Transformation complete: bear dancers to conservationists
Bodh Gaya (Bihar): Committing to help eradicate bear dancing from the country, 24 former bear dancers rehabilitated by WSPA-WTI will now advocate alternative livelihoods among fellow Kalandars and promote conservation and welfare of sloth bears.
The 24 Kalandars, from Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh met recently in Bodh Gaya, to share their transformational experiences. Facilitated by the WSPA-WTI’s Sloth Bear Conservation and Welfare Project, all of them gave up bear dancing and settled in varied alternative livelihoods, each of their choice.
“Any change is best achieved from within,” said Sudipto Chatterjee, Head of Communities and Biodiversity division, WTI. “When we started this project, our field staff members entered into the community, lived with them and earned their trust to eventually bring about this change. We continued supporting them till they reached this stage, when they can now fend for themselves and are even promoting the cause and helping others.”
Over the coming months, the WSPA-WTI project will help these Kalandars establish a society that will promote the welfare of the community. The members will be introduced to relevant authorities to help build their contacts to carry on their work.
Rafeeq is one such rehabilitated Kalandar from Naya Basera in Bhopal.
“We have been benefited by this (WSPA-WTI) rehabilitation project. We are now sending our children to school and are leading a more stable life which was not possible earlier,” he says.
Stating the need to change with times, he said that the society will help the community avail schemes and benefits difficult to access on an individual level due to illiteracy and lack of awareness, adding as a message to Kalandars who are still covertly practicing bear dancing, “Switch to new livelihood options and help in saving the bear in wild, we are here to support you”.
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