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Indian Beggar Saves 200 Pounds of Coins, Opens Bank Account
Thursday, 10th July 2008 (by J.D.)This article is about News, Retirement
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Richard from Richer and Better just sent me an amazing story from Calcutta (Kolkata), India. Sixty-year-old Laxmi Das began begging on a street corner in 1964, when she was only sixteen years old. Crippled by polio, she’s spent her life begging for change. But she didn’t spend it all. She saved what she could. In buckets. From the article:
“I saved for the days when I cannot beg,” she told the BBC. “I knew one day I would grow old and have diseases, so I was prudent and saved for my pension.” Now the fruits of her labour from a busy traffic intersection in north Calcutta have been realised.
“She can be projected as a role model to encourage people to begin saving,” said TK Haldar, manager of the Central Bank of India’s Maniktola branch. “Her efforts show that you can save even if you earn a pittance.”
Das deposited over 200 pounds (91kg) of coins, which officials believe will amount to around 30,000 rupees ($692). I tried to figure out how much money that is compared to Das’ cost of living, but I don’t have the skills to find out. I suspect the answer is “not very much”, even for 44 years of saving, and even for a beggar. (30,000 rupees would get you a decent apartment for a year, from what I can tell.)
The good news is the bank is helping Das. They’ve established a bank account in her name where other people can donate money. (I’ve been unable to find info on how to contribute, though I intend to continue searching.) The bad news is, they’ve told Das that she qualifies for a credit card.
Regardless, I find this story inspiring: “I saved for the days when I cannot beg.” Indeed!
[BBC News: Indian beggar gets bank account and India beggar amasses coin fortune, photo copyright BBC News]
41 Responses to “Indian Beggar Saves 200 Pounds of Coins, Opens Bank Account”
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July 10th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Wow! That’s an impressive effort. From memory, 30K rupees is not all that much and is probably further exacerbated by inflation running amok
July 10th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
An even better idea would have been working.
July 10th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Gee, Mike, kind of hard on the polio-crippled, aren’t you?
JD, if you find out how to contribute, please share with the rest of us.
July 10th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Yes because a poor uneducated woman crippled by polio in India, a country with no welfare system that I am aware of, has so many career opportunities open to her.
I say good on her, it would be interesting to know what sort of percentage of her daily income she saved. I wonder if it was the 10% so many people seem to recommend saving.
July 10th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
With her cost of living she can probably get by atleast 2 years with 30000.
July 10th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
As a former inhabitant of Kolkata, her story is not all that unusual. Beggars with large amounts of change, small bills hidden on their persons and mattresses make news on occasion.
In this case, I would say the most striking aspect is that the police confiscated her cash and then helped her open the account. Kolkata police are regrettably not well known for their honesty and this was a refreshing change from the usual stories of abuse of power that we read about.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/archives/archive.html
Link to a local newspaper who may be able to provide you with info on how to help her.
You can also just call the branch and ask. Usually they are friendly:
011-91-33-23504698 if calling from US.
Or email: Bmkoln0106@Centralbank.Co.In
Only issue is that the bank may not be able to receive foreign exchange directly if the sender is not a citizen or person of Indian origin. A three-week delay to cash a foreign check is normal. But I am sure someone there can answer questions.
July 10th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Nice, Mike. Real nice.
Here in America, we forget how good we have it (forgive the poor grammar!) We truly are blessed. People in other parts of the world have it MUCH harder than we can even imagine.
July 10th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Mike Bahr … that is about the most obnoxious sentiment I’ve seen in a long time. She actually was working. Not too judgmental are you? (idiot)
July 10th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Yes, that is an amazing effort.
However, I find it unfair how while “they’ve established a bank account in her name where other people can donate money”, other beggars in India aren’t fortunate enough to receive this much attention.
Especially the younger people, who are better able to make a difference.
July 10th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
The story is inspiring, definitely in the new Indian world, where they more want to live like Western world without realizing the problems of Western world.
