Bhopal: At a function organized by the Wildlife Trust of India on May 13, a group of kalandars were felicitated upon successful completion of their training on various enterprises for alternative livelihood. M. P. Tiwari, Sub-divisional Officer represented the Forest Department at the function. 

Eighteen kalandars received certificates and bank drafts from the Vice Chairman of WTI, Ashok Kumar. About sixty individuals including the families of the Kalandars participated at the function. Prior to the function, legal agreements were signed between WTI and the kalandars on the proposed alternate livelihoods.

Three kalandars who opted to join the commercial taxi service as alternate livelihood were provided with the initial sum for the purchase of vehicles. Two other kalandars were also provided with the initial capital to start small businesses.

During March and April this year, a 20 days intensive workshop was organized here to train the Kalandars for manufacture of detergents, phenyl, liquid soap, incense stick etc. According to Vijay Dhasmana, Manager of the Communities for Conservation Programme of WTI, “A corpus fund has been arranged by WTI for financing these cottage enterprises and will continue to provide support till such time the Kalandars become self reliant.”

Considering the complex issues involved with the tradition of bear dancing in India, a holistic approach was devised by WTI with support from the World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA) for rehabilitation of dancing bears and Kalandars.

The Entrepreneur Awareness Campaign was launched in Bhopal in February, 2006. The key objective of this campaign was to encourage the kalandars for alternative livelihood and make them aware on the legal implication of bear dancing after its ban by the government of India in 1998. However, a few kalandars were found to continue their activity by acquiring bears from other areas. WTI has been advising the kalandars to give up their illegal bear dancing profession and to surrender their bears to the forest department. In addition, the DFO Satyanand has been actively instrumental in encouraging the Kalandars to accept the rehabilitation offer.

22 kalandars were identified in the Kotra settlement of Bhopal after a survey conducted in September 2005. Following this awareness campaign, most of the kalandars in a written application to WTI and the Forest Department had agreed to surrender their bears. Subsequently, the eight dancing bears in their possession were surrendered. Currently, these bears are kept at the ‘Van Vihar’ rehabilitation site for captive bears of the forest department.

The concerted effort of WTI and the Forest Department especially under the guidance of Chief Wildlife Warden, Mr. Gangopadhyaya, and the Addl. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr. Pabla have enabled the rescue of bears and the rehabilitation of kalandars in Bhopal. This effort would go a long way for stopping this illegal profession of dancing bears in India.