All aboard Delhi's beggar express

Authorities desperate to spruce up the city are rounding up and jailing street beggars ahead of the Commonwealth Games

The woman with the tear-streaked face presses together her palms in supplication and throws herself into the dust in front of the magistrate. "I'll even spit on the road and lick it if you want me to. I beg you, just let me go," she wails. "If I ever come back here I will hang myself. Please, just let me go."

Barely an hour earlier, Pholphata, the shabbily dressed woman whose name means "flower petal", her two young children and a friend had been arrested by a squad of plain-clothes police officers who had spotted them half-heartedly begging in a train station in the east of Delhi.

Now, in barely the time it has taken a nearby chai wallah to boil up a pot of sweet, milky tea, they have been brought for summary justice before a magistrate sitting in a mini-bus set on the edge of a busy road. He will decide whether to release the women grovelling in the road beneath the open window of his vehicle, or else jail them for a year. "We have to decide according to the law," declares the magistrate, MK Gupta, wearing a jacket and tie, as traffic thunders past his hot, makeshift courtroom.

Ahead of October's Commonwealth Games, the government in India's capital has increased the number of mobile beggars' courts from one to three. The courts, it insists, are merely a more modern way of seeking to address a centuries-old problem.

But campaigners argue that the authorities, desperate to present to the world an image of India in which everything is new and progressive, are seeking to sweep the poor out of sight – an undertaking that has already involved tearing down some slums and putting in place a plan to hide others from view by erecting bamboo screens. In a country where hundreds of millions of people struggle to survive, activists argue, such a policy is not only dishonest but immoral.

At times, it can feel as though there is no escape from beggars in India's biggest cities. Dirty, outstretched hands reach from beneath bundles of rags that locate themselves outside restaurants and tourist sites; in crowded markets, beggars missing limbs lurch forward on crutches; at major intersections, small, stunted children push their faces to the windows of the waiting traffic. They raise their hand to their mouth, showing their need to eat. Give me 10 rupees.

Begging is nothing new and in India there is an established tradition of alms-giving to the poor and needy, particularly at temples, a practice that not only benefits the recipient but – at least according to Hindu beliefs – also the giver.

But experts say that the problem has been exacerbated by soaring urban migration as increasing numbers of people leave poor rural parts of the country in search of better wages and a chance of securing a slice of the "shining India" that the authorities wish to showcase during the Games.

Indeed, a study carried out on Delhi's beggars found that only 5 per cent of them originally came from the city. Almost half were migrants from the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the latter being the state from which Pholphata and her friend said they had come to Delhi in search of work. The survey also found that a third of all beggars suffered some sort of disability while 30 per cent were below the age of 18.

In India there is no national law against begging. Instead, the authorities in Delhi have relied on an extension of the 1959 Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, legislation which prohibits all manner of acts of soliciting, including "the exposing or exhibiting with the object of obtaining or exhorting alms, any sore, wound, injury, deformity or disease, whether of a human or an animal".

Mr Gupta, the magistrate, does not look entirely comfortable sitting inside the mini-bus from where he will have to enforce this Victorian-sounding legislation. There is no air-conditioning inside the vehicle, just a small fan, and we are just weeks away from the onset of summer when temperatures could soar to 45C.

He explains that police visit likely begging spots with a member of the government's department of social welfare who will use a small digital camera to video anyone suspected of begging. "[Footage] is considered substantial evidence," says the magistrate. "I have to decide whether there is sufficient evidence."

The court's welfare officer, Joji John, reveals the footage he has taken of Pholphata, her children and her friend in a metro station. It seems pretty obvious the women are asking for money, but Pholphata is adamant they are not beggars. She says they arrived less than a week ago from Patna where they scratched a living removing dangerous bee hives and collecting the honey. She says they had been told they could find work here. "We have never been picked up before," insists Pholphata. "I only came here three or four days ago. My husband is still in the village. He is disabled."

