Seeking inclusion in Scheduled Caste list, snake charmers say will vote NOTA

GREATER NOIDA: Members of the snake charmer community in Greater Noida have said that they will opt for NOTA this election to protest the group’s non-inclusion in the Scheduled Caste list of Uttar Pradesh.

Representatives of the community claimed that while other states had granted the status to the community, UP was yet to do so.

Lack of basic civic amenities is another reason for their decision, community leaders said, adding that snake charmers mainly reside in 16 villages of Greater Noida.

The announcement to opt for NOTA was made on Monday during a meeting of the community members at Dungarpur in Reelka village, Dankaur, in which almost 80 representatives from all 16 villages (Jalpura, Bisrakh, Aemnabad, Itehra, Reelka, Rampur and Kakrala among others) were present. The local leaders also announced a national convention of the community to be held in Greater Noida on March 31 where they will ask other members to support them on the issue.

“We are a community of mostly Hindus. It has been our struggle since Independence and we have been demanding that we should be included in the Scheduled Caste list. In states like Delhi, Haryana, MP and Chhattisgarh, we have already been included in the list. But it is only the UP government that is not addressing our issues, as if they do not need our votes. In order to register a protest against this policy of the current BJP government at the Centre and the state, we have decided not to vote for the candidates or parties,” said Prem Pal Singh, the national spokesperson, Akhil Bhartiya Sapera Vikas Maha Sangh.

He added that the organisation has also been requesting local MP Mahesh Sharma to construct toilets under the Swachh Bharat project in Jalpura village, Ecotech 3 area, of Greater Noida where 600-700 people of the community reside. Local leaders claimed that officials have sanctioned toilets in only some houses and not in the houses of those who really need it.

“There are a few basic issues in the 16 villages. One of them is that the roads are full of potholes. Hardly any new road has been constructed in the past four years in our village, Jalpura. Apart from that, we have a pending request with the GNIDA for registration of our cemetery in Jalpura. We have written many letters requesting for toilets under the Swachh Bharat project. But we have not received any reply from either the MP or our MLA, who are both from the BJP,” said Badrinath, a member of the community.

According to the community leaders, there are around 16,000 members in the 16 villages.

Rakesh Sharma, Gautam Buddh Nagar district head, BJP, said: “With Sabka saath sabka vikas, we believe that everyone should get a chance to raise queries and evaluate the work of the government. I want to offer support to the snake charmer community as part of the BJP. I will talk to the MP to ascertain the process of toilet construction in the villages in question. Apart from this, I want to assure the people that their issue of a caste certificate is already under consideration. Soon, a decision will come on that too.”