Srinagar, Oct 04: Responding swiftly to mounting complaints about child begging in the capital city of Srinagar, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of the district launched a “special surprise drive” at Lal Chowk, a bustling city centre on Wednesday. The operation yielded the rescue of 14 child beggars, marking a significant step in combating this disturbing issue.
According to officials, this unprecedented move by the CWC aimed to address the growing concern of child begging in various parts of Srinagar. Dr. Khair-un-Nisa, the head of CWC Srinagar said that they had been receiving numerous complaints about the rampant child begging, prompting them to take decisive action. During the surprise raid, they apprehended 14 child beggars, including four girls.
A challenging aspect of their mission, Dr. Nisa noted, was the nexus between the child beggars and their parents. She explained that as they were escorting the rescued children to a shelter home in Nishat, the parents of these children resorted to begging for their release. Shockingly, the parents themselves were beggars, highlighting the complexity of the problem. Dr. Nisa emphasized that they would provide counseling to all 14 children, all of whom were minors, and coordinate their return to the Child Welfare Committees in their respective districts and states.
When questioned about the number of outside beggars in Srinagar, Dr. Nisa pointed out the lack of accurate data, suggesting that such information might be available with the Labor department. However, she did mention that the majority of these beggars hailed from states like Punjab, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. In the past three months, a total of 32 child beggars have been rescued, including the 18 from today’s operation.
Dr. Nisa assured that the special drive against child begging would persist in the coming days. Reports of numerous street children, some of whom engage in begging, remain a concern, especially in areas surrounding major shrines and markets in Srinagar.
