भिक्षावृति पर सख्त कानून की ज़रुरत

Govt sleeping on Anti-begging Act NEW DELHI: To describe one's determination to do a job, good or bad, the phrase 'come what may' is often used. It is sometimes substituted with "beg, borrow or steal". This expression brackets begging with borrowing money and stealing also. Surely, borrowing is not an offence but stealing is a serious crime and begging or abetting begging is ironically a minor offence. The law enforcement agencies both in Delhi and elsewhere in the country would immediately provide information about the cases registered against thieves and how many of them were convicted. Come begging, no case has been registered under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, which was adopted by Delhi about 45 years ago, in 1960. It does not mean that our cities are free of beggars or hundreds of untraced children for years were not forced to beg by a mafia. Even the statutory 'homes' for beggars set up in the capital are empty. Obviously, the vacancy position is not because begging has ceased in Delhi or the number of beggars has gone down, but it is for the obvious reason that there is no implementation of the Act. "We say no more," said Supreme Court Justices Y K Sabharwal and D M Dharmadhikari recently while ...hearing a petition by one Karnika Sawhney seeking an end to trafficking in human beings, beggars and forced labour. Beggars can't be choosers as they have little option but to accept whatever alms are given to them. A study indicated class divide among beggars—beggars from metro towns and small towns, beggars outside restaurants and clubs and those who depend on offerings collected from around places of worship. They have adopted a particular culture. It was revealed that a beggar in Ayodhya was able to fund the education of his two sons —one is a lawyer and the other a doctor! But Karnika's lawyer Indira Sawhney's concern is understandable. She has drawn the court's attention towards the unedifying inertia among the governments in implementing the provisions of the social legislation. As any concrete information was eluding the court, it has appointed a panel headed by social scientist Nirmal Bhatnagar, who heads the multi-dimension faculty of a management institute JIMS. Having already completed studies on atrocities on women in India ...... Bhatnagar's panel would inspect various beggars' rehabilitation homes in Delhi which are rarely visited by social welfare officials. She would suggest possible ways to handle the grave problem of begging in the capital with special emphasis on meaningful rehabilitation measures for future inmates. The serious task before Bhatnagar's panel is to identify, if possible, the people who are abetting begging. Though a grave offence under the Act, yet no one has so far been arrested for violating it. Did you know begging is a Crime in India? Yes, and not only begging but also providing to the beggars is a crime. So on other hand if you are giving money to the beggar then it is a crime too. And this is as per our Indian Laws. What is wrong in begging? If you note, there are really very few who actually beg for a cause like their disability, old-age or real urgent needs [these situations come when someone is in hospital and I have been witness to it but that is a different story]. Begging has become a profession and these who beg have a whole family that are doing the same begging. Later they go to extend their family by marrying giving birth to children and then to have more to beg. You entertaining one beggar, means you let him/her make their family give birth to a few more and get them begging on roads or temples too. Anti-Social elements One more dimension to it is, anti-social elements. When you provide to a young beggar because of ease of getting provided they get into drugs then their wants increase then they start pick-pocketing then robbing and then even killing at a stage. It's not that these elements are only born here but, this is one source. ऊपरलिखित पोस्ट भिक्षावृति को लेकर भारतीय स्थिति बताने को पर्याप्त हैं लेकिन सबसे ज्यादा अफ़सोस की बात ये है कि भिक्षावृति जैसी सामजिक बुराई को अपराध का खाका पहनाने में हमारी सरकारों द्वारा जितनी देर लगायी जा रही है उससे इस बुराई कि बेल को पनपने में उतना ही सहयोग मिल रहा है और आश्चर्य कि बात तो यह है कि वह जगह जहाँ सभी अपराधों के लिए दंड कि व्यवस्था है वहीँ यह अपराध[ कहने को अभी मात्र सामाजिक अपराध ] अपनी जड़ें फैला रहा है . भारतीय दंड संहिता कि धारा ३६३ -क भीख मांगने के प्रयोजन के लिए अप्राप्तवय का व्यपहरण या विकलांगीकरण अपराध घोषित करती है और उसके लिए दस वर्ष का कारावास और जुर्माने का प्रावधान करती है किन्तु जैसा कि ऊपर एक पोस्ट में इसे कुछ परिवारों द्वारा व्यवसाय के रूप में अपनाने कि बात भी कही गयी है उसे देखते हुए इस अपराध के लिए सजा की बात तो कहीं रह ही नहीं जाती क्योंकि जो परिवार स्वयं अपने बच्चे को इस काम में लगा रहा है वह न तो व्यपहरण कर रहा है और न ही कोई जबरदस्ती क्योंकि वह इस अपराध की उन्हें आदत डाल रहा है और इसका परिणाम यह है कि आज भिखारी बढ़ रहे हैं और बसों में ,सड़कों पर,अदालतों के प्रांगण में ,मंदिरों की सीढ़ियों पर सभी जगह नज़र आ रहे हैं किन्तु सबसे ज्यादा ये खलते हैं वकीलों की सीट पर आकर जबरदस्ती भीख मांगते हुए और उच्च न्यायालय के बाहर पीछे आकर भीख मांगने के लिए जबरदस्ती करते हुए . आज नहीं कल तो सरकार को इस अपराध की बढ़ती प्रवर्ति पर अंकुश लगाने के लिए इसे अपराध घोषित करना ही होगा और इस पर रोक के लिए कोई प्रभावी कानून बनाना होगा ताकि भिखारियों की बढ़ती संख्या को रोककर जनता को कार्य की ओर उन्मुख किया जा सके और यह तभी संभव है जब यह इस देश में पूर्ण अपराध घोषित हो क्योंकि आज की जनता वह हो चुकी है जिसके भूत को भगाने के लिए कानून रुपी डंडा चलाना ही पड़ता है . शालिनी कौशिक [कौशल ]