Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Officials set snakes free
Metro-Thane Wednesday, August 09
"Forest officials from Teen Hath Naka set three snakes free into the nearby hills on July 30, the day of Nag Panchami.
The snakes had been rescued from snake charmers in the city. Officials claim this was an effort towards creating awareness among people that snakes were living beings, who deserved to be treated with kindness. Says an official, "They are often kept in abominable conditions by the snake charmers. We plan to undertake more drives like this throughout the city to rescue the reptiles from their clutches.""
I am sure these snakes should be treated well. I can tell from my pet slugs that such creatures deserve and respond to kindness. It is a pity, though, that most people nowadays have to spend such a long time watching television. In the old days there was much more variety and doubtless continuing to provide that constructively may improve pleasure and also provide job opportunites, without keeping snakes in captivity. We have to think of three things I suppose: The snakes, jobs for the snake charmers, and improved leisure activities for the general public. Also there are of course the important religious aspects.
Nag-Panchami is an important all-India festival. The thousand-headed Shesh Nag who symbolises Eternity is the couch of Lord Vishnu. It is on this couch that the Lord reclines between the time of the dissolution of one Universe and creation of another. Eternity in Hinduism is often represented by a serpent eating its own tail.
"Forest officials from Teen Hath Naka set three snakes free into the nearby hills on July 30, the day of Nag Panchami.
The snakes had been rescued from snake charmers in the city. Officials claim this was an effort towards creating awareness among people that snakes were living beings, who deserved to be treated with kindness. Says an official, "They are often kept in abominable conditions by the snake charmers. We plan to undertake more drives like this throughout the city to rescue the reptiles from their clutches.""
I am sure these snakes should be treated well. I can tell from my pet slugs that such creatures deserve and respond to kindness. It is a pity, though, that most people nowadays have to spend such a long time watching television. In the old days there was much more variety and doubtless continuing to provide that constructively may improve pleasure and also provide job opportunites, without keeping snakes in captivity. We have to think of three things I suppose: The snakes, jobs for the snake charmers, and improved leisure activities for the general public. Also there are of course the important religious aspects.
Nag-Panchami is an important all-India festival. The thousand-headed Shesh Nag who symbolises Eternity is the couch of Lord Vishnu. It is on this couch that the Lord reclines between the time of the dissolution of one Universe and creation of another. Eternity in Hinduism is often represented by a serpent eating its own tail.
# posted by uv : 11:29 PM
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