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THE OBLIGATIONS OF A PHOTOJOURNALIST

Anoopi (with paler green paisley-design sari) And others from the Saharia community challenge a Public Distribution System (PDS or government ration system) employee (on bike) about the failure to supply forty Sahariya people a ration card renewal...Anoopi from Gopalapura's Sahariya community in Shivpuri District, has no real household. She works a domestic servant for six Sikh families for which she receives Rs.20 (£0.25) from each per month. Anoopi also collects medicinal leaves and bark from the forest which is sold on to a broker. She is not aware of how much her labour is worth to the brokers but she earns about Rs.5-10 per bundle of leaves she collects...Sahariya are an indiginous tribe who traditionally lived in and off the forest. Residing in the north Indian states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh (UP) and parts of Madhya Pradesh (MP) including Shivpuri District, they have never been granted proper land-owning rights. As a result they have endured a fragile existence, working as agricultural day-wage labourers they have been unable to plan for the future or save for hard times. The community suffer from malnutrition, low levels of literacy and under-representation in the administration and government. The Indian Forest Ministry accuse the Sahariya of trespassing government land and many Sahariya have been forced to migrate in search of jobs. Recent migrants to Shivpuri District in MP, including the Sikh and higher caste Gujjar community, have been more adept at claiming land rights, often at the expense of the Sahariya. Since the mid-1990s however the Sahariya have been granted the lease of land from the government allowing them to sow crops including wheat, chick-peas and soya beans both for the market and their own needs. Over this period, the Sahariya have become more organised and confident at confronting local prejudice and official indifference to their plight. Drought and poor harvests between 2000 and 2004 set the community back but since then they have (Tom Pietrasik)Members of the low-caste Sahariya community in Gopalapura challenge a government official (on bike) about his failure to supply them the ration cards to which they are eligible. Caste discrimination in local government undermines India’s ration or Public Distribution System (PDS). Gopalpura, Madhya Pradesh. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2007

I usually find presenter Paddy O’Connell’s over-familiar repartee on BBC Radio 4′s Broadcasting House programme distracting but I enjoyed his short interview on Sunday with British photographer Simon Norfolk for its insight into the views of a professional photographer working in the developing world. You can hear the interview 25 minutes into this link.

Simon Norfolk has spent the past ten years photographing in Afghanistan and currently has an exhibition of this work on show at London’s Tate Modern gallery until July 10th.

New homes in the barren landscape of Bokhra Kachar. ..The village of Bokhra Kachar, is home to 66 households from the adivasi (tribal) Baiga community. Displaced by the government to make way for the Achanak Marg tiger reserve, this community were forced to move from their old village 27km away two years ago. They were promised compensation, specifcaly each male over age of 18 would receive Rs.100,000, a proper house with toilet, and land at least equivalent in size to what they farmed before, access to PDS (Public Distribution System) and schools. Many families complain that their new land is significantly less fertile than the forest areas they used to farm so where they once went hungry for two lean months in the year, this period has now been extended to three months. Most of Bokhra Kachar's residents have only received Rs.50,000 in compensation and their new homes do not have toilets as promised. Though there is a local primary school, older children have to travel 8km. The nearest PDS is 5km away. There is no local public transport system. Men complain that there is little work in the new village...Photo: Tom Pietrasik.Bokhra Kachar, Lormi Block, Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh. India.February 18th 2011 (Tom Pietrasik)A new tiger reserve forced sixty-six indigenous tribal Baiga families from their fertile forest land into this new village in 2009. They have not received proper compensation and complain of reduced crop-yield from the new land they cultivate.  Bokhra Kachar, Chhattisgarh. ©Tom Pietrasik 2011

In the interview with O’Connell, Norfolk explained that he no longer considers himself a photojournalist but instead, what he calls, a “la-de-dah” artist. He draws the distinction because he once worked for newspapers and magazines and now earns a living from the sale of prints at galleries. As Norfolk’s fine work continues to be primarily concerned with documenting people and landscapes, I’d argue that he is still a photojournalist at heart.

Children at the Jalhe Bogiya village Anganwadi (child-care) centre enjoy a hot lunch there six days a week. ..Lack of irrigation and food security lie at the root of the Maha Dalit community's problems in the village of Jalhe Bogiya. In the exploitative and divisive caste system, Maha Dalits are considered the lowest of the low. Ostracized by wider society (including the administration) illiteracy runs as high as 95 percent. Thanks to Oxfam-supported intervention, Jalhe Bogiya now has an - as yet incomplete - access-road built as part of the NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme). And an Oxfam-supported initiative in summer 2010 successfully lobbied the local administration to implement the provision of school midday meals which, by law is the right of every child. It is alleged that the Anganwadi (pre-school) centre administrator, syphons off food meant for young children. Jalhe Bogiya has several hand pumps supplying water but these do not work between the months of May to October. And though the village was connected to the electricity grid six months ago, power-supply is not reliable. Without land-ownership and only irregular agricultural work from which to earn an income, the Maha Dalits of Jalhe Bogiya frequently migrate in search of labour at stone breaking quarries, brick-kilns or undertake menial household work in the homes of the urban middle class in far-away cities. ..Photo: Tom Pietrasik.Mohanpur Block, Gaya District, Bihar. India.February 23rd 2011 (Tom Pietrasik) A child from the ostracized Maha Dalit (or Untouchable) community in Jalhe Bogiya village enjoys a hot meal at her local Anganwadi (child-care) centre. Malnutrition in India disproportionately affects low caste communities like the Maha Dalits. Bihar. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2011

