Community Empowerment by Dr. SBM Prasanna, Dr. K Puttaraju, Dr.MS Mahadevaswamy (books under 200 pages TXT) 📕

The earliest evidence for snake charming comes from Ancient Egyptian sources. Charmers there mainly acted as magicians and healers. As literate and high status men part of their studies involved learning the various types of snake, the gods to whom they were sacred and how to handle the animals and charm them for their patrons.

One of the earliest records of snake charming appears in the bible in psalm. The wicked turn aside from birth learns go astray as soon as they are born. Their venom is like that of a snake, like a deaf serpent that does not respond to the magicians or to a skilled snake charmer.

Snake charming as it exists today probably originated in India. Hinduism has long held serpents to be sacred the animals are related to the nagas, and many gods are pictured under the protection of the cobra, Indians thus considered snake charmers to be holy men who were influenced by the gods.

The Earliest snake charmers were likely traditional healers by trade. As part of their training, they learned to treat snake bites. Many also learned proper snake handling techniques and people called on them to remove serpents from their homes. Baba Gulabgir (or Gulbgarnath) became their guru, since his legend states that tough people to revere the reptiles not fear them the practice eventually spread to nearby regions ultimately reaching North Africa and South east Asia.

Today, only about one million snake charmers remain in India. Theirs is a dying profession. One reason for this is the rise of cable television, Nature documentaries have extinguished much of fear and revulsion once felt toward the animals and thus demystified the snake charmer. In addition many people have less spare time than they once did, especially children who in previous decades could watch a charmer all day with no commitments to school. Animal rights groups have also made the impact by decrying what they deem to be the abuse of a number of endangered species.

India passed the wildlife protection act in 1972. The law originally aimed at preventing the export of snake skins, introducing a seven-year prison term for keeping or selling of the creatures. Beginning in the late 1990’s however animal- rights groups convinced the government to enforce the law with regard to snake charmers as well. As a result the charmers were forced to shift their performances to less travelled areas such as small villages or else to pay hefty bribes when caught by police. The trade is hardly a profitable one anymore and many practitioners must supplement their income by begging, or working as casual labourers. Children of snake charmers increasingly decide to leave the profession to pursue higher-paying work, and many fathers do not try to make them reconsider. People often view snake charmers as little more than beggars these days.

The Indian Government and various animals–rights groups have now acknowledged the problem. One suggestion is to train the performers to be snake caretakers and educators. In return, they could sell their traditional medicines as souvenirs. Another proposal would try to focus attention on the snake charmer’s music; the charmer would be like other street musicians. The Indian Government has also begin allowing a limited number of snake charmers to perform at specified tourists places.

Historically snake charmers were belonged to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes of Hindu religion. Later they were converted to Islamic religion. They were believed to be the offspring’s of Raj put-father and Muslim mother. Now their identity is in sayyiad sect of Muslim religion, who are recognized them as sapera Muslims community, but they can have the opportunity to identify themselves as Madari tribe.

Sapera community was a backward community following the occupation of snake charming for many generations. They were found in the state of Bihar. They are also known as mastan and ustad .Based on their traditional occupation they are nomadic groups found in the north India. They speak urdu language. They are divided in to two groups the Iraqi and Irani. Both these groups are strictly Endogamous and there is no intermarriage between them. They remain as an extremely marginalized group suffering from poverty.

CHALLENGES FACING BY SNAKE CHARMERS:

At present scenario this snake charming occupation is a dying out profession. They are going to face too many challenges to continue their occupation like

People in cities today no longer seem so interested to watch us entice the snakes. They lead busy lives and don’t have the time or the inclination to watch performing cobras.

In Rural areas snake charmers can still attract large crowds, but that is mostly during festivals which are not held on a regular basis is also a problem.

The so-called snake charmers, most are illiterate or barely educated and it’s a generally a hereditary profession.

Another reason for this is the rise of cable television, Nature documentaries have extinguished much of fear and revulsion once felt toward the animals and thus demystified the snake charmer. Before the advent of Discovery channel and National Geographic channel, People could be hood winked by all sorts of concocted stories. Now it is hard to do. People have started learning so much about snakes and that it is not possible to fool people. Snakes are not as bad as they have been depicted by snake charmers.

Besides wildlife protection laws, another factor is also helping to drive their occupation to oblivion the growing market of nature oriented television programs in India.

India passed the wildlife protection act in 1972. The law originally aimed at preventing the export of snake skins, introducing a seven-year prison term for keeping or selling of the creatures.

After the enforcement of this law the trade is hardly a profitable one anymore and many practitioners must supplement their income by begging, or working as casual labourers.

Having these kind of challenges to carry out their occupation which seems to be very difficult and they are facing problems like low social status, lack of education, lack of awareness about the public greviences,occupational insecurity, occupational threatening ill-treating women, political disabilities & etc..

Suggestions: To face challenges and to solve out their problems some suggestions are given

Proper awareness and support should be provided for snake charmers to solve their problems by government, Resource persons, publics & etc.

