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In this archive story we are having an encounter with a Beggar boy in the capital of India.
Read the background story of this archive photo by the photographer. |
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Since Independence, Delhi has prospered as the capital of modern India with its population spiralling upwards due to rapid economic expansion and increased job opportunities. But not everybody benefits from growing economy in the country of India, there is also a downside with an increasing difference between the rich and the poor. Here a beggar boy is pictured by the photographer in New Delhi, India. |
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Boy begging in New Delhi
The harrowing face of a boy begging in New Delhi's streets caught the eye of photographer Kristian Bertel, when he visited the Indian capital. Life is hard in the streets of New Delhi, India, despite that India is a country with a rising economy. The downside of this boom, apart from growing preassure on on the city's groaning infrastructure, is chronic overcrowding, traffic congestion, ballooning child labour, housing shortages and pollution.
How many children are living on the streets of New Delhi?
It is estimated that more than 300,000 children are believed to live on the streets of New Delhi. Some people estimates that the total number of street children in India as high as 18 million. |
Portrait of a boy in India
When you walk in the many areas of Delhi and in the area around the railway station introduces all the noisy, smoky, smelly, crowded and chaotic. Everything that there is not a part of New Delhi that you will consider a tourist destination. But also on the more rich quarters like Rajiv Chowk, where the youg beggard boy was photographed theses contrasts are ruling. Because beggary is a global issue which affects millions of people around the world. It is a form of extreme poverty, whereby individuals are unable to meet their basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing.
Many people turn to begging as a way of survival, as they have no other means of support and the causes of beggary are complex and vary from country to country. In some cases, it is due to economic and social instability, war and displacement or natural disasters. In other cases, it is due to discrimination, oppression and abuse. In some cases, individuals may be born into poverty or suffer from physical or mental disabilities which make it difficult for them to find work.
The effects of beggary are far-reaching
It can have a profound impact on a person's life. Begging can lead to increased levels of crime and violence, as people resort to desperate measures in order to survive. It can also lead to a breakdown of social order, as the desperation of those in poverty leads them to lash out against those who have more. In order to address this issue, governments, Charities and individuals must work together to provide support and assistance to those in need. This may include providing financial aid, job training and educational opportunities, as well as other forms of support. Governments should also ensure that those living in poverty have access to basic necessities such as food, shelter and clothing. It is also important to raise awareness of this issue. Through education, we can help to reduce the stigma associated with begging and encourage people to see it as a sign of desperation rather than a way of life.
Beggary is a complex issue and one that is difficult to tackle and it will take a multi-faceted approach to address the issue and help those who are in need. With the right measures in place, it is possible to make a real difference in the lives of those who are begging. Beggary is a serious problem in India and has been an issue for centuries. It is estimated that there are over 4 million beggars in India and these figures are growing and it is not only a social problem but also an economic one as well. It is estimated that beggars in India make up around 5 percent of the total population and this is having a major impact on the country's economy.
"Begging is a common sight in India, whether it is in the streets of big cities, small towns or rural villages. Beggars can be seen sitting on the roadside, at bus stops or even in front of religious places. In many cases, beggars are using children to get more sympathy from people and this is a major problem. Many of these children are from poor families and are forced to beg as a way to make money to support their families. The treatment of begging children in India is ambivalent. Children are highly appreciated. But the image of street children living in the cities of the country in misery has been part of everyday life for many decades and hardly seems to surprise anyone"
Begging as their only source of income
The main causes of beggary in India are poverty and unemployment. With the increasing population and lack of job opportunities, many are forced to turn to begging as their only source of income. Some of the other reasons why people may resort to begging include disabilities, drug addiction, poor education and lack of access to health care. In order to address the issue of beggary in India, the government has implemented a number of initiatives and these include providing jobs and training programs for the unemployed, improving access to education and healthcare and providing financial assistance to those in need.
In addition, the government has been working to crack down on the use of children for begging purposes. Beggary is a serious problem in India and it is important that the government and society work together to address this issue and it is essential that measures are taken to reduce poverty and unemployment, as well as to provide access to quality education and healthcare. Only then can we hope to tackle the problem of beggary in India.
Life situations of begging children
Most of the begging children and street children in India live in unhygienic, neglected and unspectacular circumstances. Many suffer from malnutrition and diseases like 'Tuberculosis', 'Typhus', 'Leprosy', 'Malaria' or worse. In addition, they are quickly dependent on drugs and alcohol. They suffer from exhaust fumes. It is noticeable that many suffer from skin diseases and bone fractures and these diseases usually remain untreated and unaffected. Insecurity and discontinuity of life on the road cause mental illness in many children and the psychological traumatization as a result of neglect, neglect, insecurity, lack of protection, exploitation, abuse, hunger and dependencies of all kinds are serious.
Street children are there and are not really seen and perceived. Many meet with defenses and contempt. Some support them with small money donations. Religious representations of 'Karma', 'Dharma' and 'Moksha' in Hinduism are apt to reinforce a certain indifference. Many Hindus do not seem to feel compassion and do not feel compelled to act against street children. The existence of these children appears to them as a result of a bad 'Karma'. Children are therefore responsible for the fact that they are suffering from such adverse circumstances. Anyone who nevertheless feels compassion and decides to be a small support can strengthen his own 'Karma'.
From the countryside to the cities
The situation of children in Indian cities in the street is very different. One can speak of children on the street. They often came from the country to one of the great metropolises with their families and live in slums or in the outskirts of the cities. They are used as shelters, pipes, sewers. The children of these families live and work on the street and it is estimated that only about 10 percent of them have a firm job, such as a street vendor, a tea shop or other small business. There they often work more than 16 hours a day, are used up and badly paid. The other 90 percent are struggling with occasional work, trying to support their family. On the other hand there are the classic street children who, unlike Children on the street, no longer have contact with their parents or other family members and they have run away or have been exposed and are now trying to break through typical street children's work, mainly collecting and selling rubbish.
