Sorry, but I don’t give money to beggars. Its not a question of 5-10 rupees that will make me richer, its just my way.

My mum always reminds me how compassionate and emphatic I was during my young age. I used to ask her for “ek suka” (oh well its 25 paisa coin and I am sure kids these days don’t even know about it) and give it to a beggar on the street. Things have indeed changed for me.

I often walk from Ratna Park to Sundhara. Say, it is to save that extra buck I might have to pay to the taxi, if I take that full circle of one way Tudikhel. In the mornings, till 11 its fine to walk on that stretch. After that it becomes chaotic. The Kathmandu Muncipality doesn’t allow the street vendors to keep their stalls before 6pm and during the day time it is like cat and mouse chase between them. There is another lot of people you find on the footpath during this the day time. Even the Muncipality doesn’t bother them.

I don’t want to call them beggars. The word itself is so derogating . But I cannot think of any other word to describe them. All these people do, is sit there and ask for money. I will start from one corner of the street, right outside the post office. There is this mid aged lady with a flex printing of a patient from hospital and a big speaker. “…. Waha ko dubai mrigaula nachalne raw aha 6 mahina dekhi hospital ma bhayeko le waha ko aarthik awastha ramro nabhayeko karan le……tapai ko sahyog ko apekshya garda chau…dhanyabaad”. I don’t remember the exact words but a little girl’s voice goes on and on from the recorder.

Second person I encounter is, this another lady, maybe in her 20s. Perfectly healthy, very well built, lies on a piece of Afgan right outside the Kathmandu Mall. The only problem she has is one of her feet is amputated. She sleeps the whole day right there, and passersby gave her 5-10 rupees each.

Third one of the lot is right outside the NAC building (previously known as RNAC). Funny that the same recording of the little girl goes on loop, just the picture on the flex is different and the name is different in the record. Before I forget to mention, there are in between the foreigner beggars with babies who will make you guilty conscious showing you the baby and saying the baby is hungry, she needs to buy milk. By evening you will see these women around the bhattis in Basantapur. Oh Please! Trust me, the food in those places are a lot more expensive than the booze. All these ladies are there to drink.

I once read in the papers that even the babies are not their own and are hired. The babies are drugged so that they sleep all the time and I started to notice that really! these kids are always sleeping. Something to ponder isn’t it?

I have too many such instances to share. Once I helped this old woman who used to live around my house, and later I came to know that the money I used to give her, she spent it in the bhatti nearby. So I lost it, all my empathy, sensitivity, all of it. It is not that I don't help but I see the need of it very closely. I think they should work and have a living. Call me insensitive but just being rational here.

Thank you! on the sukka ko braces ma explanation :) kids these days is totally me, :) wouldnt have known it !!

Well I sure do have a story to share too :)

During my college days, I used to walk till ratna park, and then took a micro or a tempo to college! One fine day when I was one the way to ratnapark, a beggar came and asked for money, well u know how things are then, 50 rs pocket money for food and ride, well i didnt have a penny to spare, I said well i dont have change ( which was a genuine reason). This kid nagged me from basantapur to ason, and when i was adamant on not giving him anything, the kid kicked me and left.

All I could think was "seriously, i got kicked by a kid for not sparing 5 rs off my lunchbox?"

Then there was another, when I offered bread over money, he said no i'd like cash! lol

That was it to have my mind changed on not giving them any money!!

Guess wat....2 days back....my sister gave a better 50 rupees......that was in durbarmarg....he was not even a beggar...he was on wheelchairs....and i could see that his legs are all fit and fine..... i told her next time if she encourages all this ...i am going to ask her to pay all my bills!!!

Reminded me of this video I saw in fb few days back

Hahahah thank you so much Funtush........I am speechless now!!!

well read amby !!!
There was a guy used to come over to my house and Tole asking for money coz his mom just died and had no money to do the last rites. We helped him thinking what a terrible situation he was in. Approximately in 6-8 months, he showed up again and said his dad died and he got no money for the last rites. oh...my poor mom, she asked me to give him some money nonetheless it sounded fishy. After few months, when that same guy entered through our front gate, I asked him angrily, what???? that son of B told me his mom died. I was like.... again....and I went to our backyard to pick a big stick and told him.....BHAG SALE CHOR, THAGNA KHHOCHAS !!!!
Only thing I miss still today is, If I were allowed to spew bad words around my house and family !!! I would have cursed the shit out of him.

