Snake charmers will need to reconvert  

Indian snake charmers are finding themselves out of work and playing their flutes at weddings and festivals after pressure from animal rights groups called for a ban of their original activity.

The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 prohibits hunting or keeping snakes, but was widely ignored by the charmers who used to make a living out of attracting tourists in states such as Rajasthan.

However, growing environmental awareness has forced the authorities to monitor more closely those who hunt and use snakes to make a living, including men who use music to make them dance for money.

Most of the time, the charmers live in run-down areas on the outskirts of cities, where generations have learned to master this ancient art. At the best of times, snake charming is not a profitable profession and the hunting ban has made it even more difficult.

Snake charmers are now hardly earning half of what they used to earn before the ban was enforced. Many are going to the larger cities and most of their children do not want to take up this kind of profession.

Some snake-charmers travel to the U.K. and the Middle East to put on special wedding or birthday party shows. Other charmers have are also now working at animal centres and forestry offices, educating visitors about their reptiles, which appear in Hindu texts and are widely worshipped. Lord Shiva, a major deity, is often depicted with a snake around his neck.

Most charmers use cobras, one of India's endangered reptiles. The earliest Indian snake charmers were healers who learned the art of treating snakebites and were called on to remove snakes from homes. The practice blossomed in the 20th century as it was promoted as a practice to draw tourists.

Many Indians have been living with snakes for generations. They have provided them with food and they are considered a very important element of their lives. Some even think of them to be their protectors.

It would be interesting to hear from the myLot community, mostly from those who live in India, what their take on this is. An ancient tradition and a way to earn a living have been taken away in the name of so-called "environmental protection" and I find it personally quite sad.

Any comments?