Child begging mafia puts babies ‘to work’ during immersion procession

Hyderabad: In what was a heartbreaking sight during the Ganesh idol immersion, many children dressed as Mahatma Gandhi and other mythical figures walked around the procession and begged. Even babies with silver paint all over their bodies braved the high temperatures and smoke coming out of vehicles, reflecting the dark side of the society.

During Ganesh immersion, the child begging mafia brings children from all over the city. Ironically, parents and guardians keep an eye on the income of ‘their’ children. Bystanders who saw the children, most of them weak and almost faint, gave them money for their food. The begging activity went unchecked. Many people wondered where were those who carried out Operation Muskan and conducted raids to rescue children from units that used child labor.

Arti Rathi from Lathur, Maharashtra, said, “I was there to watch the Ganesh immersion of Abids to the Secretariat. Amidst the joyous celebration, it was painful to see the babies being forced to beg. I saw some of them fainting. I cannot understand how heartless people can be to force such small children to beg.”

Tanguturu Radhika Reddy, founder of Radhika Charitable Trust, said, “The authorities and the police have enough information about children being brought to the city just to beg. This is happening openly and in front of thousands of people. The authorities should intervene and put an end to this inhuman exploitation of children, instead of waiting until the end to take action.”