Urban eyes

According to Census 2011, India has 413,670 beggars and vagrants. Many of them are homeless and, therefore, fall outside of the government's welfare umbrella

Around my home and on my way to work and back, every day I come across some people who I no longer register. Let me begin by introducing them.

In the morning, when taking my dog for a walk, I see a boy of about 14 who walks around lethargically with a bulky, dirty bag on his shoulder. In it he collects discarded bottles, pieces of metal, polythene bags and other stuff of value. I have seen him for a few years now, always with a handkerchief that he keeps sniffing at. It is smeared with some kind of cheap drug,