Snake Charmers Profession illegal

In 1991 an international law banned the activity of Snake Charmer. But in India still lots of people are engaged in this job. Recently 1,000 Indian snake charmers staged a rally in protest against a law that made their profession illegal.

Playing their distinctive flutes, they marched in Calcutta, demanding the right to perform with live snakes.

Snake charmers say the ban threatens the survival of their way of life. Animal rights groups say it should be kept to curb the abuse of snakes.

Raktim Das, the head of India's snake charmers federation, said the government should make the traditional performance legal again.

He also said serum farms should be set up across India where snake charmers could sell venom for medical use.

"We are being consistently harassed by the police for keeping snakes, which are snatched away without paying us compensation," Mr Das said.