INDIA: Hundreds of snake charmers living on the outskirts of New Delhi poverty stricken as government bans their profession

Record ID: 1377196

  • Title: INDIA: Hundreds of snake charmers living on the outskirts of New Delhi poverty stricken as government bans their profession
  • Date: 28th April 2003
  • Summary: (L!3) NEW DELHI (APRIL 28, 2003) (ANI) GVs OF THE VILLAGE WHERE SNAKE CHARMERS LIVE BOARD OGAD NATH BABA, SNAKE CHARMER, ENCHANTING A SNAKE BY PLAYING FLUTE MORE OF OGAD NATH PLAYING FLUTE BOY PLAYING STRINGED INSTRUMENT SNAKE MORE OF SNAKE OGAD NATH PLAYING FLUTE (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) OGAD NATH BABA, SNAKE CHARMER AND HEAD OF THE SNAKE CHARMERS ASSOCIATION, SAYING: "Our business has come down as the government doesn't allow it. What else can we do? How do we earn, what do we eat and how do we survive? Even our children are sitting idle as they have no work. By this job we at least managed to make bare minimum, even that is not possible now." VARIOUS OF WOMAN PREPARING FOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) TUNGALNATH, ANOTHER SNAKE CHARMER, SAYING: "They have banned this profession and if we carry it out they arrest us. So many chicken, buffaloes and cows are slaughtered every day. The government is earning good money by keeping these animals in a zoo. But 5,000 to 7000 of our people are now unemployed. We used to take proper care of snakes, but the ban has taken away everything from us." SNAKE MOVING TO THE TUNES OF TUNGALNATH VARIOUS OF TUNGALNATH PLAYING FLUTE VARIOUS OF ONLOOKERS WATCHING TUNGALNATH
  • Embargoed: 6th July 2005 21:54
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW DELHI, INDIA
  • Country: India
  • Topics: People
  • Reuters ID: LVAEJ9XBX6OH7P4OEULCRRJ2WFFD
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Hundreds of snake charmers living on the outskirts of Indian capital New Delhi are poverty-ridden due to a government ban on their profession.
    For decades, snakes have been dancing to the tunes of eighty-year-old Ogad Nath Baba's flute in the Mollarbandh village on the outskirts of the Indian capital New Delhi.
    But a government ban and animal-rights activists are putting an end to his profession.
    Stark poverty now looms large over Nath and thousands like him across the country.
    "Our business has come down as the government doesn't allow it. What else can we do? How do we earn, what do we eat and how do we survive? Even our children are sitting idle as they have no work. By this job we at least managed to make bare minimum, even that is not possible now," Nath said.
    The Indian government banned the keeping of snakes as pets under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, which it has begun to implement.
    Tungalnath, another snake charmer, said the government was adopting double standards as animals in captivity were being exhibited in zoos.
    "They have banned this profession and if we carry it out they arrest us. So many chicken, buffaloes and cows are slaughtered every day. The government is earning good money by keeping these animals in a zoo. But 5,000 to 7000 of our people are now unemployed. We used to take proper care of snakes, but the ban has taken away everything from us,"
    Tungalnath said.
    Many believe snake charmers are an important part of the country's heritage and that their traditional knowledge should be preserved.
    Hindus regard snakes as symbols of divinity, but do not feed them after they are captured. They are usually given milk, which most experts believe snakes cannot drink.
    According to a World Wide Fund (WWF) survey on the occasion of Nagpanchami, or snake festival, some 70,000 snakes die from pneumonia, lung infection, sepsis and milk allergy every year.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register