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"But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth..." -- Mathew 6:3

I enjoy giving alms. I'm not foolish enough to believe I do it altruistically. I do it because it makes me feel good. But take a closer look at the picture. It appears to be one of abject pathos. Look more closely. Is this woman needy? She appears in good health and well fed. Her clothes are not tattered. She's wearing a gold necklace. The look is accompanied by a gesture of fingers at the mouth: "I'm hungry".

The child most likely has been borrowed and then drugged to sleep (opium), making him appear more helpless, hungry or ill. She's a professional beggar and tourists are easy prey at bus and train stations and on street corners. When I made the mistake of offering money, I was chided by locals. "These are bad people." This is not to say there are no needy souls in India - it's just that tourists rarely, if ever, see them. Alms-givers must be wary and discerning.