[\Quote]30,000 rupees would get you a decent apartment for a year, from what I can tell.[Quote]
Even if she manages to get herself a street-side hut in that amount, I would be surprised. Indian properties are one of the most expensive in the world. Somebody can buy a villa in the US but won’t be able to buy an apartment in decent area of the major Indian cities. Its today’s (different) India, not completely, what Western media has been portraying since ages.
July 10th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I agree with Mike…the pan handlers seem to have a pretty good work ethic. I mean, I see the same ones every day and they are right on top of me when given just a little window of opportunity. They also have incredible tenacity for the doors slammed in their faces. With just a little training, these folks might have a shot in sales. And you know they would work like banshees to earn a buck…
July 10th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
I think that many of us have no idea what it’s like to live in another culture. Americans do not understand what it’s like to be a poor Indian woman with polio. (Of course, this goes the other way, too: a poor Indian woman with polio has no idea what it’s like to deal with American pressures.)
I guess what I’m saying is: I’m not willing to condemn Das — not even a little — because I don’t know what her life is like. The closest I’ve come to knowing it is from the film Born Into Brothels, about the children in Calcutta’s “red light” district. (I highly recommend this film.)
Instead, I’m inclined to accept her situation at face value. If she believed that begging was her only option, I’ll accept that because I have no conception of what her life is like and what other options might be available to her.
And based on that, I admire what she’s done. I admire it a lot.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
I was moved by this story, thanks for sharing it J.D. You are correct, we (Americans) don’t realize just how lucky we have it. It’s hard to condemn someone who resorted to begging when polio likely crippled her beyond the ability to earn a living. I’m sure she had to beg to purchase food and other basic life necessities. And to think she still managed to save money…incredible!
July 10th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Kevin - According to Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank, tens of thousands of house to house beggars in Bangladesh didn’t even need training in order to be successful at sales, just a microloan and the suggestion.
http://www.digitalnpq.org/archive/2008_spring/28_yunus.html
July 10th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
“Its better to give than to receive” as they say. But I hope the government could help this beggar even better by giving her opportunities where she earn money her self rather than begging. Hhmmm..maybe teach her a little lesson about blogging and earn cash from it*laughs*. But seriously, I’d rather teach people how to catch fish than give them the fish!
What do you think guys? I hope I don’t sound so mean to her.
July 10th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Such an inspiring story, sadly, there are many other cases like her that are not being provided the care needed.
July 10th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Well said in the comment, JD. I’m a radical capitalist, but … she had polio. Not much of a chance for a job there, usually speaking.
July 10th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Given her attitude I reckon she would have been working if she had no polio and had been given the opportunity to go to school. Maybe if her cradle had been in the US she would now be a successful a businesswomen. Please turn the story around. All those folks with creditbills in the US would most probably not have been able to do as well as Das should they have been born a poliocrippled woman in Calcutta!!
July 11th, 2008 at 3:52 am
Crazy. This should embarrass every person in the US to think twice before they say “I don’t make enough to save.”
July 11th, 2008 at 3:54 am
I agree with JD and others … I can’t condemn this woman. The fact that she has saved says a lot about her.
J.D.–You are one of the stars/models in a post today at http://www.skelliewag.org about learning how to blog well! I agree with everything that has been written about the excellence of your blog and your writing skills. Congrats!
July 11th, 2008 at 7:10 am
I am an American that has had the privilege of learning about the Indian culture while doing humanitarian work in India. As for Mr. Mike Bahr I hesitate to call you an A**hole because you are obviously speaking out of ignorance of the Indian culture. This woman is considered an second class citizen and because of the dowery system still in place in India her family would have abandoned her when she hit marrying age. No man, even another crippled man, would ever marry such a vile woman. Her job options are none because she would have been considered a plague to any employer or building she was in, for her culture her ‘place’ was begging on the street! Mike, my first reaction was to be angry but obviously you have led a very sheltered affluent life devoid of any knowledge of the world outside of your sheltered existence…so we will chalk your comment up to ignorance and move on!!
