded number, the actual number as claimed by activists is at least 3 three times more than this. These beggars are going through various issues like drug addiction, medical injuries, malnutrition, child labour and many more. The need of the hour is to provide them with the right rehabilitation facilities that they need to uplift their livings and social status. 

Given the kind of anti-beggar laws the above mentioned 20 states and 2 union territories are having, it is evident that no government likes to have a society where there are beggars. But to solve this problem, there has not been any major step taken by the government. Even if the government has made some plans, we hardly see any impact of such acts/plans. For instance, even after 58 years of the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, it has failed to eradicate begging in all the states and union territories. 

Various laws prescribe to send these beggars to relief centres or the beggar rehabilitation centres (there are other names to this as well). However, reports have claimed that these rehabilitation centres are not at all in a situation where anyone can live. The report has also mentioned that these centres have reported a significant number of deaths as well. Activists have also verified this by filing RTIs and even visiting these rehabilitation centres on their own. The situation is pathetic, but the govt funds and salaries to run those centres are being sanctioned. 

WHY MUST WE ACT NOW?

Since April 2020, the whole country is going through a huge financial issue because of the global pandemic. Everyone, the country is feeling impacted, businesses have shut down, jobs have been lost. But the one who has been hit the hardest are the people from the lower strata, beggars constitute a major chunk of that. Because of the lockdown, they have not been able to get even the minimal amount and many have died due to this. Please join us in raising the voice to direct the government funds into the right cause, instead of getting lost in frauds, by SIGNING THIS PETITION. 

Please SIGN THIS PETITION in demanding the required rehabilitation facilities for the beggars and help them uplift their livings. 

#upliftBeggars #removeDrugAddiction #basicNeeds #humanResource #crisisSituation #globalPandemic #covid-19 #helpFightCOVIDCrisis

Petition by students of IIM Ahmedabad 
1. Shivam Kumar 
2. Gaurav Kumar Gupta