To Give or Not to Give

I was on my way to office, my auto rickshaw stopped at the traffic signal, that's when a two eyes, one nose, one mouthed, long hair girl caught my eyes. She looked like any girl her age. The only difference was she wore torn and tattered, colourless clothes and ‘earned’ her living. She lived shabbily as that’s the only way she was taught to or rather had seen. She seemed happy, playing with her kid brother on the pavement, when her eyes saw a stream of vehicles stop at the signal. She paused that ‘happy’ moment to ‘beg’ for her living.

Many-a-times I have stopped at the signal, many-a-times I have seen similar sights of old and young, of healthy or otherwise. Each time, I have pondered ‘to Give or not to Give’ but got no answer.

The first signal I pass by when I leave home each morning, I see an old man without legs on his four wheeled board, asking for money. When I go to eat my favourite ‘Panipuri’ at the stall on the street corner, I find myself surrounded by a family of three telling me that they haven’t eaten since morning. The small fellow with a bag of peanut ‘chikki’s’ tells me in English, ‘didi, please buy these, they are just for ten, but will help me fund my education.’ While I pick up my take-away from Pizza-hut and leave, the girl with crutches stops me. She says she can’t walk and cannot talk either. She wanted some donation for the institute that helps people like her.

My heart melts at the sight of the little kid, touching my feet and begging for a rupee to buy bread, I wantto give all that I have. But, the next moment I change my mind. Why? The girl hit me on my thigh and ran away. She giggled. I was angry, irritated. No, I wasn’t laughing at the situation like you are laughing right now.

It had happened another time too. Two kids, a boy and a girl, asked for money, my sister and I ignored them. This time when they touched our feet and begged, we were getting irritated. The irritation was there not because of the previous incident alone. I felt irritated because they were kids and it’s not a good feeling having little kids touch your feet. While we ignored them and looked away, they grabbed the opportunity to ‘get back to us’ for not ‘giving’ them anything. The little kid pinched my sister and ran away.

Now just cut to the ‘Pav-bhaji’ joint, where we saw that so called ‘handicapped’ girl (outside pizza hut) enjoying her daily bread, with her boy-friend and she could TALK.

That’s when I got my answer, and I decided I shall not give. Though I can’t follow it always and do share what I have with those I really find genuine. Otherwise, I just IGNORE.

PS: Am I Right? Am I Wrong? I would never know. But, I do think that begging is not an answer to your problems. Poor or not! Hence, I do not give. I don’t wish to encourage it.