How Do I Handle Beggars In India?

[tri-n-b-helpful]

I have never been to India before and am about to visit. I cannot find much information on how to deal with beggars in India. I understand that there are a great many more people in poverty throughout India than in any other country I have been to. I would like to help, but I've heard that giving one too much will result in me being mobbed! How can I help the people without being attacked?

Is it better to give food or money in some situations or to certain people? What sort of foods are acceptable to give the people? Can I depend on local police to help if something goes wrong? In my country, begging is a crime and police will take from the beggar whatever has been given to them and return it to the giver!

Does anyone have any experiences or stories to tell?

 

[Chahal]

Never give anything to a beggar. If you are feeling generous then donate to India's Prime minister relief fund and be assured that your money will only be used for charity and not for paying salaries to aid workers unlike most charities do which only use less then 20-25% of the total donations for charity.. Rest if used up for running the organisations.

Hope this helps.

 

[tri-n-b-helpful]

That's an excellent idea! I will definitely do this! I feel absolutely certain that Prime Minister Modi will deliver. Can I donate to this fund whilst still at home in Australia? Perhaps there is a link I can follow on a website and donate via Paypal? I'm very supportive of your Prime Minister and have heard a lot about what he has done, not just for India, but for the whole world. God Bless Him!

I'm familiar with donating to other charities, even down here, who use a fair bit of the money to pay salaried workers, even if those delivering the final service to those in need are volunteers (just like the Australian Red Cross!).

Never give anything to a beggar. If you are feeling generous then donate to India's Prime minister relief fund and be assured that your money will only be used for charity and not for paying salaries to aid workers unlike most charities do which only use less then 20-25% of the total donations for charity.. Rest if used up for running the organisations.

Hope this helps.

 

[Chahal]

Prime Minister's National Relief Fund

There is detailed information about where the money is being spent on this website.

 

[Jenny]

Thank you Chahal. This is an area I hadn't even considered. It is good to know that all donated money goes directly to charity rather than to salaries of those overseeing the charity.

 

[amelia88]

Good information, and something that's useful to know before I get there. I always worry that if I don't give something that I will feel guilty, I guess...it's great to know I can donate but in a way that ensures the money is used wisely and with no commissions being taken for overheads and so forth. That seems to be the problem with a lot of other charities these days -- a bunch of admin costs and fees and so forth cutting into the amount donated.

 

[briannagodess]

I would also suggest giving donations on kind or money just to charities and organisations. It's better this way since some beggars are part of syndicates, at least in my country. They usually have their alms taken away from them by the syndicate. So giving them something is just like giving those goods to the syndicate as well. This is not the case of course with everyone, but it's better to be on the safe side.

But you also have to research which organisation you're going to give the donation to since not all are trustworthy. But there are some honest organisations that do help the less fortunate. Good luck!

 

[Chahal]

some beggars are part of syndicates, at least in my country.

That is how they operate in India aswell so there is no point giving money to them as it would end up in some gang leaders pocket in the evening.

 

[paudu]

This is more complex than I'd imagined. I am glad of Chahal's advice, since I sometimes do hand out money to "beggars" here in the US. Now I know not to do so in India.

 

[baertta]

Thanks for the heads up. In Canada we give to people all the time and think its the thing to do when they ask. I'm glad i took a look at this page thanks for the help chahal,

 

[Vinaya]

The best way to deal with or handle beggar is pretend that you don't see them, you don't hear them. If you donate to one beggar, another will come to you, it you donate to the second, few more will come and there is no end to this.

 

[swalia]

The best way to deal with a beggar is to ignore them. Most of the beggars take to begging because they are sheer lazy and find it easier to beg than to word hard for a living. By giving money or food to such beggars, we are only encouraging them. You will be surprised to know that some beggars even operate large gangs where they kidnap young children and make them beg on streets.

 

[Ritika Sharma]

In my opinion giving them food is the best option.

 

[Elaine]

That is really impressive and a great idea too. Most organizations in other countries hardly give anything to the actual charity. This is good to know.

 

[Aidan]

What happens if you offer food instead of money? Is that also not safe? I would actually rather give food to people than give money to the organization.

 

[TravelCheap3]

Honestly just ignore them and don't give them a dime! You aren't required to and I don't think you should but that's my opinion. If you want to put your money to good use donate to a charity of your choice.

 

[tri-n-b-helpful]

Prime Minister's National Relief Fund

There is detailed information about where the money is being spent on this website.

Many Thanks for this link. It is good to see this fund is growing and that PM Modi is also its Chairman with the assistance of those officers promoted on the basis of Merit. This seems more trustworthy than many other institutions elsewhere. It is also good to see that the fund does not not negotiate with conditional donors! However, I cannot make a donation as my bank is not in the list nor does the fund accept Paypal nor credit nor debit cards. Perhaps I could contribute via postal money order?

I have some general questions anyone may be able to answer.
1. What does say, 1000Rs. buy in India today?
2. Why does the fund give to the private hospitals? Do they not have their own sources of funding? Or are they entirely dependent upon this fund?
3. There seems to be a large number of banks in India. Are these private banks or are they national banks under government control or tight regulation?