It is not enough for a government functionary to announce that there will be no more child beggars seen in his district. Such intent has been declared before. Even some innovative measures have been initiated, such as setting up hostels and counselling centres. These have not made much of an impact. What is required for an effective intervention is to, first, understand the circumstances that bring about such a phenomenon. Is it poverty, a traditional practice, exploitation of children by criminals, or a mix of them all? Also, in many cases, there have been transformations among the very people involved in the effort to get out of the practice. Any interaction with the children and their families would show that they are the most aware of their circumstances and would welcome practical and effective steps for change.
Every child in the country has the right to free education in government schools. It may be recalled that the introduction of the free midday meal system led to a hike in school attendance. It was one of the interventional successes, but the general idea of why children are required to attend schools seems to have been lost somewhere. There is a basic level of literacy, understanding of subjects and civic awareness that must be inculcated in all children. At the same time, children coming from economically straitened circumstances cannot be expected to spend some twelve years learning abstract material that is barely associated with their immediate needs. When they are in the streets begging or, in the new model, selling cheap items to passersby, or collecting waste, they learn the art of survival. Unless they are provided technical skills in schools that can help them earn a living down the line, they cannot afford the offered lifestyle.
It is important, therefore, that such children are imparted training in a plethora of technical fields such as machine repair of various kinds, plumbing, masonry, carpentry, et al, to be able to be ‘educated’ and skilled. During this process, children with higher scholastic abilities can also be identified and provided scholarships and other support to contribute in more advanced fields.
It will serve no purpose to merely push these children out of sight and feel convinced that the problem has been solved. It would merely them incapable of making a living and, later, take to crime, or become part of the millions of ‘graduates’ in India that waste their entire youth trying to get government jobs. Study the problem first then make a plan, then intervene.
