It’s not every day that you remember an episode or a time that you spend with a beggar, but this interaction with these particular individuals is worth remembering for some strange reason.
Although there was a horde of beggars & lepers, that one could have chosen amidst the vast expanse of
It was a duo of a young boy around 7, accompanied by his grandmother who seemed well passed 60.
From the distance, it seemed that the younger one didn’t say much, all the talking was done by his grandmother. Don’t know why, but she definitely seemed convincing and was successful in drawing people attention towards them, clearly she has been doing this for sometime.
Supposedly it was her age, the way she spoke or the clear sign of her desperation situation, yet held together by the strength of her stony resilience inherit in her voice that people were unable to ignore.
When she got people’s attention, she was quick to narrate her plight and convey why she needed their help. And surprisingly people were willing to help, at least more often than not.
She spoke in a Marathi dialect, which clearly indicated that she was from interior
At last, I decided to approach her & talk to her. When I did, they presumed that I would to offer alms, which expectedly was their most obvious reaction. When I didn’t oblige, there was a tinge of disappointment etched on their faces. Their feeling only heightened when I told them that I would like to ask them some questions.. Initially they weren’t very forthcoming, and it needed some serious persuasion from my side to make them reveal their tightly guarded personal life.
Slowly but surely, the duo began to lift their self imposed veil of secrecy. The first thing that they said was that they had only resorted to begging as their farm land at a village in Kolhapur [Maharashtra] had failed to yield for the past few years due to various factors [i.e. bad monsoon, lack of irrigation, government etc.]
After suffering from repeated failed crops, they ended up pawning almost everything they owned, and when they defaulted on the interest to be paid for the loan that they had got from the lender, struck the final blow. Their financial condition completely collapsed.
Grandmother also revealed, “Seven year old Sandeep [her grandson], earlier used to go to school but subsequently had to drop out. Today his mother works as a domestic help and earns meagrely sum. His father broke his back every day as a labourer just to pay of the interest; in the end he lost all hope.”
Yet, with all the efforts combined they are barely able to survive, and so as a last resort. Granny & Sandeep decided to beg & seek alms from those who are capable & willing.
Sandeep & his Granny were both barefoot and although their attire weren’t totally torn or completely ragged, there were a clear sign of wear & tear on them after a long and exhaustive use.
If she had the option, she would send Sandeep back the school, but she also knows with Sandeep alongside her she had a better chance to earn that extra rupee, which was a reality she couldn't ignore.
But in conclusion after having heard all that this sexagenarian had to say, one couldn't help oneself from wanting to help them in some way or other, although conventional wisdom and sheer common sense told me otherwise. Because when you see outside Dadar station every day, there are a number of people there asking for help claiming that they had come from far off villages and were facing the same problems, and are under the same predicament as these two find themselves in
In all likelihood, there were a minuscule percentage of them who are genuine & you are taking a chance when you help any one of them. But I decided to take my chances, as I knew there is no fixed rule to understanding what is right from wrong. Life is in itself the greatest teacher, so learn and grow. And in the end, looking back one day you won't seem to regret it one bit.
Sometimes things are better done more from the heart rather than the mind. I feel, it was due to my selfishness that I decided to help. It was the need to protect myself from the feeling of anger and shame that would have followed if I had refused to help that had compelled me.
Does that make me a good person or bad? All I can say is that the compassion and generosity should not be judged on its motives. Otherwise one would notice a sudden drop in generous tendencies in people. Just wait….life will be greatest judge of that!!!!
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