SRINAGAR: After repeated complaints about child begging in Srinagar, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of the district, on Wednesday launched a “surprise raid” in the city center of Lal Chowk, where they rescued 14 child beggars who were subsequently provided with counseling.
This marked the first-ever “surprise drive” against child begging in Lal Chowk. Dr Khair-un-Nisa, the head of the CWC in Srinagar, said, “We had been receiving complaints about frequent child begging in various parts of Srinagar. Today, we decided to conduct a surprise check at Lal Chowk, where we apprehended 14 child beggars, including four girls.”
She explained that while they were taking the child beggars to a shelter home in Nishat, their parents started begging for their release, revealing the troubling nexus between parents and children involved in begging. Dr Nisa added, “Ironically, the parents of the kids rescued today were also beggars.” She further mentioned that all 14 minors would receive counseling and be handed over to the CWCs of their respective districts or states.
When asked about the estimated number of outside beggars in Srinagar, Dr Nisa explained that accurate data was not available, as it might be with the Labor department. She stated, “The majority of these beggars are from Punjab, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.” In the past three months, the CWC has rescued a total of 32 child beggars, including the 18 rescued today.
Dr Nisa emphasised that the special drive against child begging would continue in the coming days due to ongoing complaints about a large number of street children, some of whom engage in begging outside major shrines and markets in Srinagar.
“Previous cases have been transferred to CWCs outside Jammu and Kashmir for rehabilitation, as almost all of them were non-Jammu and Kashmir residents. They were migrants who were shifted to their native places,” Dr Nisa stated.
She also mentioned the rescue of an eight-year-old domestic helper after a concerned neighbor contacted the CWC. Dr. Nisa urged residents of Srinagar who employ minor domestic helpers to voluntarily approach the CWC.
In response to a question about her role as a woman leading the campaign against children in street situations, Dr Nisa expressed her commitment to her duty, regardless of gender. “I forget I am a woman, and my primary focus always remains to perform my duty without fear,” she told KNO.
It is worth noting that Kashmir witnesses the arrival of a large number of outside beggars, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. These beggars come in March and stay until November. The social welfare department has a proper rehabilitation policy for beggars in Jammu and Kashmir, and the rescued beggars, especially children, are placed in shelter homes and subsequently handed over to the relevant CWCs.
Locals near the Hazratbal shrine reported that on the eve of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (SAW), at least 500 outside beggars, including children, were found begging. Many children were seen approaching devotees for money, causing irritation among the worshippers due to the significant presence of non-Jammu and Kashmir beggars, especially children, outside the revered Hazratbal shrine, according to Abdul Aziz Mir, a shopkeeper in the area. (KNO)