Campaigners say the authorities' actions have made it a crime for people like Pholphata to be poor. Paramjeet Kaur, the director of Ashray Adhikar Abhiyan, an organisation funded by ActionAid which works for the homeless, said the process of rounding people up underlined the failure to deliver appropriate welfare programmes.

"First of all we need to identify who these people are. They are mainly people who have migrated in economic distress. They have come in search of livelihoods," she said. "[Because of the Commonwealth Games] people are being rounded up and convicted by the law. But this is not the way to be. People should not be treated as eyesores."

Yet officials insist their efforts to deal with begging are not punitive. Manoj Kumar, the head of the social welfare department, said if a beggar is a first-time offender they will most likely be released. However, repeat offenders can be sentenced to spend up to three years in one of a dozen beggars' jails.

"It's not just detention. They get food, clothes and also vocational education. Many are handicapped but we find a job they can do," he added.

Fifteen miles north of Delhi, where the sprawling, run-down shanties finally fall away and are replaced by farmland, lies the village of Lumpur. It is the location of one of a dozen prisons to which the city's convicted beggars are sent. (Officials say that of the 2,500 beggars rounded up annually, around one third are convicted and jailed.)

Uttam Singh, who lost a leg many years ago to cancer and now walks with crutches, was brought to the prison last summer. He said he had a job at a tea stand outside a hospital in Delhi but that he had been grabbed by the police. When he told them he was not a beggar, he said, they refused to listen. "If you are sleeping in the road or just standing about you get picked up," said the 49-year-old, originally from Patna.

Stories like Mr Singh's were not hard to find among the melancholy and disturbed inmates of the prison, where the men – many suffering from physical disabilities or mental health issues – sat around listlessly in a large courtyard. Ram Bahadur said he had come to Delhi from a village near Kathmandu in Nepal to look for his brother. He said he had been receiving a free meal at a temple when the police grabbed him. He too said that when he protested, he was ignored. "Nobody knows I am here," he said in a soft voice.

Officials say that anyone who is not a repeat offender can be released if their family or else a charity will vouch for them, yet the inmates said it required the payment of a fee of 8,000 (£116) to 10,000 rupees. Two years ago, Raaj Mangal Prasad, an activist, exposed widespread corruption within children's homes and beggars prisons operated by the social welfare department with vast sums of money being siphoned off.

Even the official on duty at the home said he believed some of the inmates had been unfairly detained. However, there appeared to be no appeal process.

For Pholphata and her friend, there is no need for an appeal. Mr Gupta, the magistrate, listens to them and takes note of their promises never to beg again. The money they had collected – a total of about £2 – is returned to them and he watches as they ink their thumbs and make their mark in his register.

"I am letting them go on humanitarian grounds," he declares.

The women gather their things and quickly hurry away.

The struggle for survival: Vagrants in India

627,688 2001 census estimate of beggars in India.

58,500 Estimated number of beggars who take to the streets of Delhi every day.

95 per cent Proportion of Delhi's beggars who come from outside the city.

30 per cent Proportion of the city's beggars who are younger than 18.

2,500 Beggars rounded up annually in Delhi. A third of them are jailed.

4 Number of beggars in a survey found to be post-graduates supplementing their income by begging at weekends. Another five were graduates.

£116 Claimed fee for the release of an inmate from one of Delhi's 12 beggars' prisons.

Rs50 Lower estimate of typical daily income, about 72p. A few make up to Rs500.

Australia happy with India security

Australia on Tuesday said it was satisfied with Indian security arrangements for the ongoing World Cup hockey tournament and the Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held in New Delhi in October.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith kicked off his three-day trip to India with an inspection of the main stadium for the October 3-14 Commonwealth event which has been dogged by concern over possible militant attacks.

Australia is very pleased with the cooperation and coordination about security in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games, the foreign minister told reporters.

