Begging in India

Dave and I have a hard and fast rule when traveling. We never give money to beggars. We feel that it only contributes to a begging society and that giving money to people perpetuates the problem. If tourists keep giving people money just because they ask, how will they ever have the ambition to try to make a better life for themselves? However, how can a person not give to a man that is crawling on the ground because his legs are paralyzed, or give to an old man with a deformed foot limping through the streets? We didn’t give to either of these men when they asked and I regret my actions. I stuck to my rule, but felt that it was the wrong decision.