Disability, Biopolitics and the State: A Study of Beggars in Guwahati During the Pandemic Times

Attitudes towards disability have not been the same across cultures and places, and it is often viewed as an individual predicament rather than a social issue. According to Goodley (2011), “Disabled people have been hated, made exotic, pitied, patronised and ignored. Disability also evokes admiration, curiosity, fascination and sympathy.” People with disabilities are most often disadvantaged in the employment sector, many remain unemployed throughout their life and suffer from extreme penury. According to Beresford (1996), “the relationship between poverty and disability is close, complex and multi-faceted.” We find many disabled people out on the streets, on railway platforms, outside businesses, religious establishments, etc., in search of alms, whose only source of livelihood is begging. But during an unprecedented situation such as a complete closedown or lockdown, their livelihood suffers the most making them a vulnerable lot. We have observed that persons with disability have been disproportionately affected by economic as well as related health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Within this context, we propose to examine different issues affecting the disabled people of the economically weaker section, especially during the recent COVID-19-induced lockdown. The article will be based on empirical data collected from the field, the city of Guwahati—the capital city of Assam and the gateway of northeast India. Guwahati is chosen for our study as this is where people from different walks of life come from other parts of the region for better opportunities. This city can be considered the closest sample that would match most cities in India because of its variegated population. Research questions addressed in this chapter are: How difficult was it for the disabled persons of the segment to make both ends meet during the lockdown? With a contagious disease on the loose across the globe, how was their health, both physical and mental, at stake? Whether state agencies have made any efforts to assist those more vulnerable, or is the approach to them one of systemic institutional exclusion? What is the role of NGOs in protecting the rights and dignity of these disabled people?