Of course, we have been very pleased with security arrangements both for the hockey World Cup and also recently for the Commonwealth Federation shooting competition, Smith added.

Host India has deployed thousands of security personnel for the 12-nation two-week hockey tournament which began Sunday in New Delhi.

Concern was fuelled by a bomb blast last month in the western city of Pune that killed 15 people and an alleged warning by an Islamist group to athletes competing in India.

Smith said he would meet his Indian counterpart SM Krishna and other officials to get up-to-date information on security for the Commonwealth Games, India's biggest multi-sports event since 1982.

Smith also addressed recent tensions caused by a series of attacks on Indians in Australia, dubbed curry bashings, that have led to strains between New Delhi and Canberra.

India to feature at Marist 7s

During its Fiji leg, Indian ruggers will participate in the Marist 7s -- largest Rugby tournament in Fiji.

As part of their preparation for Commonwealth Games, the Indian Rugby Team leaves Tuesday night for Fiji and New Zealand to acquire more in-depth knowledge about the game and identify their strength and weakness.

During their three-week trip, the 23-member contingent will meet the former champions and legends of the game, visit the state-of-the-art gymnasium, world class pitches and fitness professionals and compete in few practice matches against respective national teams.

"This trip is very important keeping Commonwealth Games in mind. We will be up against some of the best playing teams ," Indian Rugby team captain Naseer Hussain said.

"All know, Fiji and New Zealand are two top Rugby playing nations and to visit them and get hang of their sporting culture is nothing less than a dream come true.

"It's an opportunity to learn the nuances of the game from the best in the industry. You will come across your strengths and weaknesses. Actually, you will learn what the game is all about," Hussain added.

Earlier, Team India was also scheduled to visit Hong Kong as part of their tour to play few practice matches with the National Rugby 7s team, but it was dropped from the list keeping in mind the travelling and cost involved.

"We have now decided to extend our stay in New Zealand and play some more practice matches there," Naseer said.

During its Fiji leg, Indian ruggers will participate in the Marist 7s -- largest Rugby tournament in Fiji.

The team will compete with the best in the world like New Zealand and Australia among others.

"Marist 7s is undoubtedly the best tournament in Fiji. You will be up against those teams who are finest in the world. It's a unique opportunity to get up-close and personal with some of the top Rugby 7s teams in the world," Nasser said.

The New Zealand leg of the tour will expose the team to world class Rugby training, fitness and diet schedules, and discovering new cultures.

At Palmerstom North, the team will attend Rugby 7s clinic run by Ex-All Blacks player Murray Euxted.

For over 10 days, the team will stay at Massey University, where they will have access to the gymnasium, world class pitches and fitness professionals.

"We will get a life time opportunity to interact with the All Time Champions - All Blacks. We will meet champions like Grant Fox (considered a true pioneer of the modern art of goal kicking), Christian Cullen (one of most popular full back player), Karl Te Nana and Craig Digoldy (part of the gold medal winning team at Commonwealth Rugby 7s)," Naseer said.

"This trip is all about what knowledge we gain? What qualities we inherit? More such trips are needed in future if you want good show at Commonwealth Games."

Prembadi bridge to be 8-laned

Union Minister Kapil Sibal and Delhi Public Works Department Minister Rajkumar Chauhan on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for work to widen the road at Prembadi railway over-bridge from six lanes at present to eight lanes.

To cost around Rs.13 crore, the project is scheduled to be completed before the upcoming Commonwealth Games in October.

The project is aimed at facilitating to and fro movement between Rohini, Shalimar Bagh and Inter-State Bus Terminus at Kashmere Gate.

Mr. Sibal said the Commonwealth Games would usher in a sea-change in Delhi as the city prepares to showcase its world-class infrastructure related to roads during the sporting event. “We are confident that the visitors would be able to carry a good impression about Delhi, which is known as a city of flyovers,” he said, adding that the Delhi Government had undertaken a comprehensive exercise for modernisation of streetlights, increasing greenery and landscaping to spruce up the city.