Thank you again Mr. President

ratnapark to sundhara on foot to save xtra bucks..cool.
taking micro,bus,tampo instead of taxi @ kTM probably saves a lot. :)

agreed, it's annyoing, dirty beggers are here and there in ktm and everywhere else. well! i have seen beggers across the street of chicago, newyork too. and none
of them are disabled neither old. one of them i saw last time was like a lead actor of marvel entertainment.
i was like..seriously! i looked around if it's a prank. strange! it wasn't.
(Beggars from USA vs Beggars from Nepal) :)


Coming back to beggars in KTM, they are beggars of KTM, NEPAL. :)
Any assumption those beggars may get work to work would be a silly assumption.
Who the heck gonna provide them a work? masters gareko lai job chaina nepal ma. I am kinda sure if i were in Nepal, Ambrosia, you might have seen me somewhere in Pashupati. well! yup! pasupati, b'coz I prefer less crowded area to beg. :)

Most of the beggers back in KTM do not have any option than begging. I wish they have.
I expect government of Nepal comes up with some solution to this. However, my this expectation from the government of nepal who couldn't
form the consitution is like a expectation of those begger across the street of KTM to get something from every bypasser. 
Well! I am not saying one has to give money to beggers. It's fairly your choice. Even i don't give money to beggers unless my 7th sense says let's give it,
He/she may get rid of his/her starvation at least for tonight after all it's all about hunger games. :)


'The only problem she has is one of her feet is amputated.'
must say, a bit rude sentence. I think this only problem is the very major problem. I can't think of any proper solution
to wipe/clean my a$$ if i would have only one hand. Hey, i don't mean i wipe/wash my ass with two hands. But need one hand to wipe and the other to pour water.
You know it. :)


By the way, i don't see anything wrong for those beggers being in bhatti.
We work, we earn and we spend the way we like.
Those beggers beg(their work), they earn so they have right to spend the way they like.
I don't see any reason to argue on this, pointing that they lie to bypasser to get money. Well! everyone in every profession does lie for their benefits.
I do, you do, everyone does. Yea, we do in a diplomatic way.



'By evening you will see these women around the bhattis in Basantapur'
hmm!! i m pondering and wondering what Ambrosia's doing @ bhattis. :)

Sojhoketo,
Omg! Kati lamo reply!! But yea thank you so much for your analysis. You infact written secon thread itself here.....lol....sorrg kidding.
I am sure you are right in so many ways but I told you this is how i feel.... i have become insensitive.....
Oh well..... I dont go to these bhattis...... but yea there is this tea stall where I normally hang out in Basantapur....its called Mama ko chiyapasal:)

Ambrosia, you brought a wonderful topic here! Last time when I was in Nepal, a small kid came inside the bus where I was sitting and started asking for money. Out of compassion, I gave him 5 rupees. He went out and after couple of minutes, another kid came inside the bus and directly came to me ignoring other people on board. I again gave him 1 rupees. He went out and after 2 minutes another kid straightly came to me again ignoring other people on board and started asking for money. At this point, I wondered why are these kids ignoring other people and coming straight to me? I realized they were working in an organized manner. Have you seen a movie called "Traffic signal?" You should watch it. These days begging is done in a very subtle organized way in Nepal and India. It is sad but this is the result of intense poverty of our country. Government takes no responsibility to teach its citizens and make them empowered. Instead begging has become organized system where beggars work for third parties.

remember i mentioned about 'lie in a diplomatic way' ..kasle po office ma full hours kaam garcha ra? kaam garnu bhanda long reply dinu majja lagyo. so, so long reply. :)
well! regarding the bhattis' stuff, i was just kidding. i know you don't go to those bhattis. Should you have been the customer of Bhattis, you would have never have any objection/complain regarding beggars in bhattis. :0 Just saying.

I always feed them and they happily accept it. Those who insist cash..avoid them like plaque. Its not about being sensitive, its about being careful to distinguish fake from needy ones.

@ bittertruth;  I agree. 

I think bitter truth and sexy in saree didnt read the last paragraph.... it says that i do help them but when i see the need of it.....

Sojhoketo..... i am the same girl..... just with time i have calm down and am really composed....lol......
And i am not only your crush but your Candy Crush

Oh yea..... i have been to the bhattis.....lol....

Ujl,
I am not saying all who are begging are cons.....but it looks bit strange you know....this woman with only one leg.....is so perfectly fine....she can actually do some skill work thru her hands..... garne le gari rakheko chha......but hoina begging is a better option.

मागेर खाने कसको रहर हुन्छ र? When administrative system (so called democratic system) becomes childish then we will see more begging. 

Why are you blaming the state??? The USA has a very good governance.... but apparently there are more beggars and homeless than any other country.....
Rahar hoina choice ho.... I again say.....all of them are not dishonest... but the ones i m mentioning here are like that

Ambrosia, I am talking about the administrative system of the world, not just Nepal or America. Also, you are totally ignoring the psychological aspects of human beings. How can you expect a depressed women smile at you?