India is no land of snake charmers ....

Magudi was a film released in 1984 starring Nalini and Mohan with hit melodies of Illayaraja….. the other day, returning home in the MRTS (in the afternoon) – entered a person, sat in the middle of the compartment doorway – took out and sort of repaired his magudi ….those sitting nearby whispered that he might be having a snake inside that cloth bag and wondered what would happen, if it were to escape out …. !!. 

Magudi, also called Punji is a wind instrument.   It is  bottle gourd attached to a double cane pipe cut in reeds. While one of the pipes gives the basic tonic, which it produces in a constant drone, the other pipe is able to play the tune. This pipe has finger holes that can be stopped just as in a flute.

For long, we have to battle the notion of India being a Nation of snake charmers and Maharajas. To them, people capable of handling snakes would be roaming on roads with snakes in their bags !!.... snake charming is the practice of pretending to hypnotise a snake by playing instruments. A typical performance may also include handling the snakes or performing other seemingly dangerous acts, as well as other street performance staples, like juggling and sleight of hand.  We used to see some of them and occasionally hooded snakes and mongooses too; not any longer – the hisses have died down, no longer monkeys tied to ropes …  -   India is the biggest democracy – snake charmers do have a right to exist –  it is a great Nation with diverse culture.

Once in a while, we do read of snakes including poisonous ones getting caught and getting released in the wild. The expert catchers sometimes still use the pipe instrument (magudi) and herbs.  Whether snakes hear, dance and get hypnotised by music is debated.  There is the famous song ‘Nathar mudi mel irukkum…’ (the one adorning the head of Lord Siva) is a popular tamil song, which at times in sung in Carnatic concerts too.  It was hit in the film ThiruvarutSelvar starring Sivaji Ganesan as Saivaite saint Appar. 

In his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of historic Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modiji outlined his vision of a "digital India" that could compete with the world, hailing its IT professionals for changing the country's image as a land of snake charmers.

In his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort, Modi said India had transformed itself because of its information technology outsourcing sector.  But more has to be done to get India digitally connected through the Internet and tap other technologies, he said. "Some 25 to 30 years ago, the world used to think we are a land of snake charmers and black magic. But our youth has surprised the world with its IT skills." "I dream of a digital India. It was once said railways connects India. Today I say IT connects India... I fully believe a digital India can compete with the world."  said Modiji, a tech-savvy politician who is immensely popular on Facebook and Twitter.  He added that "Our dream should be to see the 'Made in India' signs in every corner of the world."

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

18^th Sept. 2014.