The Minister said a beautification drive was also on to make the areas under the flyovers more attractive.

Mr. Chauhan said the road widening project would facilitate movement of vehicles from Rohini to ISBT and vice-versa. He asserted that all Games-related projects would be completed within the stipulated time.

The programme was also attended by Wazirpur MLA Harishankar Gupta and PWD Engineer-in-Chief Rakesh Mishra.

Commonwealth Games preparations on track

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has given his tick of approval to India's preparations for this year's Commonwealth Games.

There have been serious doubts about New Delhi's ability to be ready for the games in October but on a three-day visit to the city, Mr Smith has inspected the main facilities and is confident they will be ready in time.

The Foreign Minister says he will also receive a briefing on security from Indian officials during the trip.

"As I'm here for the next couple of days I will have conversations with my counterpart and officials to receive up-to-date advice on the security coordination as far as the games are concerned," he said.

Mr Smith will also work to repair the damage to Australia's reputation following a series of attacks on Indian students.

Look before you walk at India Gate

In the run up to the Commonwealth Games in October, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is beautifying streets and pavements in areas under its jurisdiction, including India Gate.

At India Gate, it is supposed to take care of the footpaths around the C-Hexagon.

A quick ground check, however, reveals the area does not have proper walking facilities.

India Gate attracts a large number of visitors, mainly foreign tourists and school children, all through the year who prefer to walk around the area.

As part of the improvised design, a small strip of land for shrubs divides the footpath and the road in the area.

However, absence of planning has led to situations wherein a huge indicator board comes in way of a pedestrian or a manhole is left open literally next to the footpath.

At places like a particular spot on Dr Zakir Hussain Marg, an outlet for storm water is broken on a newly done footpath. At many places, red stone tiles are broken on the side verge and not properly fixed.

Work has been going on for weeks now and work on a majority of the stretches seem to have been completed.

However, while walking on these footpaths, one notices the bad finishing and the half-hearted ways in which the work is being carried out.

Firoz Bakht Ahmed, a heritage lover and an activist who takes the India Gate C Hexagon route daily to reach his school on Barakhamba Road, felt upset about the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities.

“(the authorities) seem to gear up for an international event for some 10-15 days (the Commonwealth Games 2010) but have no consideration for Delhiites, who have been living here and would continue to live here even after Games.”

NDMC chief engineer Ramesh Raina defended himself. “Work for footpath is still going on. It is not complete yet. All these problems will not remain when work completes.”

Joyful Barbados welcomes Queen's Baton 2010 Delhi and Shera

Queen's Baton 2010 Delhi received warm welcome from the joyful Barbados with classic Caribbean fervor. His Excellency Sir Clifford Husbands, Governor General of Barbados joined the relay in with Students of St. Cyprian’s Boys School in the capital Bridgetown. His Excellency Mr. K.J. S. Sodhi – High Commissioner to India – based in Surinam, Mr. Erskine Simmons – Secretary General Barbados Olympic Association Inc. and Mr. Cameron Burke – Asst. Secretary General Barbados Olympic Association Inc. were also present.

Renowned personalities like Solomon Dixon, Ryan Archer, Cliff Gooding-Edghill and Anton Norris – Received the Baton from the children. Cyclists carried the Baton for approximately a kilometer in the famous streets of Bridgetown. Shera, the Games mascot joined the baton and entertained the crowd. Shera, as always, spread the message of Delhi 2010 in the Caribbean nation with his amusing skills.

Para-Olympics athletes of Barbados also participated in the relay. The baton then visited the gallery of prominent athletes of Barbados in the Olympic Centre. Later in the evening, the baton attended a dinner hosted by the Resident Indian official Dr Harris.

“As far as disfigured side verges are considered, we have to constantly replace the broken joints. These are damaged often by vehicles,” Raina added.