Though it sounds strange and also irrelevant but if the present inflow of unknown beggars is not checked in time Jammu is sure to get its new name as the city of beggars. This is not being said with any political motive or rivalry but is true on the ground. One is surprised to find a heavy number of beggars on the roads and also in the streets of Jammu city. Many of them have different types of physical deformity (factual or fake is not known). Now this issue is also being discussed on social media by the responsible members of the civil society. People of Jammu are not worried over such a big number of beggars in such a short time but also of their identity. During the last about a year the number of beggars has been increasing with every coming day. Most of them are from other states and are of the age group of infant to adolescence. They can be seen roaming in groups of two more and encircle any one particularly females and start demanding money from them. The way of begging has now changed from begging to coercion. These begging children have covered almost all the markets, bazaars and the outer parts of the religious places. Till late eighties one could find several beggars in the lanes and bazaars of Jammu city. Begging had almost become a nuisance in the city of Temples. Not only outside of the religious places but on other places like bus stands, at the gates of hospitals, beggars of different age groups including male and female were found wandering here and there and forcing people to give money. Even at some places the beggars used to scare females especially school and college going girls to scour their clothes by trying to touch them. Encouraged by the inactiveness of the administration to check this menace the number of beggars was on the increase day by day. This situation had almost reached a point of no tolerance till the nineties. Then the administration came into action and a movement was indirectly launched against begging and beggars. After a few years of this action the people of Jammu took a sigh of relief and the Jammu city had almost become a non begging city barring few beggars confined to specific areas but none of the beggars now dared to chase the citizens. Most of these beggars are migrants from other states and among them the majority is from UP, Bihar and Rajasthan. However UP and Bihar outnumber others. The problem is the constant increase in their number which includes both female and male beggars almost from the age of infants to the age of seventy-eighties of years old. Many of them have now started chasing people, particularly the females to get money. If this is not checked in time then be sure that very soon Jammu city will be known not for its temples but for the beggars.
