Last month, my friend and I had gone to the bazaar in Tiruchi to make some purchases for our project work. We were tired of walking in and out of a dozen shops where nobody stocked the equipment we wanted. We stopped at a juice centre to refresh ourselves. That's when I saw him.
Need for food
He was a young boy may be 10 years old or so who was begging on the streets asking passersby to spare a few rupees for him. He came to where we were sitting and asked us for some money claiming that he was very hungry.
As was my wont in such situations, I gently started asking him a few questions ... whether he lived with his family, whether he went to school and so on.
He claimed to be studying in Std.IV in the local government school. He told me that the only proper meal he got everyday was the mid-day meal provided at school. At home, it seems that most of the porridge they prepare goes towards feeding his baby sister with little left over for him and his numerous other siblings.
After talking to him for a few minutes about his life I felt sorry for him. I took out my purse to give him some money.
My friend stopped me. So far he had been sitting quietly, just listening to the boy's story. He softly told me that in giving the boy money I might be spoiling his life rather than helping him.
He also said that money, in his little hands, could possibly lead to the formation of bad habits and that he knew a few such boys in his colony who had fallen prey to such practices.
I was shocked. I just wanted the boy to be happy and never thought that there might be another side to giving him a few rupees. I had thought I was doing him a good deed!
Helping hand
Even though giving him money was not advisable, we still wanted to help him. He had touched a soft spot in our hearts.
After much thought, we then decided to buy him a drink and some snacks. After all if the boy was hungry, food was what he needed, not money.
K.RAMDAS, III Year Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Trichy
