..... We are Bedia Community ...

A movement for liberty

‘Bedia’- it means the community of the snake charmers. They are nomadic in lifestyle. A significant resemblance can be noticed between the cultural features of the bedias and the culture of the ancient banzara/ gypsy communities. Presently more than 60 (sixty) tribes are located all over India as the diminishing mark of the bedia culture. There are about 8 (eight) hundred thousand of bedias inhabited or resided in India. History tells the bedias are the contemporaries of the tribal peoples as Sabar, Kheria, Hore, and Santhal etc.

Bedia Federation of India is an organization of this community. In our organization we work for the rights for them. This is one of the most neglected communities of our society. Not only the snake charmers we also work for the group of people who hold the show of bears, monkey etc. to earn their living.
There are approximately 8,00,000 people belonged to this community of which 3,50,000 are the members of this organization. Different classes of people are involved in Bedia Federation of India - general people, artists, social workers, writers, students, nature lovers, scientists, teachers, snake lovers and celebrities etc.
Bedia Federation of India (BFI) is the first organization in the world that is working for the rights of the community of snake charmers. We fight for the development of snake charmers and other Bedia people. We demand education, health, and social security for Bedia community.
B.F.I is also working for conservation of the snake. In modern world when in every country the ecological balance is in big danger then we work for maintaining ecological balance. We believe that maintaining ecological balance is the primary duty of every human being. We say SAVE SNAKE, SAVE SNAKE CHARMERS and SAVE NATURE.
The organization was founded on 17th Feb 2007. A small group of people of science movement and Bedia community came together and decided to fight for their demand and create awareness. Thus formed the Bedia Federation of India.
The founder members are Mr. Goutam Banerjee, Miru Sapuriya, Kalu Sapuriya, Kder Sapuriya, Ashok Mandal and Raktim Das.

In the lane of History

Accumulated history about the bedias it is assumed that they are the contemporaries with the tribal peoples as Sabar, Kheria, Hore, Santhal etc. It is derived from history that the bedias like gypsies are chiefly nomadic class of people. They earn their daily livings by means of different occupations. The occupations are mainly to catch/tame wild animals, to bring up and look after them, to exhibit them, to exhibit physical tactics and skills and selling empiric medicines (roots and stones), foretelling and soothsaying etc.Presently more than 60 (sixty) tribes are located all over India it is the diminishing mark of the India. The bedias are chiefly accustomed with nomadic lifestyle and accordingly significant resemblance can be noticed between the cultural features of the bedias and the culture of the ancient banzara/ gypsy communities. They transact by setting up tents either in cities or in villages - instantly on account of business and professional or occupational motive.

lane of History

A group consisting of a few families is organized or run under the authority of a leader. Discipline as well as rules and regulations are equal for all who belong to the group.

Perhaps this tradition persists since the middle age to the present time . Due to the past two millennium of the British regime, the radical changes happened with respect to political social and cultural infrastructure had broken down middle age stability and prepared the path for industrial civilization. The inevitable consequence was followed as splitting up of the tribal as well as rural communities and their cultures.

This tribal people had a very bright history in freedom straggle in India. But it is found or observed according to present statistics, that mostly they have disappeared/diluted into the agriculture based domestic cultures.

In this regard we can take an example of the Patuas (village painter) of Chandpara and Kantur of Murshidabad in West Bengal. From a pre-colonial past on coming down from Chhotonagpur tableland these people with bedia-origin have established themselves gradually into new occupations and agriculture based domestic cultures/ life styles in the plain land areas of Murshidabad and Birbhum. Till few decades before painting and showing of pata (folk painting) as well as snake charming were significant professions in this community.

The people of the new areas wherever the bedias have gone never accepted them without skepticism but the bedias have easily captured the local language, manners and customs of those areas for their own reason of survival. As they are to earn their daily livings in the manner of entertaining the local people in professional ways so they easily learn their languages with the inspiration to sooth and communicate the consumer/audience.

Bedias call their language Mangta Bhasa. Probably the world 'mangta' is derived or originated from maintenance of daily livings by begging and asking for. Like other tribal languages this language also has not any alphabet/script. The preservation of this gradually weekend language of the bedias is an urgent need as it is the crucial document about their identity.

