Begging is an offence in Tamil Nadu under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Begging Act, 1945, which allows for the arrest of beggars, rehabilitation in special homes, and penalties for repeat offenses. Despite this, the state faces challenges with a significant number of beggars, including children and women, often linked to organized begging rackets.
Key aspects of the situation include:
Legal Framework: The 1945 Act defines begging to include soliciting alms in public, using children or animals to beg, or exposing injuries to get money.
Child Begging & Trafficking: There has been a rise in the use of women and children for begging, often by traffickers. A 2018 study indicated that 12% of surveyed children in Chennai were kidnapped or sold into begging.
Rescue Efforts: Police and, child welfare committees regularly rescue children from traffic junctions and public places, especially in cities like Chennai and Coimbatore.
Rehabilitation Challenges: While the government aims to rehabilitate, studies show a lack of functional government-run homes, with some, like the Melpakkam center, being in dilapidated conditions.
Public Involvement: The DGP has encouraged the public to report child begging to authorities.
Note: The Supreme Court in 2021 dismissed a petition to ban begging, describing it as a socio-economic problem that should be solved through rehabilitation rather than criminalization.