THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Begging around religious places has become the latest fad in Kerala, finds a pilot study conducted by the Kerala State Social Security Mission (KSSM). The study was done in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode cities and suburbs in May this year. The study notes that the number of beggars increases during festival season and the investigators could find 45 beggars in and around Beema Palli on 'Uroos' day. ''They use religious places, where they are safe, as a shield for their activities. People give alms as part of religious ceremony and not after any disability assessment,'' the study lists the reasons for the trend. Another interesting finding is about the change in the dress code of beggars. ''Shabby and torn clothes have given way to normal dress. We can recognise them only if they are engaged in begging,'' notes the study. The study was done among a sample of 95 individuals taken from different locations in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode. ''There are some positive findings too like the dwindling number of beggars and a considerable reduction of forced begging. Also, the number of beggars from other states has come down significantly due to the vigilance by the Railway Protection Force,'' said R Ashok, executive director of KSSM. In the next phase, the KSSM plans to do a detailed study of beggars across the state.
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