ENTER, THE BEGGING MAFIA
If you thought Goa only boasted a real estate and mining mafia, think again. It may be at the bottom of the pile, but BEGGING is quickly emerging as a booming business, with all the necessary lubricants of professionalism, profitability and patronage... Julian D’Cruz W hat began, a decade ago, as small time individual genuine cases of alms- seeking for survival, has now mush roomed into a full- fledged organized racket that’s pushing the boundaries. From babies to teenagers, girls, boys and women have started descending onto Panjim from neighbouring Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan. And our information is they are being trafficked into Goa for the sole purpose of begging. They seek nothing more than money by tugging at your heartstrings, projecting pathetic scenes of babies crying in their arms, displaying their physical disabilities/ maladies and/ or wearing hungry and famished looks. The aim is to collect as much a s they can, from whomever they can, though the specific focus is on foreign tourists. During the tourist high season, the gangs descend into the capital city as early as 5.00 am. Off- season, they slow down, starting their begging bowl rounds only in the afternoon. Interestingly, the begging groups that work a particular area, never stay the same, but change every single day, switching locations within the city, sometimes even moving to oth er towns. When HERALD quizzed a duo with babies in their arms, they said they spent 15 days begging in Panjim and 15 days in Vasco. For the night they returned to Dabolim. In other cases, groups of 10- 12 children with two adults mainly women, are huddled into a jeep in the wee hours of the morning and dropped off at deserted locations. Then they are taken back under the shadows of darkness. The route is not the same every day, neither is the vehicle nor the passengers. Panjim being a tourist hub, the main begging areas focus on the commercial centres of 18 June Road, the city market, the KTC bus stand or M G Road, that tourists frequent. Children even as young as three to seven years, are trained to target the right people for alms. “ A dollar please”, is one child’s refrain, while others mouth the usual “ money, money” in English. Staff at the shops and establishments along 18th June Road, say the children collect a few coins and notes, then rush back to someone posing to be their mother. She is also busy begging with a sickly child in her arms. The collection ranges from around Rs 100 a day during the off- season to around 200 a day during high season ( Oct- May). In case anyone does offer food instead of cash, it goes either to the so called mother or into the dustbin. On certain days there are older children and sometimes teenage girls on the job. The entire operation also appears to have “ spies” planted by the “ collection agents” of the begging business, to ensure whatever is collected is not siphoned away. What is interesting is that local beggars have also started tagging along now brewing a cold war between the “ outsiders” and “ insiders”. The proprietor of an establishment selling khadi products near Panjim church, told HERALD that when he offered to pay beggars for household chores instead, they refused. “ They say begging gives them more money than working for daily wages,” he added. http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=6749&boxid=2164562&uid=&dat=9%2f7%2f2012 BEGGARS CAN BE CHOOSERS http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=6749&boxid=21411671&uid=&dat=9%2f7%2f2012 The kingpins & their modus operandi http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=6749&boxid=21337500&uid=&dat=9%2f7%2f2012
