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Stage actress dies of snakebite while performing with cobra in Bengal
Officials said a witch doctor was called in to treat the actress, which in turn delayed treatment, leading to the actress’ death. The witch doctor reportedly spent four hours trying to revive the victim.
A 63-year-old stage actress died on Tuesday night after being bitten by a snake with which she was performing at Hasnabad in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.
Officials said a witch doctor was called in to treat the actress, which in turn delayed treatment, leading to the death. The witch doctor reportedly spent four hours trying to revive the victim.
Hasnabad is about 70 km from Kolkata near the Bangladesh border.
The victim, Kalidashi Mondal, was performing the role of Manasha (Hindu goddess of snakes) in the play Manashamangal. To add a realistic touch, she wrapped a spectacled cobra, locally known as gokhro (scientific name: Naja Naja), around her arm.
Instead of taking her to a hospital or health centre , her associates called a witch doctor, who treated her for about four hours. But when her condition deteriorated, she was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was declared dead.
A few members of the theatre group have been detained by police. “Since there was no complaint, we have not arrested anyone so far. We are questioning some of her co-actors,” said Debdulal Mondal, officer-in-charge, Hasnabad police station.
Over the past few years, Mondal used a dummy snake for the play.
State forest minister Benoy Burman said that the actress could have been saved had she been taken to the hospital after she was bitten by the snake.
“Playing with snakes is illegal and so is consulting a witch doctor. We had been extensively campaigning on these issues in association with NGOs. But superstitions are so deep-rooted that people ignore words of caution,” Burman said.
Incidentally, on May 4, an inebriated youth, Anil Roy, died in Haldibari of Cooch Behar district in north Bengal, after he tried to take a selfie with a monocellete cobra (locally known as keute).
According to Ravi Kant Sinha, principal chief conservator of forest, West Bengal, handling or playing with snakes is an offence. “But unfortunately many people ignore it,” he said.
Saurav Chakraborty, joint secretary of Paschim Banga Vigyan Mancha, a prominent organisation fighting against superstitions, demanded that the witch doctor be arrested.
