Scales Of Injustice

It’s a story about snakes and leaders. About reptile rights against thesnake-charmer’s right to livelihood. About wild animals versus people who live offthem. About a conflict in which the dice seems to be loaded against both.

The setting is Molarband, a small village of snake- charmers, Jogis by caste, on theoutskirts of the capital. A recent crackdown by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty toAnimals ( SPCA ) here, has the 450- odd house- holds in the village petrified. Withrecollec- tions of the raids and the chalaan receipts still fresh, the sight of a strangersends villagers here scurrying to ‘hide’ their snakes. And in a moment, over10,000 captive snakes that are reportedly in the villagers’ possession find place increvices and closets indiscernible to alien eyes. Then, the Molarband children who havebeen ordered to keep a lookout for "sarkari spies disguised as well- wishers",take over. They lead curious outsiders to weary village elders who swear that the villagehas got rid of all its snakes.

But prod a little and the screen is shed. Bitterness spills out. Emphasis is laid onthe fact that overzealous animal activism may soon succeed in snatching away the source ofJogi subsistence. Depriving their children of food and the country of a 1,000- year-oldart form. "Already, business has come to a halt. Tamashas now could meanlosing our animals. We’ve reconciled to live off debts till, hopefully, the heat diesdown.... What if our families remain hungry? Animal lovers with large kothis (houses)and pets have ensured that vipers won’t suffer, right?" ask the acerbicvillagers.

They curse Heads and Tails, the programme by animal rights activist and MPManeka Gandhi which in July had telecast a story on atrocities committed by saperas (snakecharmers) on snakes, for inspiring the sudden raids by the SPCA . "After all,she’s the Society’s chairperson as well. But why blame only Maneka? In the newscheme of things, animals are more important than poor people," says village elderChotu Ram Nath, summing up the issue sourly.

Perhaps, too simplistically. So, the debate snakes its way to the other side of thefence. To find itself in the law books where the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, saysit’s illegal to capture snakes. Then, finding voices that verbalise the sufferings ofa mute animal that is hounded out from its home in the wild and stuffed in a small basketto be exhibited in life and skinned after death.

Albeit by men who don’t have any other skill to earn for survival? "Povertyis no excuse for inflicting such cruelty. Next you’ll justify theft because the thiefis poor. Apart from that, however, it is possible to use an animal without abusing it. Andthat is not what these snake charmers are doing," states a matter- of- fact AmbikaShukla, Maneka Gandhi’s sister and production- controller of Heads and Tails .Maintaining that exploitation of animals cannot be tolerated in the name of artistictradition, she exclaims: "Aren’t dowry and child marriage traditions? Sometraditions are bad and ought to be done away with. You can’t stop progress and stopusing a car because the tonga is a traditional mode of travel!"

Her programme accuses snake- charmers of using their ‘criminal knowledge’ to‘exploit’ snakes. It has hard- hitting shots of heaps of snake skin for sale anda Molarband sapera confessing to removing viper poison pouches and selling theirvenom as drug— a milligram of cobra venom costing Rs 1,000 and krait venom as much asRs 3,000.

Not surprisingly, the Jogis vehemently deny the sound byte. "The man who spokeabout drugs and snake skin sale by us on television must’ve been druggedhimself," dismisses Rajbeer, a young snake- charmer. While old Somvati categoricallystates that Jogis are snake worshippers not snake killers. In an emotionally chargeddefence of her community, she points out that the snake in a Jogi family is given a dietof milk and meat even if the children are starving. "We bathe the naagraj (snake)three times in the summers. We care for it. Most importantly, we catch and keep it onlyfor three to six months and then let it return to its wild home," she says.

Claims that are countered by many animal welfare activists. But more significantly,claims that are born out of the sheer dependence of the Jogis on snakes for their liveli-hood. "Sure we should be for animal rights. But why this environmental elitism. Whypick on snake- charmers alone? What of the cavalry? Why don’t you wince each time abull is castrated before he ploughs the field?" argues Rajiv Sethi, convener ofSarthi, an NGO working for artists and artisans, "It’s an age- old art,let’s not kill this skill."

Environmentalist Dr Iqbal Malik recalls her amazement at the discovery of the sheerknowledge of the saperas about snake movements and behaviour while she worked withthem on a project Of Hoods and Charmers . These skills, she observes, would bebeneficial if snake- charmers were rehabilitated and employed in zoos and laboratories.

Camellia Satija of Delhi- based NGO Kindness to Animals and Respect for Environment (KARE ) goes a step further. She suggests that the Wildlife Ministry ought to levy a tax torehabilitate all those who work with animals — snakes, monkeys and bears. Sheemphasises the futility of alienating people to protect animals and environment. Inagreement, Rita Kaul of Freindicoes, an NGO working for animal welfare, says: "In allman- animal relations cruelty is inherent. So, if we pin down a specific community forbeing particularly harsh, then we must find a corrective. And it must be more than apunitive measure. The Government must get into a more positive role."

But the Government seems slitheringly slow. Enquiries in the various departments in theMinistry of Environment and Forests saw official after official denying knowledge of theMolarband raids. Neither the Animal Welfare Cell nor Wildlife Preservation Directoratefelt they had any authority to speak on the matter. "Please write that the Wild-lifeMinistry should tackle the issue," requests K. Raghavan, superintendent SPCA ,"After all, we can only fine upto Rs 50, they have so many more powers. They couldmake so much difference."

But even a Rs 50 chalaan could mean a day without food for a Jogi family. Or,ironically, food for its snakes. It’s one of those predicaments with which man andanimal will have to exist. And learn to coexist.