NEW DELHI – Amid rising poverty in the second-most populous country, an Indian beggar has gone digital asking people to pay him via a QR code placard which he dons around his neck along with a tablet.
The 40-year-old Raju Prasad is keeping up with the times after hearing excuses from daily commuters as people don’t carry change in their pockets nowadays – or even claim so to avoid such ‘thugs’.
The digital beggar from across the border is reportedly inspired by Indian PM Modi’s ‘Digital India Campaign’. Speaking with an Indian publication, he said that he never forgets to listen to the radio program of the BJP leader.
Sharing his latest mode of payment, Raju said digital payments are enough to fill his stomach. He also takes the credit of transforming the way of begging in this digital age.
Shedding light on the rationale behind the bizarre act, he said people often refused to give money as they did not carry cash in a smaller amount as people use pay-phones and other digital platforms.
“I opened a bank account, and an e-wallet to avoid everyday difficulties”, he told an Indian publication.
Raji also mentioned that the bank wanted his Aadhaar [unique twelve-digit numbers for identification purposes] and PAN card for opening the bank account, so he got himself a PAN made as well to set the ball rolling.
He opened an account in the main branch of the State Bank of India and got an e-wallet. The man-made headlines around the globe and is perhaps the lone beggar in the country to have gone digital.
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A similar story of beggars seeking alms through digital wallets was earlier reported from China, the closest country to being a cashless economy.
