Nagpur : The prick of the impending summer is already upon Nagpur and people are rushing to take shade to save themselves from the heat. However, amidst these increasing temperatures, a heartbreaking sight seen on the streets feels like a canker to the eyes.
The Old Souls
A woman, dressed in a torn, old, muddy saree that seems to have not seen the touch of water for a long time. The Woman herself, an old lady, with darkened skin, a mud-filled face, cracked heels, and a stench coming from her, walks towards a car while the signal is red. She has a stick in her hand to walk as she can barely stand straight. A worn-out orthopedic belt supports her back enough to lift her face in line with the car window. Her dry lips have skin peeling off of them, indicating that she does not have the luxury of drinking clean water at her will. Her hopeless eyes are impossible to read and the pain she must be going through physically and mentally is unimaginable. She barely gets to the car, with her hunched back, putting all her weight on that makeshift walking stick of hers, she extends her hand towards the car window. She appears to ask for something.
She is BEGGING. Begging for a rupee or two, begging so that she can quench her thirst, begging to be clean again, begging to be relieved of her pain; she is begging to live again.
By the time her hand reaches the car window, the signal turns green and she gets a honking from the vehicles she is standing in the way of. Agonizingly, she turns back and walks towards the road divider, trying to find shade under one of the small shrubs growing out of it. As she proceeds to sit down, the signal turns red again, and she has to walk back to another car’s window so that she can extend her hand again for some respite.
Old Age Goes Begging Away
An old woman beggar is becoming a common sight on the Nagpur streets. At an age where a person needs to rest, and enjoy their life from the comfort of their home, these women are burning their feet to live another day. Their broken bodies seem to give up but their spirit keeps them going. A few of these poor ladies have lost their families and have no home to go to, no savings to cover their expenses, and no skills to make a living and are forced to resort to begging. Others have either been abandoned or kicked out of their homes. Either way, the only means to survive is to beg and beg they do.
Most of these women are unaware of old age homes or organizations that may provide them with food, clothing, and shelter. So they sleep on the sidewalks and eat what they can. Most of these women either develop psychological disorders or diseases that eventually cause their death on the streets.
Inadequate Help
The NMC has taken steps to make Nagpur a beggar-free by setting up shelters and imparting life skills so that they can be introduced back into society. However, this does not seem to bear any fruit as the number of beggars always seems to be on the rise. Moreover, old women in their twilight years, are unlikely to be willing to learn lifestyle skills. They would need a cozy warm place to sleep, healthy food to eat, and a caring hand over their shoulder to comfort them. A different approach needs to be taken to counter the problem of an old woman begging on the streets. An approach that would take them into the confidence of adopting it, which would give them the assurance that they will not end up again on the streets begging for their life.
The Value of Human Life
It is easy to find an individual or an entity willing to work for the rescue of animals. It is equally scarce to come across them when it comes to rescuing old, helpless women begging on the scorching streets of Nagpur. It may be due to the fact that humans are not the same as other animals because they have an advanced conscience and need special care, especially for old folks. They need a bed to sleep in, a platter to eat, cooked food, and other amenities to live a comfortable life. However, unless more help is given to these helpless old women, Nagpur can never be a haven.
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