July 11th, 2008 at 7:11 am
Indeed, how on earth could one condemn this woman at all? Not only is the fact that she saved this much astounding, but the fact that she was ABLE to save this amount over such a long period of time. In her situation, the financial services we enjoy (savings accounts, credit, mortgages) simply do not exist. At all. She’s wonderfully lucky that no one (thief) or nothing (natural disaster) swept away all that hard work in an instance. Moreover, credit offered to an individual in a situation like hers is a far, far different issue from the overindebted credit issues plagueing the US. It can be a very positive option for her.
This powerful example is also a sad one and begs at least one hope for the future–that the Indian gov’t would loosen regulations and support microfinance opportunities (including credit access, savings opportunities, etc) that could possibly help this woman and the millions of others who represent the “Bottom of the Pyramid.”
What readers of this blog may find interesting is that investment in microfinance opportunities is now–albeit slowly–becoming an option for those of us here. One day you could perhaps get a decent return for your investment in an institution that actually makes this woman’s life better. For more info, see ACCION, MicroPlace, etc…just Google around about “financial inclusion.”
July 11th, 2008 at 7:17 am
I imagine $692 dollars will last her for a long time.
Beggars in India generally don’t have apartments; they live on the streets. Assuming she maintains her standard of living after she retires, she really only needs to pay for food and medicine. And $692 will get you a lot of food and medicine in India.
July 11th, 2008 at 7:28 am
I also was so moved and inspired by this story that I wrote about it on my blog two days ago. I told you that we were on the same wavelength J. D.
I found it profoundly depressing that this woman had to beg for a living but absolutely amazing that she was able save while doing this! She did this by being frugal with her money. This just goes to show you that anyone can save if they put their mind to it. I think a lot of people could learn from someone as resourceful as this.
July 11th, 2008 at 7:43 am
I wonder how many of the “street kids” in Portland are saving for their future?
Me thinks there is a large difference between begging in the third-world and being an able-bodied young adult choosing a life on the streets in a city teeming with jobs. Not saying there aren’t some who need assistance to get back into the work-force and bridge the gap, but I’m guessing that’s not the case with a large percentage you see walking the downtown corridor on any given day in the City of Roses.
Even the poorest of the poor in America are still way above what most of the rest of the world experiences. While the social pressures may not exist as strongly “over-there”, that is still little excuse for not taking responsibility and fighting to save while making a living and taking care of yourself. Get the help that’s offered, move forward. Don’t sit around and complain that the man is holding you down…even if they are, you still have it great compared to most others…
Sorry to rant off in that direction, but when I hear about what some have to deal with in other countries, and juxtapose that with the whining here, it makes me want to help people to see how great they have it.
Of course, education is necessary and as I said before, there are those who need a helping hand to bridge the gap back to self-sufficiency…b/c of disease, abuse, etc.
And furthermore…I still go out of my way to offer food to ANYONE who asks…money though…not so often.
July 11th, 2008 at 8:01 am
I think most people are getting caught up in the details of this story. The important part is that she saved for herself. She was strong enough despite her many setbacks to save money. She could’ve given up but she didn’t. She knew that she needed to take care of herself because no one else would. Props to her.
July 11th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Would someone in the UK have to beg if they had polio? I doubt it, as we have a welfare state that would provide disability benefit and housing benefit. Without these however, I’m sure that someone in her situation in the UK would be forced into begging.
What gets me is the drunks and drug adicts who take to the streets in the UK, whingeing about how bad they’ve had it. It’s their choice to live on the streets and scrounge, this lady in India has no choice - there is no benefits system in India like we have in the UK, so hats off to her for struggling through a 44 year career of begging, and saving enough to retire.
