Ber Sarai or Beg Sarai?

Child beggars at Ber Sarai

“Mummy papa paise dete hain par khatam ho jata hai isiliye mangte hain (Mom and dad give money but it gets finished, that’s why we ask for it)”, replies a small boy at Ber Sarai when asked why he begs. Wearing stained clothes, he confidently demands another ice cream despite already having one in hand. He says, “Yeh bhi khaynge wo bhi khaynge (I will eat this, I will eat that too)”. But the question remains, ‘What forces this child to beg?’

Ber Sarai, a locality in New Delhi that is often a hang-out place for IIMC and JNU students is slowly turning into a beggars’ hub. These barefooted child beggars aged between 5 and 12 years, surround people and demand from them either money or food and drinks.

"Poola ke neeche(Under the flyover)" 8 of the children including 5 boys and 3 girls had the same answer about where they live. These children were barefoot, wearing old stained clothes. When asked about education, one of them answered, "School nahi jate hain(We don't go to school)". Few of them even didn't know what their parents' occupation was except one boy who said his parents were laborers. However, all of these children claimed that they get adequate food at their home.

The rising number of child beggars is not just limited to Ber Sarai but the whole national capital. According to a report published by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in February 2023, 1853 children live on streets in Delhi. It is the third highest number after Maharashtra (5,153) and Gujarat (1950).

The common thing observed almost in every other child beggar in Beg Sarai was their hesitation to reveal their true identity. One boy dressed in an oversized black t-shirt and a half pants was deliberately speaking his wrong name and lying that he went to school until other children revealed his real name and education. Another girl wearing a pale orange kurti and two braids tied with red ribbon introduced herself as 'Damini' but her real name was Sabeena. These children will demand to buy them a food item even for replying to questions. Amid the bright light falling onto the tasty foods and sweets, there are small children covered in old torn clothes saying, "Didi, ek plate chow mein dila do(Didi, give me a plate of chow mein)".

What Shopkeepers Have To Say?

The shopkeepers at Ber Sarai hold different opinions about these children. JP Dabral who has been running a printing shop in Ber Sarai since 1986 says he has been seeing the children begging at Beg Sarai since the year he started the shop. "The government has created a night shelter for them (child beggars) nearby, everything is available but still they do this", said JP Dabral. He further added he sees 15-20 children daily from morning to evening begging.

"Khane ki platein cheen kar bhaag jate hain(They snatch the plate of food and run away)", he said in an irritated mood. "Inke baap nashedi aur juwadi hote hain, jab jyada public hoti hai tab aate hain yeh log (Their fathers are drug addicts and gamblers, they come when there is a lot of crowds)", he added. Mr. Dabral considers 'lack of education' as the main reason for their begging. He also mentioned how these children cling when someone gives them a note of 10 rupees.

"I see around 50 of them daily, some give them money, some drive them away," said Balaji, an employee of Ganesh Fast Food Corner. 

He also mentioned seeing these beggars sleeping on the roadside. These children living with their families used to pluck out the plants from the pot during the G20 summit, revealed Mr. Balaji.

"They Don't Even Know The Name Of Country"- Junaid

Junaid who has run a tea shop in Beg Sarai for the past 4 months emphasized 'habit and culture' as the main cause of begging. He said,'' Habit hai, culture ban gaya hai pehle maa baap ne bheekh manga ab bache maang rahe hain. Yeh ladki itni badi hai (pointing towards a girl), fir bhi bheekh mang Rahi hai kyunki habit ho gai hai bachpan se (It is a habit, it has become their culture, first the parents begged, now the children are begging. This girl has grown so much, yet she is begging because it has become a habit since childhood)". Mr. Junaid further revealed that these children don't even know the name of their country.

"Yeh beggar free zone declared hai pura traffic k pass, lekin fir bhi mangte rehte Hain (This entire traffic area is declared a beggar free zone but still these people keep on begging)," said Junaid. He also revealed parents of these children beg in the day and send children in the night.

The Indulged Illiteracy

Lalan Kumar, an adolescent, working at a standstill flavor ice bar stall at Beg Sarai, had a nervous smile on the question of whether he knew these child beggars. He talked about the difficulty he faces when these children come to beg for ice cream from him. "Nahi dete hain(Don't give)", he declined to give ice bars to them. Mr. Lanan further revealed he is uneducated and belongs to Begusarai, Bihar. He lives in a slum in Vasant Kunj and works under an owner. 

A report published by DCPCR claimed in 2021 that there were 70,000 children on the streets in Delhi. Another study conducted by the Delhi Government and the Institute Of Human in 2021, says there are 4871 child beggars in Delhi.

Recently, a bench of two Delhi High Court judges has asked Kejriwal's government to provide a report on 'steps' taken by it to rehabilitate the child beggars in the Capital. "It becomes crucial to examine the impact of various rehabilitation measures in light of the persistence of this grave social issue", said Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula, in their 6th September order.

It’s ironic how amidst the bright light falling onto the tasty foods and sweets, there are children covered in old torn clothes saying, “Didi, buy me a plate of chowmein”.