In a story of catastrophic negligence and apathy that sent ripples across the city, 12 people died in a matter of 14 hours at the Beggars’ Rehabilition Centre on Magadi road on Monday. The causalities had fallen severely ill after they were served lunch on Independence Day. What compounded their misery was that they were left unattended, even as their suffering intensified.
Inmates at the beggar's colony
Recognising the immediacy and inhumanity of the incident, Fr Ambrose Pinto, the Principal of St Josephs Arts and Science College, convened a meeting to facilitate action on the issue. Representatives from the NGOs of Sangrama, SICHREM , Global Concern India, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Indian Social Institution and Centre for Social Concern from St Josephs College were present at the meeting. A few volunteers of NSS and students from MSW and Mass Comm were also in attendance.
The condition of the inmates
has been deplorable
A plan was chalked out to approach the situation. A commission consisting of NGO members and students was sent out to investigate the story. The living conditions prevalent in the Beggars’ colony, the process of admission and removal of the inmates, the health care and sanitation facilities that the inmates have to grapple with are just a few of the issues the commission will be confronting.
Fr Pinto said, “We need to approach the whole case as agnostics. We do not believe anything that we have heard about the incidents in Beggars’ Colony, but we would like to find out ourselves what actually has been happening there.”
The purpose of the meeting was to elicit a response and mobilise action from members of civil society against the atrocities that unfolded over the course of the last two days.
Reflecting on the need to gather public support on the issue, Mr Kiran, from the MSW Department said, “Every human being has a basic fundamental dignity to life. Violation of that right must be confronted. We cannot allow the perpetrators to live in a camouflage of denial.”
A candle-light vigil was held on Friday at Town Hall in protest of the incident.
- Parinitha Shinde, Maria Laveena, I M S Com
- Pics by James Prashanth Lobo, I M S Com
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