75000 of India's Beggars are 12th Graduates: Study

BANGALORE: The rate of beggars in India is estimated to stand at 3.72 lakh out of which 21pct of whom are literate that hold a senior secondary certificate exam and more qualifications. Further factual details disclose that over 3000 of these unemployed vagabonds withhold  a professional diplomas, or are graduates and some even post-graduates, as stated by the Census 2011 data on 'Non-workers by main activity and education level'. Many of these individuals, after attaining degrees that failed to land them in satisfactory jobs, have turned to begging instead, reports TOI.

Dinesh Khodhabhai (45), a class 12 passout who can converse a decent amount of English said "I may be poor but I am an honest man. I beg as it fetches me more money, Rs 200 a day. My last job of a ward boy in a hospital got me only Rs 100 a day”. Dinesh along with 30 other beggars who reside in and  around Bhadra Kali temple in Ahmedabad, sip on hot tea provided by a city philanthropist right before they begin their work of seeking alms.

Sudhir Babulal (51) hailing from Vijapur town a third-year BCom fail beggar who sought the vagabond life as his previous job in masonry earned him 3000 for a10 hour erratic shift while the remainder of the week he was left unemployed. "After my wife left me, where was the need to keep a house? I sleep on the riverfront and beg," said Sudhir.

Dashrath Parmar (52) holding an MCom degree from Gujarat University is another unfortunate soul. The father of three whose aspiration for a government post had fallen in ruin had also costed him even his private job. At present he lives on the grace of charity organizations that offer free meals while his mother is hospitalized. 

Ashok Jaisur, who passed his high school from Mumbai, found his area to seek alms in the Lal Darwaza area. Ashok who once worked as a security guard met a dark path where he lost his eye sight due to cataract and was forced into begging to make ends meet.

"I have only one wish: to make my son Raj an animator," said Ashok who feeds his nine girls and wife with the earnings he makes off from the streets

Sociologist Gaurang Jani said, “People with degrees turning to begging reflect the grim employment scenario. People turn to soliciting alms when they do not get decent jobs and have no social support to fall back on.”

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