Life Style and Social Exclusion of Snake Charmers in Bangladesh

Abstract

This article is constructed on the basis of a study conducted in Sunamgonj District in Bangladesh. With the objective of an in-depth exploration on the marginalisation process of snake charmer community, the study used qualitative design. Purposive sampling technique has been used to select both research participants and study area. The study selected one of the villages of snake charmer and all male and female at the age of 18 years and above living in the selected village were considered as the population of the study. Twenty-five villagers were selected as sample and were interviewed with a standardised interview protocol consisting open-ended questions for covering all aspects of the research objectives. In addition with intensive interviewing, two focus group discussions were conducted with the participants. The study reveals that the socio-economic conditions of snake charmers are not so good comparing with the mainstream people of Bangladesh. On the other hand, this community does not have good relation with the people of mainstream society. They are frequently neglected and humiliated by the majority of population mainly because of their status as marginalised community Bose (2003). This people do not get job as majority people are reluctant to allow them to be engaged in mainstream occupations. Government offices ignore them due to their status as snake charmers. They are living within majority of people with same religious faith as Muslim but they are not accepted warmly by the majority Muslims. Name calling, labelling them as inferior group, use of some terms to humiliate and degrade them, etc, have become the part of their everyday life. They are not properly counted in voter list. Many of them cannot cast their votes, and do not have national identity card. They are facing identity crisis. This people want to be recognised as a distinct group like indigenous people.