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Afghanistan/South Asia
Enviromental Standards Mess Up an Economic Institution
2004-02-09
EFL - It was bad when enviromentalists made use of DDT illegal, allowing malaria to discend on the continent of Africa again. Now they are messing with the entertainment industry.
A dowry in this sleepy corner of Gujarat often used to consist of a couple of snakes. But not any more. Such a gift in the famous snake-charming village of Vadinagar, close to the town of Bhachau, could ensure a family’s livelihood. But that was before authorities started to enforce more strictly the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Over the past few years, the snake-charming community has suffered serious economic hardship.
You hear that PETA? You are causing hardship.
Most of the charmers now work as day labourers. Some of the more elderly have grown their hair long and have dressed as ascetics to beg for food.
They're thinking of forming a band. They practice in the village garage on Wednesday nights...
Karsan Nath is the head snake-charmer. He belongs to the Nath community that hails from Jodhpur in Rajasthan but which has been in Gujarat for nine generations. "Our sole vocation used to be catching snakes and displaying them in public," he says.
Well itsa living it was a living.
"This was accompanied by various other acts of juggling. But particularly in the past decade, the government has become strict and we have lost our livelihood." Though he has forbidden his community from catching snakes, Mr Nath himself still owns a black King Cobra - just in case he is asked to prove his skills once more. He can also hypnotise his audience into believing he has converted their rupee notes into other denominations.
What about the climbing rope thing that Haji used to do on Jonny Quest.
Mr Nath still likes to dress up as the chief of his community.
One of the Village People used to like to do that also.
But that was just to impress the boyz down at the YMCA. This is different...
But as his cobra hisses at his side he laments: "It is difficult for me to even feed my snake. I have to feed it with milk and eggs on alternate days and I can barely afford it." ... Still, the elders rue the fact that they are not able to pass on the skills of catching snakes, extracting their poison and making them perform to the tune of a pipe.
It's great that the locals can not get back to exterminating the cobras for safety sake.
Posted by:Super Hose

#1  Some of the more elderly have grown their hair long and have dressed as ascetics to beg for food.

Sounds like a gathering of the Dean crowd.
Posted by: lil dhimmi(JC)   2004-2-9 1:18:58 PM  

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