July 11th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Don’t project your guilt onto me, people. I have hired people with far worse disabilities who performed excellently. Even in the subcontinent, there are options she is ignoring or unaware of. Worst of all would be that she did not earn any interest on her savings because she stashed it all. This woman did almost every conceivable thing “wrong,” based on the principles discussed here at grs, but all your hearts melt for her because she has - sniff - Polio!!! Well, keep playing that violin. That’s her bread and butter, eliciting that guilt from passers-by. To hercredit, she did do well controlling her spending, so I can respect that.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Mike I see your point. India is the fastest growing country in the world. They are a driving force behind the higher energy prices you all complain about on a daily basis. Opportunity is abundant there, even for someone who is handicapped, and had her efforts gone towards finding viable employment instead of standing on a corner she would have much more than $600. If India is so scarce on opportunity then how did people have money to give to her? Claiming that she saved for the day she could no longer beg just rubbed me the wrong way. I understand the need to help those less fortunate but only when those people are doing what they can to help themselves…
July 11th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Mike I see your point. India is the fastest growing country in the world. They are the driving factors behind the higher energy prices you all complain about on a daily basis. Opportunity is abundant there, even for someone who is handicapped, and had her efforts gone towards finding viable employment instead of standing on a corner she would have much more than $600. If India is so scarce on opportunity then how did people have money to give to her? Claiming that she saved for the day she could no longer beg just rubbed me the wrong way. I understand the need to help those less fortunate but only when those people are doing what they can to help themselves…
July 11th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
chris, you said it better than I did. The saving I can laud, and she gets bonus points for not squandering “boon” gains. Ain’t no money disappears faster than money unearned and unexpected. As a donor, I’d feel good that she made those dollars/rupees last. I just have a hard time congratulating a career in, well, mooching. Polio is no impediment to answering a telephone, last I checked, and I am told there do exist employers in India requiring such labor.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
1. When she began begging forty (40) years ago, India was not a growing economy.
2. There is no shortage of labour, unqualified or otherwise, in India.
July 11th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Coming from an Indian, kids especially girls with handicap are most probably abandoned by poor parents in childhood. That 30k will last her for 5 years for just food. All the call center jobs are for school educated kids who can speak decent English. Mother tongue in Kolkata is Bengali, not English and it is hard for someone to learn English on their own. One thing that America has and India doesn’t is equal opportunity for everyone and the goverment/social net for people who are left behind. Don’t rush to judge.
Also, it would be great to read a story about how young Indians are handling their new found wealth instead of beggars and poverty in India. I am curious about if the consumerism has caught on in India or the young generation saves well like the previous generation.
July 11th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
@Mike - I think Andrew Howard’s post above was overly charitable. The fact that India’s economy is growing is irrelevant to someone in her position, given the culture; and Andrew summarized their culture well.
July 12th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Wendy said: “She actually was working.”
Sorry, Wendy. In order for her to be working, she’d have had to be receiving money in exchange for value, i.e. a service.
I’m not in Mike’s head, but I suspect his words were an instinctive reaction rooted in understandable cynicism, the polio notwithstanding.
Just to add some levity to the discussion: what *I* find obnoxious are the sanctimonious comments feigning restraint at calling Mike various childish expletives.
Let’s grow up, shall we?
The fact is, despite this woman’s situation within her society, all these beggars are not exactly saints because they are poor, and all you prigs here who are quick to salivate upon praising her are probably every bit as sheltered as you accuse Mike of being, not to mention every bit as biased, given the extreme leftist American society from which you all hail.
July 13th, 2008 at 8:10 am
Wow. The woman has polio and will never receive medical attention for it.
For those who have no idea what polio is like (since it’s been eradicated in the US):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polio
Think about how many times you’ve called in sick for a hangover or a sinus infection. Now imagine trying to work with *polio*.
I will also add, for those who are ignorant of cultural and political conditions in India, that beggars are often Untouchables. No one will hire her, even if she was of sound body. Not to mention, she has probably 0 years of schooling and is illiterate…
But I think it’s great that people who have never really had to overcome a *real* hardship (whether physical or cultural or whatever) find it so easy to pass judgement on others. It’s so attractive.
