More than 30 years after they were banned in India, snake charmers are rearing their heads. Tired of operating in secret, they have not only come out in the open, but are determined to perpetuate the tradition inherited over generations through their children.

It was in this air of defiance that first-ever Snake Charmers’ Panchayat was held recently at the 700-year-old Charkhi Dadri temple in Haryana, barely an hour’s drive from Delhi. Amidst the sounding of temple bells, about 10,000 snake charmers, in flowing kurtas and coloured turbans, participated in the conference.

But belligerence was writ large. "This is what my forefathers practised and this is what my sons will practise," declared Sheesh Nath, a 55-year-old delegate from Bhiwandi. "Let us see who can stop us. Ours is a profession that has been passed down through 15 generations over a thousand years".

"This hostility towards us is unexplainable," Baba Thade Shri pointed out. "Doesn’t Lord Shiva have snakes coiled around his neck? Didn’t Vasuki (the King of Serpents) protect Lord Krishna at his birth? The entire universe rests on the hood of Vasuki Raja!"

These references to Hindu mythology are for effect as all snake charmers swear by Baba Gulabgir, their patron saint. Countless legends about his "miraculous powers" have been woven around him and it was at the temple dedicated to his name at Charkhi Dadri that the snake charmers’ conference was held.

"Babaji was a reincarnation of Nag Devata," informed Mohinder Pal, a snake charmer from Bhiwandi. "He took the human form to stop people from killing snakes out of fear. He taught them to love snakes and keep them as their protectors. It is that legacy we have inherited and are carrying forward."

Significantly, before the Indian Wildlife Act came into force in 1972, snake charmers had a field day and were even promoted by the government during fairs and festivals and at historical sites, mainly as tourist attractions. Many were sent on overseas tours under cultural exchange programmes. Besides, some leading hospitals in the country sourced their supplies of snake venom from these humble been players.

During the late sixties, they suddenly found themselves falling from favour when snakes were declared an endangered species and their count began dropping due to rapid urbanisation. The blame, however, fell on snake charmers, who were accused of torturing the reptiles, defanging them, force-feeding them on milk and skinning them for profit.

"The end of snake charming is much more than a loss of work or means of livelihood," said Thade Shri. "It is a loss of tradition. It is a loss of knowledge of the ways of the forest, of medicinal plants and herbs, of cures which modern medicine cannot provide."

Oddly enough, this is another aspect that has alienated the snake charmers. To this day, in villages, they are treated, not as entertainers, but at par with witch doctors, exorcists and practitioners of black magic. Many believe them to be in possession of magical potions that can bring back the dead to life!

"People believe we have supernatural powers, but that is all rubbish," said Sheesh Nath. "Such rumours are spread out of fear and ignorance. The very fact that we handle these reptiles, which they are frightened of, makes us subjects of fear. Actually there is nothing to be afraid of snakes. Most of them are harmless."

Mohinder Pal, however, feels that there is some truth in the public perception about them. "I have heard stories of our forefathers who could hypnotise snakes and cast spells on people," he explained. "They had supernatural powers, but they did not harm people. On the contrary, they used to roam the jungles and pick up medicinal plants and herbs. They were more like medicine men."

For all the belligerence and display of unity at the Charkhi Dadri meet, the government is not altogether hostile towards snake charmers. A recent study by the Wildlife Trust of India revealed that more than 40 per cent of them have turned to alternative professions. Others make ends meet by playing their musical instruments at weddings and religious ceremonies.

Steps are now being taken to rehabilitate snake charmers in special villages in and around tourist centres. Promoting their music is another option being explored by the government. The idea is clearly to protect the interests of snake charmers, without harming the snakes. It is a tough call, as both are now endangered! — MF

HOME