Group of snake charmers played their bulbous flutes to captivate the audience at Nehru Stadium

There were serpentine queues outside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday and once inside they were thoroughly entertained by a group of snake charmers who performed at the opening ceremony of CWG 2010, not just to entertain but also to send a message. The artistes who played the 'been', a bulbous flute, are in dire straits after catching of snakes has been restricted in the neighbourhood.

Speaking to MiD DAY, the leader of the troop, Sapera Been Party, Rajan, said: "Earlier we were snake charmers who used to catch snakes from different parts of Delhi. But after the ban enforced by Maneka Gandhi, we were rendered jobless. Thereafter we had been struggling hard to meet both our ends. So we have been performing these acts to earn a living."

The troop was called to perform only after several performances at Central Park and India Habitat Centre amphitheatre in Delhi. "Since the ban we have been performing here and there but we don't have a permanent source of income."

Most of the people from the band, consisting of over a hundred people, have been working part time to survive. All the performers are residents of Badarpur in Faridabad.