Cops missthe date to submit report

Children forced to beg by mafia

Group of techies trying to stop this forced begging

Mafia-controlled ‘child begging’ is a sad reality in the city. Every major junction has around 20-25 children begging who earn around Rs 500 each day. The Child Rights Commission had demanded a report in September from the police dept about the action being taken to curb the practice. The police, however, missed the deadline of Wednesday for submission of the report

Children are no longer our nation’s future as their present is robbed. It is a common sight that we see every day but fail to observe. At every junction, on every lane, at all hours we see children under the age of 12 seeking alms. RTC X Roads, Khairatabad, Panjagutta, Liberty, Ameerpet, Maitrivanam, Patny Centre--not a single lane is devoid of these child beggars, who at this time of the day have to be in school studying.

Instead, they are forced to go on to the streets to beg.

Every major junction in the city has around 20-25 children begging, who are smeared with Suner (a chemical used to achieve rugged and weather beaten look). A mafia reportedly controls these children. The members of this mafia come every hour to take the collections. A rough estimate by the Child Rights Commission puts the daily earning of a child beggar at Rs 500 at major junctions. It has been learnt that the children who failed to collect the set target are subjected to severe beating.

Such an incident came to light on Saturday, when a group of techies spotted an 8-year-old with bruises all over his body at Ameerpet. When asked about it, the child replied that he was beaten severely as he had failed to get the set target.

“We wanted to take the child to an orphanage and report the incident to the police. However, within minutes the child was husked away in an auto by a gang. We reported the same at Ameerpet Police Station,” informed Vinod, one of the techies from the group.

Earlier in September, Child Rights Commission had asked the Commissioners of Police of Hyderabad and Cyberabad respectively, the GHMC Commissioner, Commissioner of Labour, and the Principal Secretary of Education to take necessary steps to curb ‘child begging’ and submit the Action Taken Report by October 8. However, the report was not submitted on Wednesday.

Responding to a complaint filed by Satyanarayana Gola, secretary of the NGO Jaibharat Organisation, and newspaper reports, the commission has noted that children painted in toxic colours were being used for begging near traffic signals, temples and more recently, Ganesh pandals. The paints may lead to chronic diseases in the long run, and it would be a serious violation of child rights, members of the commission noted back then. He also highlighted that in cities like Mumbai, children are disfigured—limbs are cut off or eyes are removed. This is done to evoke sympathy so that people shell out that extra buck.

Speaking on the issue of increase in child beggars, Child Rights Commission member Achyuta Rao said, “We have issued directions to the authorities concerned to crack down on forced begging by children in the city.

We have asked both the police Commissioners to set up task forces with members drawn from all the departments concerned, for rescue and rehabilitation of the child beggars. If necessary, cases should be filed against the parents too. Our next course of action would be based on the contents of the police report as and when it comes.”