I shot him in the daytime at Bandra Slaughter House slums , he limps from lane to lane begging for alms ..and people are more generous in the slums they offer him food , money and are happy that he blesses them.
Mostly in rich neighborhoods hardly anyone cares for beggars , most people see beggars as nuisance if they give a few coins it mostly to get rid of them..
Whats his name , where does he stay , how did he become a beggar ,, well all that does not matter Mumbai folks have no time for all this and in more ways than one the average Mumbai resident lacks compassion..and with his looks body language you know he is a Muslim beggar , he is the lowest of the low the Untouchable among Muslims ,, Is he a Sunni or a Shia ,, does not matter ..you know he is not a Bohra or a Wahabbi .. he is simply a Muslim beggar .
Is he a drinker , drugaddict , quite possible as you see most of them begging at street corners ..with a Muslim skull cap..
I hope someone does a thesis on beggars , the different kinds of beggars the different kinds of begging.. the only time our politicians become beggars is when they come with folded hands for our precious votes , pat our children s head , but you will never see one of them give a chocolate bar to our child ,, that fake pretentious smile , the armed bodyguards and the few chamchas of the politicians that live in our area..After they win the elections than its time for the people who voted for the politician to become beggars ,, Mr Politician lives round the corner , but you cant meet him , you are driven away by his driver his point men and his cops ,, and this is Indians politics ,, in alignment with beggary ,,Is there a beggar mafia yes .. everyone knows it but fuck who cares ,, a huge business in supply and demand and the cripple lame blind little kids a part of this flourishing business .
And so with my mobile phone in hand I shoot beggars ,show you that part of citylife you will never see or bother to shoot ,,and there are beggars all over India .. at every railway station , at every temple mosque church and religious shrines ..
I mostly prefer to remain silent on my beggar pictures unless God lends me a poem , but how long can I remain silent ,, I know almost all the beggars in Bandra ..and its not just because I shoot them but the ones I know I ask about them sometimes give them money for medicines food etc ..
And very soon most of the hardcore beggars will change gears and will travel without tickets to the Land of Hope For Beggars Ajmer Sharif... if I reach Ajmer it is always a miracle as I too am waiting for Acche Din and 15 lacs in my bank account ,, but if I get it one day it will go to pay off my home loan..
