Today on the occasion of Naag Panchami, various organisations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and PFA (People for Animal) are running awareness drives to urge people to report incidents of cruelty against snakes. In the capital, animal lovers are ready to take strict action against cruelty on snakes.
“Naag Panchami is held in honour of the Serpent God (naag devta), but snake charming makes a mockery of the festival because it means torturing these reptiles, not paying tribute to them. We are enlisting the public to show their compassion for these tormented animals by being snake guardians and reporting snake collectors and snake charmers to authorities,” says Sachin Bangera of PETA.
“During this festival snakes are captured and often confined to small bags. They are then starved after having their teeth violently yanked out and their mouths painfully sewn shut. Some snakes’ eyes are injured because the tika, which is applied to their hoods during puja, trickles into them. Thousands of snakes used in the festival die horrible deaths every year,” he informs.
In India, snakes are protected by the Wildlife Protection laws, and one caught catching, killing or exploiting them, can be jailed for five to seven years or fined, informs Ambika Shukla, trustee at PFA. She says,“Not many people know but usually snakes are forced to drink milk by the charmers, due to which they die an unnatural death. The poison sacs from snakes are removed, so even when they are let free after the festival they die very soon because this organ actually produces digestive enzymes in snakes.”
She adds, “People who feel that any kind of atrocity or cruelty is carried out on snakes in the name of performances or religion can report to our team at the 24x7 helpline number 9810054077. We have a team that takes immediate action with the help of police to rescue the animals.”