Socio-Economic Status of Nomadic Communities in India: A Case of Snake-Charmers in India

Socioeconomic status represents an individual’s possession of normative valued social-economic resources and relative societal position. Not only administrative measures starting from colonial rule but modern developmental processes, namely the introduction of new means of transport, entertainment, and modern health care systems, have also negatively affected the lives and livelihood of nomadic. After independence, India’s Constitution profoundly subscribed to the thesis of inclusivity, which implies that the gains of its all-rounded progress should be distributed equitably and reach the most marginalized and dispossessed groups in social and economic terms. In this context, based on information related to housing conditions, sanitation conditions, cooking and cooking, and household assets collected from 350 households selected through a simple random sampling technique, this study tries to analyze the socioeconomic status of one of India’s nomadic communities- Sapera. Traditionally, the Sapera community has been on the spatial movement and earned a living through snake-charming and herbal medicine. Contrary to the high gender-specific demographic imbalance in Haryana state, we have found the child sex ratio in favor of females. The study reveals a much worse socioeconomic status of surveyed households, where only 17 percent of households, mainly belonging to higher income levels, live in pucca houses. Of the households owning toilets (55%) and bathrooms (53%), less than one-fifth are found without roof and gate facilities. More than 90 percent of households do not have kitchen facilities. Despite several government-sponsored schemes and programs, Saperas live without basic assets and amenities. The study further found a significant differential in household income levels in the access and ownership of selected socioeconomic indicators. The findings of this study suggest that policymakers pay urgent attention to providing adequate housing, sanitation, and kitchen and cooking facilities.