It was a chilly morning. However it was pleasant and refreshing. Thankfully the abnormal rains were not there.
I had received my salary the day before. So I was happy and satisfied. That sense of fulfillment usually lasts for a week!
I was about reach my office. On the corner of the road leading to my office I saw a very old lady begging. She was pleading to onlookers to give some amount of money.
That area is considered to be a prime and high-class destination of Pune. Ironically there are slums in close vicinity also.
I was taken aback for a moment. I was so much in my thoughts about expenditure plans. I was in ‘I-me-myself’ mode. It occurred to my mind that I was so self-absorbed! Or was I exceedingly sensitive for that moment?
I could not make my mind up.
It was disturbing. It is a sort of recurring eye-opener for me. I mean I have experienced this kind of soul searching on various occasions. But this was something else.
In a country where the divide between extremely rich-middle class-poor is so very noticeable, there are two possibilities. You gradually become indifferent. This is majority. Otherwise you tend to do your bit and help the needy in your very, very small role as an individual.
Coming back to the story, what did I do in this particular instance? I gave a two-rupee coin. On other such occasions I have given beggars things to eat. This was possible as there are many roadside eateries in Pune.
Does it matter? Will that make any difference to the beggar?
What is the solution to all the disparity in our big cities? What can be done to alleviate poverty?
I don’t know. And certainly, there are no easy answers.
