NEW DELHI, INDIA, February 19, 2009: Contrary to romantic tales, in India there are fewer charmers than one might imagine. Government legislation dating back almost 35 years gives police the right to apprehend anyone using a wild animal for such entertainment purposes. The charmers that do operate in tourist centers and large cities, live a largely furtive existence, earning a few coins out of passers-by.
But now the snake-charmers are fighting back. A newly created union for the men and their snakes has been established to demand that the legislation banning them from their “birth right” be overturned and that alternative employment for the snake charmers be provided. In a sign of strength, around 5,000 snake charmers from the Indian state of West Bengal this week took to the streets of Calcutta demanding action and claiming that their generations-old profession is on the brink of death. Many were carrying their snakes with them as they marched.