Rs 4,000 crore BJP MLA begged on Mumbai streets for 4 hours, got Rs 84 – here’s what he learned

He said some people ignored or scolded him, while others helped without knowing his identity. He said the experience taught him that compassion without any expectation is a form of lasting wealth.

New Delhi: Maharashtra BJP MLA Parag Shah, who owns assets worth around Rs 4,000 crore, spent four hours begging on the streets of Mumbai to experience life from the perspective of an ordinary person. During this period, people gave him a total of Rs 84.

Later describing the experience, he said it taught him lessons about human behaviour, humility and the way people judge others. He said the idea came from his Jain spiritual teacher, Shri Namramuni Maharaj, who advised him to become a beggar for a day.

The MLA followed the advice and went out without revealing his identity. He visited a railway station and sat there among other people seeking help. Shah said the experience made him understand that a person’s identity is not defined by wealth, caste, religion or social position.

“I begged on the streets of Mumbai for four hours, and people gave me a total of Rs 84,” he said.

What happened during the experiment

Shah said he left his home and went to a railway station, where he sat and asked people for help. He recalled that police officers watched him with suspicion during the exercise.

He also recalled an interaction with a woman who gave him some items used in the kitchen. Shah said he handed those items to a police officer. Later in the evening, he returned to collect the same items as Parag Shah.

“I went from home and sat at the railway station. During this time, the police were looking at me with suspicion. A woman gave me some items used in the kitchen. I handed them over to a police officer. Later in the evening, I went to collect the same items as Parag Shah,” he said.

The MLA described the experience as a personal lesson that helped him understand how people respond to someone who appears to have no money or social standing.

‘Some people ignored me, others helped’

The BJP legislator said people reacted in different ways when he asked them for money. Some people scolded him, some ignored him and others offered help without asking who he was.

“Some people scolded me. Some ignored me. Some extended a helping hand without knowing anything about me,” he said.

He added the experience showed him that the respect a person receives because of money, position and reputation does not last forever. In his view, the respect earned through humanity and concern for others is a more lasting form of wealth.

Shah said people often judge others by their financial status, position and reputation. He added the fast pace of daily life can make people forget the basic value of being human.

“We forget what it really means to be human in our busy lives. We often understand people according to their wealth, position and reputation,” he said.

Praise for Mumbai residents

Shah also praised the people of Mumbai for helping him during the exercise. He said several of them offered assistance without knowing anything about his background.

“Mumbaikars won my heart. Many people came forward to help me. Some people helped without knowing who the person asking for help was,” he said.

According to Shah, this kind of help shows genuine humanity because it comes without personal gain or expectations. He said the experience showed him that Mumbai is known not only for dreams and opportunities but also for its compassion.

“True humanity is when someone helps without any selfish interest and without expecting anything in return,” he said.

The MLA said the experience would stay with him for the rest of his life. He added spending time as a beggar gave him an opportunity to understand how people treat others when they know nothing about their wealth, identity or social position.

Shah said the four-hour exercise gave him a different understanding of how people treat those who ask for help. He said a person’s worth cannot be measured only through money, power or status.

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