Being poor is being criminal

Rahim Ali: Ali, 28, truly reflects how the youth in our country is being forced to move out of his place to look for livelihood and then being criminalized. Class 12th pass, coming from a small village in West Bengal, Ali came to Mumbai about four years back in search of better employment.

Initially, he did odd jobs and survived, but later he found a regular job of maintaining accounts at a small restaurant. He also knows tailoring and left his restaurant job as he got employed with a tailor in Khar. He worked there for one year but then the tailor closed his shop and moved to Dubai. Since then, he started doing odd jobs, most regularly catering work and as a porter. He visited his family once in a year and regularly sent money back home.

He got arrested while he was sleeping outside a tea stall along with his friends. This is the place where they had been sleeping for long and the tea stall owner knew them well (in their free time, these people use to sit there and chat). At the time of arrest, he requested the police to speak to the stall owner and verify that all those people were working people and not beggars. But he,along with all others, was pushed into the van. On their repeated confrontations, they were told that they’ll be released in the morning. That never happened.

The Probation Officer gave them the option of getting bail but they didn’t have the required amount of money and there was nobody who could help them.

That was the period when Koshish was applying for special releases through the probation officer.
We visited the tea-stall owner and verified whatever he had told the project team. On the basis of a report submitted by Koshish, he was finally released.

Since his release Koshish is in touch with him. He has even visited Beggar’s Home once to meet the social workers. He has started working again,
But he is not sure if he’ll not be picked up again.Also, we are unsure if he’ll ever be able to come out of the pain that those 14 days brought to his existence.
Such incidents make me think if we really are free? Aren't we still bonded,governed by rules and laws that criminalize poor for just being poor.What kind of society we want to be?
I feel ashamed when i think of myself as part of a system where humiliation and suppression of hard working youth is supported by state law.