Nagpanchmi

[Guest guest]

Charming No More for Snakes!

 

PAWS – Plant & Animals Welfare Society - the young & active group of

Animal Lovers based in Thane Dist. doing raids on this Nagpanchmi Festival

on 23.07.2006 along with THANE SPCA.

 

Every year hundreds of snakes are captured before a month of Nagpanchmi &

Mahashivratri festival by the charmers basically arrived from UP, MP &

Bihar states. They catch the snakes bring them in basket & show the Lord

Shiva Devotees to collect money.

 

The charming in not for snakes, as they have to pay for their lives. The

charmers keep them hungry & thirsty for month so that they can drink the

milk offered by the devotees. NO SNAKE CAN DRINK OR DIGEST MILK. This

leads to the pus formation in the mouth of the snakes. Almost all the

time they vomit the milk offered to them. The charmers broke their

Venomous fangs & teeth. The situation become worse when the charmers are

removing the Poison glands. These snakes can’t be released back into wild,

as they cannot hunt. These captured snakes passes stools, urine inside the

round basket & gets many infections like skin disease. The Turmeric powder

put by the devotees makes them blind. In Sand Boa snake – the charmers

make the hole in the tail of the snake and put hole by hot wire or match

and pour wax in hole to show the devotes that the snake has two heads.

Many time snakes mouth was stitched in such a way they cannot even breathe

properly.

 

The Charmers make at least 1000 bucks in a day by doing cruelty on these

mute creatures. Snake are the part of Nature Cycle. They control the rat

& mice population in control. One rat produces at least 60 more rats in a

year. So the snake plays a important role.

 

After the festival is over the snakes are almost dead. Those snakes were

again sold to the leather makers to make wallets, Strap, Watch belts &

belts, Purse.

 

Under Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972, keeping, hunting, breeding,

keeping in custody & selling skins & body parts is a offence & punished

for jail of fine or both.

 

Since 1998, PAWS volunteers raids those snake charmers in Thane & Mumbai’s

suburbs with the help of local wildlife dept. & helps the snakes. Now the

general awareness is so much that the people calls to PAWS office if they

see any snake charmers. In Thane generally Koupineshwar Temple, Khidkali

Shiv Temple, Dombivli Shiv-Temple & Ambernath Shiv-Temple attracts more

devotees. PAWS volunteers go there.

 

Past years PAWS helped more then 100 snakes that are captive. Now the

after working 7 years, the rate of charming is reduced to 1%.

If you see any Snake Charmer in Mumbai then Please call below numbers:-

 

Anuradha Ramaswamy – 9869376238

Nilesh Bhanage - 9820161114

Vishal Kantharia - 9861566127