July 13th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
A lot of posters on this site seem to have no clue how hard it is for women-esp poor handicapped ones-to work-defined as provide a service for a living wage-in India. Im Indian. Theres a reason I live in the US-I can support myself as a single person here. Begging is a complex issue too-=it is a “profession” of sorts in India, and used to be-probably still is-highly organized. The rates are dropping as the indian economy is becoming more free market and less dirige, so you see far fewer beggars in Bangalore today, than, say, 35 years ago-but it is still tough, and toughest of all for women. It is simply not very easy for a poor non English speaking person with polio to support herself any other way. And because of the disability she is unmarriageable as well-and really, marriage (being supported by a man with a job) is still the only career open to most women in India.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:10 am
In my humble opinion you are all missing the point. This women despite whatever hardship life dealt her be it social standing, disease or ignorance took it upon HERSELF to save for HER future when things may not be so good.
How many of you lot are doing that?
Precious few are here in the UK. I suspect America is in much the same position
Typical of a bloody bank though offering her a credit card when she clearly doesn’t need one!
July 14th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Me for one. I have a rollover IRA, a Roth, a SEP, and a brokerage account, plus a 401 (k), barely any debt (what there is I am paying off), a paid off car thats good for another 10 years, plan to buy a house this fall, a well paying job, and I am single, so I HAVE to do it all myself. I learned the hard way-by making stupid mistakes like racking up debt because nobody here in the US or in the UK where I grew up-teaches kids about money. So please dont be so patronizing and please dont dismiss comments that might be educational. The fact is, the polio victim/beggar cannot properly BE evaluated outside her culture. I applaud her for doing what she did-ESPECIALLY being a woman. But you cannot just say-she should have got a job-India is very different from the US.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Sorry but I don’t see how I was patronizing or dismissing comments educational or otherwise.
Obviously I have not made it clear but what I was trying to say was in spite of every hardship she has faced in her 60 years she kept her eye on a future where she may not be able to earn anything.
The “hardships” we in the West face are not worthy of the name in my opinion.
You’re right about the UK’s total lack of financial education in schools and it is sad to see America is sadly lacking as well.
The problem lies in the desire of both countries governments to keep their populations in ignorance. Fortunately for them most people seem to be happy to be ignorant.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Am really astonished to read about the prudence and the forsight this lady born 60 years ago have had, which the generations X & Y lack across the globe.
Please dont confuse the idea of india being one of the fastest growing economy with its indeniable past of poverty & negligence. Growth in india has happened in past 15 years.I read some body stating something about picking up calls - who will she talk to? Indians? what service she could have provided? - Phone based voice support gained prominence among indian customers only in the past 8 years. In what language? And had capitalists expecting to churn out quick bucks looked at her 10 years ago, would they have taken pains to train her, leaving aside qualified young men & women? No way..In no way she would have been a compelling prospect fo decent value in short term/long term/medium term ( in a business man’s word) .Come on ya, you people tell me, will you? if you get one such option.
Also I read somebody saying it happens to poor disable people in india. But you must look why it happens its because of the high cost & non availability of medical support to downtrodden people. India is one of the most attractive places for medical tourism and has seen a lot of investment in this sector with full government backing. But the same governments have done nothing for indians in india.
These are sad truths you will have to digest being in a growing economy like india, confused between growth & sustainability, capitalism & communism, tranparency & arm-twisting.
Definitely the advanced nations would have had faced similar problems at one point in time or other. India today is in that stage where the advanced countries were, some 100 years ago ( in social & human resource development)
The country has been growing at varying pace in different levels of the society. Economic and social differences are widely prevelant but is getting effaced at a pace never thought of. For the most part, the abridgement of gap hasnt come through prudent policies of able governments & politicians, neither have the governments proactively enabled change. A case very different from developed world.
I respect diversity and diversity has its own challenges and it what that makes life interesting. Nobody can decide somebody’s future even if it is your son or daughter - the same arguement is extendable for civilisations as well… so lets dont jump into conclusions based on one single episode, based on one single piece from million samples…
we all must Jus take home - “she did that what we trying hard to teach ourselves, despite her ….”