Non-local beggars slowly booming in state
Source: Chronicle News Service / Premchand Thongam

Imphal, December 07 2024: In other states, it is not an unusual sight to witness men, women and children and differently-able persons begging on the roads and traffic points.

However, this sight of non-locals begging on the roads is becoming increasingly common in Imphal City lately.

Such a situation is not a healthy look for the state, indicating that the socio-economic situation of the state is not doing well.

The big question, however, is how and from where these beggars have come.

Over the past few days, a non-local woman with a child has been witnessed begging for money in Imphal City, particularly at the traffic islands in Chingmeirong Khongnang Ani Karak and Kangla western gate.

Another non-local man was also witnessed trying to sell children's toys to commuters waiting at the traffic lights.

These sights are rare in the state, especially considering the beggars are all non-locals.

They also seem to have newly entered the state and do not know the local language.

If they have been living in the state, they should know at least one or two Manipuri words.

As such, it is raising questions on whether the authority concerned had failed to check the influx of this section of non-locals in the state, where one cannot enter without an ILP pass.

In Manipur's context, aside from mentally unsound, drug addicts and some differently-abled persons roaming the roads and begging for money or food from passer-by, the begging style of other states have never been seen in the state.

Majority of the indigenous people in the state have the mind-set of "I rather die of hunger than beg from others" .

Thus, even if one is extremely poor, or are differently abled, he/she considers begging on the road below their dignity and do not consider it as an occupation.

The train line is yet to arrive at Imphal, although goods carrying trains have reached till Khongshang railway station.

The Imphal-Jiri railway line may reach Imphal within the next two years.

If such a situation of non-Manipuris begging in the city can be witnessed even before the arrival of the railway in the state capital, the numbers could go much higher after the arrival, which needs serious consideration.

According to 2011 census report of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the total population of beggars in the country is over four lakh.

As per the report, there are around 263 male and 117 female beggars in Manipur.

When this reporter talked with an official of the state social welfare department, the state government neither has recognised nor register the numbers.

The government also has not initiated any scheme for the beggars.

The official, however, agreed that the appearance of non-local beggars in Imphal City is concerning.

While the state government may take up some schemes or measures for the local or indigenous beggars, the non-local beggars do pot seem to be those who have been in the state for some time.

Since Manipur has the ILP system in place, it needs to be investigated in detailed how these non-local beggars came into the state with permission.

Furthermore, there are laws and acts prohibiting any form of begging in the country.

The acts are Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959; Prevention of Beggary Act, 1960; Children, 1960; Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015; Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013; and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.These acts have various provisions under which, a police officer, without a warrant, can arrest a person engaged in begging, and punish those found forcing children, parents or their own spouses (specifically their wife) to beg.

However, the authorities have been unable to put an end to begging despite the presence of these laws.

Manipur became the fourth state in the northeast to implement the ILP System on December 11, 2019 .

Under this system, any outsider visiting the state needs to obtain a permit to stay in the state for the stipulated duration provided.

The permit for special category includes trading/business, investors or government contractors and is valid for three years and allowed to be renewed.

For those holding regular permits and are frequent visitors to the state, a permanent resident can sponsor them for a period of three months.

The temporary permit holders include tourists and business persons with a validity of one month, while the labour permit covers government contractor, firm or private individual with a stipulated duration of stay.

As such, the question is what kind of permit the non-locals, who are out begging on the streets of the state capital, are in possession of.

It is also questionable how the permits were provided in the first place.

Recently, 29 non-locals, suspected to be Bangladeshi and in possession of Aadhaar cards based in Assam, were caught working in a bakery in Mayang Imphal and deported to Assam.

The SDC, who had prepared the permits, was also suspended.

Similar incidents of people with forged permits being arrested have occurred in the past.

Thus, the sight of these couple of non-local begging openly in the city is similar to a body showing symptoms of a disease.

If these symptoms are not diagnosed and treated in time, then Manipur would be swarming with such type of beggars within the next few years.

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