Srinagar- As the holy month of Ramazan descends upon Kashmir, the spirit of charity fills the air. Streets and localities bustle with a noticeable increase in people seeking donations for various causes. Some carry receipt books advocating for orphanages, while others announce fundraising efforts for religious institutions, or those battling chronic illnesses.
Individuals appealing to people’s emotions and religious sentiments, from vehicles fitted with public address systems have become a common way to collect money.
Residents express concerns about verifying the legitimacy of these requests, wanting to ensure their generosity reaches those who truly need it. This concern is further amplified by the movement of donation seekers across districts. Individuals from south and north Kashmir travel to central Kashmir districts including Srinagar, while those from central Kashmir travel to the north and southern parts of the valley to gather money for orphanages and religious seminaries.
“As soon as the predawn (Fajr) prayers conclude, people begin knocking on our doors begging for money, citing chronic renal insufficiency, an orphanage, or a religious seminary,” Syed Shabir, a resident of Srinagar told Kashmir Observer.
“While some donation seekers are genuine, others may not be. They collect thousands of rupees claiming to help the sick and destitute, but who verifies their credibility?”
Highlighting the lack of official regulations for soliciting donations, locals questioned if the administration even acknowledges the illegality of such practices.
A businessman from the old city’s Alikadal area, Muhammad Sultan Baba claimed that one cannot turn them down as they don’t leave until they are paid the amount of their choice. “But is there anybody in the administration to stop them or check their credentials as to who these people actually are,” he said.
Aijaz Ahmad, a resident of Nigeen said that he has become concerned over the number of people who were still not checking the background of charitable campaigns. “Earlier today, people swayed into emotions when they learnt about the situation of a little girl from a certain hamlet, who is battling for her life since both of her kidneys have stopped working and require expensive treatment at a certain hospital. However, nobody tried to find out if the story is factual. We don’t even bother to call the number shown on the receipt book,” he said.
“Presenting medical prescriptions or carrying receipt books does not exclude someone from being a fraudster,” he added, arguing that the threat needs to be recognized by the government before it manifests as a crime.
When approached, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Dr Bilal Mohi-ud-Din Bhat, he declined to comment on the issue. However, a top district administration official claimed that there are no hard and soft rules when it comes to soliciting donations from people.
Rouf Ilahi, Chairman of the Athwas Group of Humanity, blamed the public for unfairly rewarding those whose credentials are not known, claiming that these individuals are exploiting the ones who are truly in need.
“How could we pay someone blindly, not knowing whether it’s a legitimate party or we are just wasting money that we could utilize to help those in need? Since it is the responsibility of the administration and police to investigate the matter, we cannot target any specific person or group. All we can ask is that individuals should abstain from donating to strangers,” Ilahi told Kashmir Observer.
Acknowledging that the issue has gotten worse over the years, the police administration vowed to step up vigilance during Ramazan. They proclaimed plans to send out police teams to double check the credentials of anyone requesting donations from the public.
Mubashir Hussain, the Superintendent of Police (SP) for East Srinagar, said that he will alert his subordinates to look into whether someone requesting contributions is legitimate or just trying to con people during this holy month of Ramadan.
Emphasizing similar actions, Superintendent of Police (SP) South Srinagar, Shabir Khan, said that anyone found soliciting donations outside of the city’s mosques or shrines will be subject to a thorough investigation.
“There is a genuine reason for raising an alarm, and we should all exercise equal caution and attention. Certainly, we will send out teams to make sure that anyone found soliciting money outside mosques, shrines, or on the streets is duly vetted,” SP South told Kashmir Observer.
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