Living Status of Child Beggars in the Major Traffic Signals of Chennai City, Tamil Nadu

Abstract

The well-being of the Children is the primary objective of the development goal of India. The population of children Begging in the Major Traffic signals of Chennai City in Tamil Nadu has been on increase. The Socio-Economic and Health vulnerability of the begging children in the Major Traffic signals is highlighted in this study. At the age of schooling involved in such activities for their survival. Female Children are the most Vulnerable bearing the economic burden of the family. They speak Telugu and Hindi find reluctant to choose a medium of education of their choice which is not also freely available to these children. As they are migrated from different states, do not confine to proper census housing unit, hence unable to access free education in the State of Tamil Nadu. Due to lack of education, awareness and ignorance these children are subject to many problems such as abuse of any kind, exploitation affects their health in long term. Those children live in road side tent either with parents or with guardian . Parents are the main forces behind their begging. Most of the respondents have medium family size of 4 persons. They move to the begging field as a group carrying their siblings in hand. Children are addicted to narcotics such as Pan, Beetle, kanga, and alcohol and unhealthy, and drug abusers. Female child beggars with no education of age between Six to Ten years are the breadwinners of their families, and shoulder the economic burden of their parents. Health status is bad they are not a future asset but a liability of the state, creating a sad state in the post-pandemic era. Health is a primary concern of the state which again has an impact on the government in the form of more allocation for health care in this vulnerable section.