Bhagat Singh
Programme Officer
Communities for Conservation

This much is clear. It takes much endurance, patience, persuasion and interpersonal skills to work with the most confusing of species, the human being. Especially for the welfare of other species he shares “his planet” with.  

One of Wildlife Trust of India’s answers to this challenge, Bhagat Singh has, time and again, proven his mettle, convincing Kalandars to give up bear performances and adopt alternative livelihoods offered by the organisation, supported by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).

Immensely passionate about working with the Kalandar community, Bhagat initially worked as a field officer in WSPA-WTI’s Kalandar Rehabilitation Project, a component of its holistic Sloth Bear Conservation and Welfare Project. He operated in densely forested areas and remote locations across Chattisgarh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Jharkhand, working primarily to locate Kalandars and convince them to give up the bear performances. “I lived with them (Kalandars), followed them where they went, and virtually led their life, becoming one of them. I accepted them for what they were,” reflects Bhagat, now based at WTI’s central office.

“The issue of dancing bears is much deeper than it appears. This profession is over four centuries old – a form of royal entertainment during the Mughal period. It is another thing that bear performances are not acceptable now. Yet, it would be unfair (and unsustainable) to snatch away the traditional livelihood of the Kalandar community without providing them with alternatives to sustain their lives. Our project works for the conservation of sloth bears, while also working for the Kalandars, providing them alternative livelihoods and helping them establish in their new lives in a years-long process,” he explains.

Bhagat joined WTI in 2006 as a consultant post his tenure with Sukhad Yatra, a project of the Delhi AIDS Control Society. While here, he organised health camps, counseling sessions and provided referral services for medical help.

He received his Masters in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Barkatullah, Madhya Pradesh with a focus in Urban and Rural Community Development and a Bacherlors (Honors), in the same field from the University of Delhi.

During the course of his studies, he gained five years of field-based experience at Delhi and Bhopal. At Delhi, Bhagat trained on welfare of labour in Nirman Majdoor, at Juvenile Reform Centre in Sewa Kutir, Kingsway Camp and on the welfare of unknown patients, at Ram Manohar Lohia. Subsequently at Bhopal, he received training on Women’s Empowerment, Asha Niketen and on Child Labour at Bachpan. He also implemented a care and support project for People Who are Living with HIV/AIDS (PWLHA).

Bhagat quickly rises up to the occasion despite impediments and accepts challenges. In 2008, while in Orissa to initiate WSPA-WTI’s campaign to save sloth bears in Sambalpur district, he soon overcame barriers posed by area and language, and within two months built a team comprising members of the villages of Rairakhol district to let the campaign roll. He wrote and directed a play and taught acting in order to put up street plays to spread awareness in villages around the district. 

A highly creative individual, Bhagat enjoys creating wall posters and is interested in drama, stage design, street plays and choreography.  He is also a big fan of Korean cinema.