Kerala snake-catcher manages election campaign and career hand in hand
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Ajesh Lalu is in the thick of campaigning at Kunnathukal in the capital district’s rural suburbs when he receives an pressing name from somebody in Parassala. A snake has been discovered inside a effectively and his companies as a snake catcher are urgently wanted in order that the residents might use the effectively.
36-year-old Lalu, who has been a snake-catcher for near 20 years, is the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s candidate in the Kunnathukal division of the Perumkadavila block panchayat for the upcoming native physique elections. Over the course of every day campaigning, he receives quite a few such calls. Despite his political commitments, he had taken breaks from campaigning to honour his skilled commitments too.
“Most of us snake catchers are in touch with each other. So, whenever I get calls, I take up the work if it is close to where I am. If it is at some other far-off corner of the district, I redirect it to someone else who is near that area. Even during the campaigning, I constantly get calls from various parts of the district. I have rescued around 15 snakes during this campaigning,” says Mr. Lalu.
After the homicide of a lady close to Anchal allegedly by her husband utilizing a toxic snake early this 12 months, the Forest Department had introduced a licensing system for snake catchers. Mr. Lalu was one of many snake catchers who underwent the coaching supplied by the division lately and is awaiting his licence.
From college days
“I was still in school when I caught the first snake. Since then, it has been my wish to protect these creatures in whatever way I can. In recent years, I have worked as a daily wager at the Government Snake Park, Poojappura, as well as at Parassinikadavu. Over these 20 years, I have received two serious bites, one from a cobra and another from a viper. But I have survived,” he says.
His first stint with politics got here as a university scholar, when he turned a member of the Kerala Students Union. Although he has not been an lively political employee resulting from his commitments as a snake catcher, he has made his presence felt in the Congress’s actions at instances. His familiarity with the folks additionally made the social gathering method him to be a candidate.
He is making an all-out effort to seize the division presently held by the LDF.
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