Beggars in India is a reality
When visiting India you will find beggars on the streets of India even child beggars that will break your heart the photographer recalls. It is almost inevitable not to see and hard to ignore. Beggars in India is a reality and despite a growing economy in India many people are still left behind in the society of India. The presence of a large number of child laborers and the begging children in India are regarded as a serious issue in terms of economic welfare.
Children who work and beg are failing to get the necessary education. They do not get the opportunity to develop physically, intellectually, emotionally and psychologically. In terms of the physical condition of children, children are not ready for long monotous work because they become exhausted more quickly than adults. This reduces their physical conditions and makes the children more vulnerable to disease. Children in hazardous working conditions are even in worse condition. Children who work, instead of going to school, will remain illiterate which limits their ability to contribute to their own well being as well as to community they live in.
Child beggars have a long term adverse effects for India like the boy portrayed in this archive story. He was accompanied by a woman, who maybe was the mother of the boy. While 18 million children work on the streets of India, it is estimated that only 5 to 10 percent of them are truly homeless and disconnected from their families. Because the street children in India have unique vulnerabilities the amount of time they spend on the street, their livelihood depending on the street and their lack of protection and care from adults, they are a subgroup of the Indian population that deserve specific attention in order to ensure that their needs are known.
"- As the most vulnerable group of children in India and they need to be understood as much as possible", the Photographer says.
Why the photographer does not give money to Indian street kids
On his journeys, the photographer meets street kids in Delhi and although he has sympathy with them, he does not give them money. Donations would not help their poverty and he had to get used to street children begging everywhere in the city. At red traffic lights, they scratch the windows of the cars or they pull at the shirts of the passersby.
"- At first I often asked myself whether I should give them a little money. ₹30 rupees, would be a lot of money for the street children. Nevertheless, I decided not to give alms. I wonder where do I start, where to stop? What street-money do I give money to, which is not? I cannot make a donation to everyone, but there are too many of them. But can I ease the hardship of a single street child? I also doubt that. I have been told many stories of street kids who are being exploited by criminals who have to surrender part of the pledged amount. On the occasion I give something to a street child such as the boy photographd for this archive story. So, I conclude that my donation benefits criminals, instead of the child. In most cases, I manage to stick to my principle and ignore the begging children", the Photographer says again.
"- But once I did not succeed. A begging boy came up to me and from his face spoke the pure despair, he gurgled for a bite of food and I ignored him, but he did not leave. He clung to my shirt and at this moment, my rational viewpoint shook. Despite my principle I gave him money. But the seconds in which the boy begged me to let go and remain, became eternity. They burned themselves into my memory. A mixture of doubts and helplessness has remained to me today. To give food instead of money seems to me better but both are not a selfless act. With a donation, I do something good for myself and I feel better at this moment and the belief that something has been done against poverty facilitates. The question of conscience, why the child has to live on the street, falls into the background. I hardly helped the boy", the Photographer says again.
Portait photography of beggars in India
What the photographer especially like about portrait photography is the melancholy that are often seen in the faces of beggars in India and portrait photography or portraiture in photography is a photograph of a person or group of people that captures the personality of the subject. With these child beggars wheteher it is a begging boy or a begging girl, they may be found in public places such as transport routes, urban parks and near busy markets and besides money they may also ask for food, drink, cigarettes or other small items.
See this video about beggars in New Delhi made by Strong And Beyond.
"- As any photographer knows, each picture tells a story. And when viewing the photographs of poverty in India, there is no doubt that the stories being told are ones of hardship and sorrow. For photography enthusiasts like myself, there can be a mix of conflicting emotions when visiting these areas and taking pictures. Although it's fascinating to be immersed in such a different culture and view such incredible images, my heart aches for the people living in these situations. I can't help but feel a sense of guilt and responsibility – for just standing outside looking in", the Photographer says again.
"- But ultimately, beggary is a sign of a broken society. If we are to truly address this issue, we must work together to address the root causes of poverty and ensure that those in need are provided with the support and assistance they need to live a better life. Beggary is actually an age old social phenomenon in India. In the medieval and earlier times begging was considered to be an acceptable occupation which was embraced within the traditional social structure and this system of begging and alms-giving to mendicants and the poor is still widely practiced in India with over 400,000 beggars a couple of years ago", the Photographer says again.
Read also: Child poverty in India
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India is a land full of stories. On every street, on every corner and in the many places in India, life is rushing by you as a photographer with millions of stories to be told. In the archive story above, you hopefully had a readable insight in the story that was behind the photo of a beggar boy in New Delhi. On this website of Kristian Bertel | Photography you can find numerous travel pictures from the photographer. Stories and moments that tell the travel stories of how the photographer captured the specific scene that you see in the picture. The photographer's images have a story behind them, images that all are taken from around India throughout his photo journeys. The archive stories delve into Kristian's personal archive to reveal never-before-seen, including portraits and landscapes beautifully produced snapshots from various travel assignments. The archive is so-far organized into photo stories, this one included, each brought to life by narrative text and full-color photos. Together, these fascinating stories tell a story about the life in India. India, the motherland to many people around the world, a land of unforgetable travel moments. The archive takes viewers on a spectacular visual journey through some of the most stunning photographs to be found in the photographer's archive collection. The photographer culled the images to reflect the many variations on the universal theme of beauty and everyday life in India. By adding these back stories the photographer's work might immensely enhanced the understanding of the photographs.
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