MAHARASHTRA BJP MLA Parag Shah, one of the State’s richest Legislators, recently swapped his security detail, cars and expensive possessions for a beggar’s attire and spent a day seeking alms on the streets of Ghatkopar in Mumbai, an experience he said offered him a glimpse of the “reality of life”. A video of the MLA from Ghatkopar (East), dressed as a beggar, has gone viral on social media, initially leaving many viewers surprised before the reason behind his unusual act emerged.

 

Shah, a successful businessman, undertook the exercise on the advice of his Jain spiritual guru Namramuni during the ongoing special month, a period considered significant in Jain religious tradition. Following his guru’s suggestion, the lawmaker kept away his security arrangements, vehicles and expensive belongings, underwent makeup so that people would not recognise him and spent several hours on the streets in the guise of a beggar. “All the respect and honour, the people who line up to meet you -- the same people, when I go to them, become taller than me. So, that is the reality of life,” Shah maintained while recounting his experience.