“We are not alone”

We are privileged with the support of all parts of the society. We got the hand of support of Bedia community form all over the India. Not only the India we have spared our massage to all over the world.

Not only the Bedia community all part of the society, like students, scholar, scientist, artists, social workers, writers and a big number of general people patronizing our activities by supporting us.

We have with us world legendary magic artist P.C Sorcar (junior) scientist Dr.Amiya Kr. Hati ,Dr . Carlous, Director of Vruja Snake Park(Itally),Caroline Coyle & Gil Romgro(USA),Carmen Brandt(Germany) and many more intellectuals and social workers all over the world.

We wish you as a part of the BFI.

Our principle demands: Let cross the border

Our vision is very clear. We have decided to fight back for our demand and we will not stop before achieve it. We are able to create awareness to the people regarding the snake and snake charmers. But we believe “miles to go ahead before I sleep”

We want

India government should enlist Bedia community in schedule tribe.

Bedia community should provide alternative occupations.

Bedia people should not hassle by the name of wild life protection Act. In India.

There should be a snake farms in every district in india.

Scientific snake farming should start immediately.

Venom mafia

May it your first encounter with the word Venom mafia. Yes, we first disclose the racket of black marketers of venom. They collect snake form the snake charmers in maximum Rs.50-100 and sale the venom in minimum of Rs10, 000/ gram. In every single time a snake produce 10 gram of venom. That means Rs. 100,000 they take the chance of poverty among the snake charmers.

Venom is used for medicine purpose. A big numbers of lifesaving drugs produces by the venom. Snake charmers never get proper price of venom. They can’t sale the venom to the government or any authorized agency.
There are some influential people who collect the venom form snake charmers by unethical way. Some time they use mussel power or some time they exploit the poverty of the snake charmers. These people are very influential in the society. They use their connection to officials and authorities. Somewhere they get political supports.
In many incidents in India, we found that the some forest officer is involved with this type of mafia. Some of them were punished but this racket is still intact in India. Not only they are helping these mafias, they are also killing the nature. The amount of the black markets of venom is gigantic. We don’t know the actual volume of the mafia business but in real field we can understand the fact.
Not only venom the skin of the snake is also a big part of this mafia business. In one an alternative day we can find the news of illegal trafficking of forest product. Now this is the ultimate time to protest against these activities.
We demand government should crack down the racket between mafia and some ethic less forest officers. We demand Bedia /snake charmers should get the right of sale venom to proper authority.
We have received direct and indirect threats form venom mafia. They are trying to abolish our organization. But we are ready to fight against this venom mafia. We only need your support.

Initiatives taken by BFI

Ø We have given a memorandum to the Forest minister of West Bengal, India, regarding the conservation of Bedia community. Also we have given memorandum to all block level officials.

Ø We organized some district level health camp for Bedia people. We made an arrangement for free treatment of Bedia people in KPC Medical Collage Hospital at Jadevpure, Kolkata.

Ø We have distributed blanket and mosquito curtain to the Bedia people.

Ø We have given book and educational items to the meritorious Bedia students.

Ø We have rescued number of snake form various locality and given to forest department for preservation.

Ø We regularly organize awareness campaign in schools and collages.

Ø We circulate books, CD, and printed materials in routine manner for awareness purpose.

Ø We have taken a powerful effort to protect the Bedia language “MANGTA” and Bedia culture.

Ø In the flagship of BFI we organized number of demonstration rally and meetings.

Ø We organized seminar regarding the treatment of snakebite. The experts and the scientists are there to discuss the various issues about the subject.

Ø We have taken an effort to organize a rescue team in every single district.

Ø We are organizing movement for separate snakebite medical center in every government hospital.

Ø We demand a course on snakebite treatment in school level education.

Ø We are working to flow BFI in every level in India. Also we are taken to introduce our organization to Bangladesh.

Ø We demand that every Bedia should come in the minimum education program of Government. We are proud to inform you that the first people form Bedia community Bapi Shapuriya passed 10th standard. And BFI promise to help Bapi in every possible manner.