The word ‘invisible’, as per Merriam-Webster dictionary, means “something incapable by nature of being seen: not perceptible by vision.” Those things which cannot be seen by one’s visionary sense are invisible things. While wandering on the streets, there are an enormous number of invisible ‘things’ that one can see, but neglects to see. Yes, it is a paradoxical statement. The word ‘things’, which is used in the previous sentence, means human beings, who are alive. They breathe, they talk, they walk- most of them-, they have complete five senses; but, they are disregarded. The readers might have gotten a bit confused at what is being said, but let me clear your haziness; THOSE people that I have been implying towards are the poor and homeless sapiens. People, all over the world, see dozens of beggars and homeless people in their daily routine and most of them opt to overlook. It is hard to deny that there are beggar mafias who have made groups and divided areas for begging. They earn a handsome lively hood. But, they are looters, in fact. What I have been gesturing towards are people who are really deserving of the help. They do not roam the streets just for fun or out of effrontery, but they are compelled by their social constraints and financial restrictions to do so. I have seen tons of such people when I go out.
Back in 2019, when I was a newbie in my university, pursuing a bachelorette in English Linguistics and Literature, I was surfing Youtube for animal videos- I wanted to like different pages that had been working against animal cruelty and base an article on such topic. Out of the blue came a video before me where there was an old man being interviewed by someone. The outlook of that man was dilapidated and miserable. Without wasting a second, I opened the video where I further got the information that that man was a homeless individual who had been abandoned by his family and had been living on the streets for almost 17 years. The name of the channel was ‘Invisible People’. I dived into the realm of research to enquire about the video and the channel; it became lucid to me that the channel was being run by a very kind-hearted person who helped homeless people of the New York City by conducting fundraisers and live feeds on Youtube. Believe me, this very experience of watching that video and seeing the misery of homeless people shook me to the core. I had had my heart melted over the condition of those who had been living on the streets. I liked that page and watched all the videos posted up until then. There are few outcomes that I am going to jot down.
Emotional annihilation of such people- homeless and impoverished- is something that occurs on a minute-to-minute basis every day. They are overlooked and treated as if they do not exist. They are forsaken like something invisible. Their abandonment leads to the shattering of their emotions. This predicament leads them to use drugs out of frustration and desertion. On one side, they are left behind by their families and loved ones, while on the other; everyone they meet misbehaves with them.
After that comes the issue of health of this class. They suffer from serious diseases while they are on the streets. These woebegone souls are far from a healthy lifestyle. They even do not have money to buy food for themselves, so how can they afford to keep care of their health. Yesterday I read a news on the Dawn English that Pakistan’s short-term inflation hit a record-time high rate of 47 percent. It is not just Pakistan but the whole globe. You will see scores of homeless people who have been suffering from illnesses that can be treated by a proper diet or over-the-counter medicine, but these basic necessities are luxuries to them that they cannot stand to pay for.
The issue of their hygiene is worthy of attention. Such people do not have access, oftenly, to bathrooms. They are barred from entering the buildings or offices. They are not allowed in restaurants where they could have a shower. The such treatment further exacerbates their mental state. Restricted access to laundry is another problem related to their hygienic issue.
This homeless class faces a whopping volley of verbal abuse coming their way. I have noticed time and time again that people do not notice them; when they do notice them, they abuse them and depreciate their self-respect. If someone is not able to spare a penny or two, he should not abuse such people. Such behavior at the side of society aggravates their already-distorted condition. One can go on for hours to write the dilemmas of the invisible people of our society; however, it is time to discuss a few of the solutions, or in other words, a panacea (A Latin word meaning- a solution for all the problems).
The government of a state must act in the favor of the impoverished class. There must be a reasonable chunk of funds in the treasury devoted only to the betterment of these people. The role of the people of a society is crucial; every person, on an individual level, should take measures to help these aggrieved sapiens. There is a trend of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that have improved conditions over the past few years. However, more endeavors are required to accomplish the goal of eradication of homelessness. The United Nations (UN) has setup its NGOs in different countries to defy this problem, but this initiative is eclipsed by a number of factors, being impediments to development. For instance, in Afghanistan, the Talibans have relegated and demotivated the efforts of the UN by curbing them from helping the homeless people. As I have mentioned this problem is not exclusive to any specific country, but is global.
In the end, it is the duty of every individual to help such people. The help cannot only be in the form of money but also in the form of good behavior. We should make them realize that they exist and that they are part of this society.
About the Author
The author is a CSS aspirant and holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Linguistics. Having two major publications (research papers) in HEC-recognized journals on the bachelorette level under his name, his articles have been published on the Reader’s Corner blog site and in the Express Tribune newspaper. He can be reached at kashif.wa32@gmail.com
