A Snake Charmers Tale
By Nazmul Islam
A man was sitting with three wooden boxes near Kalshi bus stop at Mirpur 11 in the capital one recent morning. Suddenly, he began pulling out snakes from the boxes and started talking to them. In the meantime, some passersby came over to see him playing with the snakes. Soon, a crowd gathered to see a huge snake the man was holding.
My name is Arman Mia. Snake charming is our family profession. My father, Jalil Mia, is also doing the same work, the young man said, after ending his snake show.
Once, snake charming was a popular form of traditional entertainment, enjoyed by people in both rural and urban areas. But wandering snake charmers are hardly seen nowadays. Many modern kinds of entertainment have taken over. So, snake charmers are finding it hard to survive these days.
About their way of life, 35-year-old Arman Mia said, I was born in Munshiganj. But we left the district and came to Tongi and settled on the bank of Turag River. We have been living there for 20 years. I have learnt to tame snakes from my father. He is old now and cannot leave the house. My mother and two sisters also stay at home. So, I am the only breadwinner of the family.
I have three snakes and I show them in different parts of Dhaka city. I have no fixed demand from the spectators. I just request them to pay me as much as they wish. Thus, I earn around Tk 700 to Tk 800 per day, the snake charmer said.
Arman Mia has to face many challenges while performing his snake show on the street. Sometimes, I face harassment and have to leave the spot. The police do not allow us on the streets of the city. So, I cant stay in one place for a long time. That is why I have to remain very alert while displaying my snake show, he said.
The spectators became excited when the snakes started dancing, but some children got scared seeing them move. Shakil Hossain, a 19-year-old student who was enjoying the show, said: It is always fun to watch snake charming at traditional fairs. Though it is very rare to see snake charmers in the city now, it still makes people happy. Snake is the symbol of strength and the charmer amuses us by performing different tricks.
Anik Ali, 31, a local shopkeeper who was also watching the show, said, It is nice to see snake dancing. I havent seen it before, but today I am enjoying it and I feel good. My five-year-old boy would have loved it, if he were here.
About making the show safe and enjoyable for the people, Arman Mia said, I try my best to apply all kinds of techniques while performing with my snakes. We collect the snakes from different places. It takes many years to tame and control a snake. At the beginning, we remove the poisonous fangs and take care of the snake as our own child. Later on, it starts responding to our instructions. All my snakes can understand my words, and people get more curious when they see they are following my orders.
Arman Mia has been performing with snakes since his childhood. He feels good seeing people get excited over his snake show. He wants the new generation to enjoy it, too. I want to show this traditional entertainment to our new generation. Otherwise, it will remain unknown to them. It is going to get lost day by day, he added. n
(Translated by Bipul K Debnath)
Photos: Writer.