Proper education should be provided by the government and it should be reach the people.

More and more educational camps should be conducted by government to attract the people of this community and to encourage them for joining to schools.

Status of women should be reform/improved

Awareness should be create to choose other occupations with this.

Training should be provided for them to do other occupations which can also do at their homes.

Their standard of living should be reform.

Conclusion

For each and every man in the society in one or the other way they are facing problems. In the contemporary Indian society they are facing many challenges and responses are because of their occupation. proper support and awareness should be provided for them then only they can get out or they can solve their problems as well each and every one should support them and ill treatment should be controlled and eradicate , & all their conditions should be reformed and then only they can lead problem less life.

Notes: This research paper is based on secondary sources about the snake charmers

References:

Jamie James (2007): The snake charmer : A life and death in pursuit of knowledge, Hyperion Books, Newyork

Alastair Lawson (2003): BBC correspondent, snake charmers facing difficulties throughout the world. BBC New South Asia.

Andy .C. High Field and Jane R. Bayley : Article – Folk lore myth and exploitation of Reptiles in morocco and Tunisia.

Aruna chandaraju (2005): Deccan Herald spectrum.

Bagla pallava(2002) : India’s snake charmers Fade Blaming Eco Laws.Tv, National Geographic News.

Bahar Dutt, Rachel Kaleta, Vikram Hosting, Independent Researcher(2008) : A Article – from charmers to educators: using indigenous knowledge for conservation education, wildlife Trust of India Pune snake park.

Bose Derek(2008): The snake charmers of India , The Tribune.

Jaya .P. yadav (2010) : Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants used by saperas community of khetwas : Journal of Ethno biology and Ethno medicine, Research Article.

Sustainable Community Empowerment through the Non-Governmental organization: with special reference to Chikmagaluru District

Rajashekar.C*, Saravana.K** & Dr.Lokesha.M.U***

*Research Scholar, Dept of Studies and Research in Social Work, Tumkur University

**Research Scholar, Dept of Studies and Research in Social Work, Tumkur University

***Assistant Professor, Dept of Studies and Research in Social Work, Tumkur University

Abstract

In this study researcher focused on NGOs impact on sustainable community empowerment in Chikmagaluru district of Karnataka. NGOs are contributing significantly in bringing changes in society. There are 150 and above NGOs are working in Chikmagaluru by focusing various issues of social problems. In this study researcher adopted descriptive research design, he took beneficiaries as samples, he adopted both interview and observation technique to gather information. Researcher examined all data in SPSS software. In this study he found 68 percentage NGOs focused on ecological sustainable development and 92 percentage of benefiter expressed their opinion that local people collaboration among NGOs is produces predictable results in Sustainable Development. So on this study is going to examine the role of NGOs in sustainable community development.

Keywords: Sustainable Development, Community, Empowerment, NGO, Chikmagaluru

Introduction

A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) is a legally constituted, nongovernmental organization created by natural or legal persons with no participation or representation of any government. NGOs have developed to emphasize humanitarian issues, developmental aid and sustainable development. Non-governmental organizations need healthy relationships with the public to meet their goals.

Role of NGOs

To supplement government efforts so as to offer the rural people.

To be the eyes and ears of the people at village level

To adopt simple and, innovative, flexible, and inexpensive means to reach community participation

To disseminate information

To make communities as self- reliant as possible

To demystify technology and bring it in simpler forms to the rural poor

To train a cadre of grass-root workers who believe in professionalizing volunteerism.

To mobilize financial resources

To organize the poor and generate awareness

Sustainable Development

Fulfilling the needs of today without sacrificing future generation needs. Thus, sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

The concept of sustainable development can be interpreted in many different ways, but at its core is an approach to development that looks to balance different, and often competing, needs against an awareness of the environmental, social and economic limitations we face as a society.

Community Empowerment

Community Empowerment is a way of strengthening civil society by prioritizing the actions of communities, and their perspectives in the Empowerment of social, economic and environmental policy. It seeks the empowerment of local communities, taken to mean both geographical communities, communities of interest or identity and communities organizing around specific themes or policy initiatives. It strengthens the capacity of people as active citizens through their community groups, organizations and networks, and the capacity of institutions and agencies to work in dialogue with citizens to shape and determine change in their communities it plays a crucial role in supporting active democratic life by promoting the autonomous voice of disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. It has a set of core values/ social principles covering human rights, social inclusion, equality and respect for diversity and specific skills for knowledge base

Good community Empowerment is action that helps people to recognize and develop their ability and potential and organize themselves to respond to problems and needs which they share. It supports the organization of strong communities that control and use assets to promote social justice and help improve the quality of community life. It also enables community and public agencies to work together to improve the quality of community people.

Strategies for community Empowerment:

Participatory Rural Appraisal:

PRA is an acronym of Participatory Rural Appraisal. It is a methodology for interacting with villagers, understanding them and learning from them. It involves a set of principles, a process of communication and a menu of methods for seeking villagers’ participation in putting