Beggars descend in Mumbai to make a fortune in festivity

Abdul Mannan, a labourer from Malda district in West Bengal, who has been regularly coming here for the last sevenyears, returned home after becoming richer by Rs 50,000.

Mannan, who works as a farm labourer in his hometown, has three grown-up daughters and now looks forward to meeting the expenses for two of his daughters8217; marriage planned for the year-end.

8220;I didn8217;t have to spend a single penny, as most of the devout used to offer eatables during the 8216;sheri8217; opening of fast early morning and during 8216;Iftaar8217; breaking the fast in the evening,8221; Mannan said.

During the month, he stayed with one of his villagers who has settled in the metropolis.

Devout Muslims, during Ramzan, make donations 8216;zakaat8217; from their earnings to the poor and needy, Sayed Zafar, a Muslim social activist, said.

8220;Under the Muslim law, every Muslim has to pay 8216;zakat8217; of 2.5 per cent of their total earnings in a year.

Possessing gold and silver beyond a certain weight is also covered under 8216;zakat8217;,8221; Jafar said.

Mannan said his family or his village folks do not know that he earns by begging during the holy month.

However, unlike Mannan, some of the beggars are still staying back in the hope of earning more during the upcoming festivals like 8216;Dusshera8217; and Diwali, Hajira Begum, who came from Hyderabad, said.