Attempting to specify where photojournalism ends and art begins is a pretty pointless task. But in the case of Norfolk, I raise the issue because later in the Radio 4 interview, by explaining his approach to photography, Norfolk seemed to perfectly define the merit of photojournalism – as oppose to art – and the obligations that are incumbent upon all of us lucky enough to have been brought up in the Developed World but who work in much poorer countries.

After speaking candidly about the futile war in Afghanistan, Norfolk explained that,

“When you take a picture in these places, its a kind of contractual obligation… I’m going to take a picture of what you are and I’m going to try and do something. Something that will make the world a little bit different so that your situation will somehow change for the better. Somehow that responsibility lies upon me as someone who has articulacy, has the ability to travel around the world, has cash in their pocket, has a white skin, has a British passport, has a voice in the world…”

Anita Devi sits with her three children (LtoR) Sandeep, Sanjit and Deepak (eating the school-provided midday meal). Like many of the men from Jalhe Bogiya village, Anita's husband Sukhdev Mandal works at a brick kiln for 4-5 months a year. ..Lack of irrigation and food security lie at the root of the Maha Dalit community's problems in the village of Jalhe Bogiya. In the exploitative and divisive caste system, Maha Dalits are considered the lowest of the low. Ostracized by wider society (including the administration) illiteracy runs as high as 95 percent. Thanks to Oxfam-supported intervention, Jalhe Bogiya now has an - as yet incomplete - access-road built as part of the NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme). And an Oxfam-supported initiative in summer 2010 successfully lobbied the local administration to implement the provision of school midday meals which, by law is the right of every child. It is alleged that the Anganwadi (pre-school) centre administrator, syphons off food meant for young children. Jalhe Bogiya has several hand pumps supplying water but these do not work between the months of May to October. And though the village was connected to the electricity grid six months ago, power-supply is not reliable. Without land-ownership and only irregular agricultural work from which to earn an income, the Maha Dalits of Jalhe Bogiya frequently migrate in search of labour at stone breaking quarries, brick-kilns or undertake menial household work in the homes of the urban middle class in far-away cities. ..Photo: Tom Pietrasik.Mohanpur Block, Gaya District, Bihar. India.February 23rd 2011 (Tom Pietrasik)Anita Devi with her three children who benefit from a recently introduced hot midday-meal provided by their government school. Where properly implemented, the midday-meal system not only improves the health of children but also encourages school-attendance. Jalhe Bogiya village, Bihar. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2011

As a British photojournalist living and working in India for the past ten years, I am continually struck by the huge economic gulf that frequently divides my life and the lives of those I photograph. Of course photography alone is not going to change the world but when confronted by such stark disparity, Norfolk’s idea of a photographer’s obligation becomes vital. To me this is as good a definition as any for what makes a good journalist – writer or photographer.

By way of honoring my own obligations, I will be presenting some of my photographs around the theme of hunger in London this weekend as part of a seminar organized by the Free Binayak Sen campaign. My photographs – including those displayed here – will look at people who endure hunger in their lives. Also featured will be my photographs of the JSS hospital about which I have written before and on whose board Dr Binayak Sen sits.

A girl on a hot summer's evening at Shanti Busti in Lucknow. All the children from Shanti Busti above the age of six or seven work...The rag-picking community of Shanti Busti (literally "Peace Slum") which comprises 210 households have been living and working in Lucknow for the past twenty years. Originally from Assam, their language and culture differs from the wider population of Lucknow who speak Hindi. The low status of the rag-pickers' work together with their minority status as Muslims speaking Assamese makes them particularly vulnerable to stigma and discrimination. The rag-pickers also suffer insecurity of tenure over the land upon which Shanti Busti is built. Families pay a rent of INR100-150 (GB£1.25-GB£1.90) to a "landlord" who provides then some protection from eviction by the government. The community's status is further undermined by the fact that many in wider society falsely charge them with being illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. This effectively denies the rag-pickers claim to any of the rights and services afforded to other Indians including the right to vote. Without political representation the people of Shanti Busti rely on the work of Oxfam and its partners for the provision of basic services. ..Sahera Khatoon is ten years old. She lives with her two parents and five of her six siblings in a small shack built of discarded plastic sacking and bamboo poles. Sahera's father Sameer and mother Zohra arrived from Barpeta district in Assam 21 years ago. They and their families were poor landless labourers suffering the financial insecurity that comes with irregular work. Like many of their neighbours in Barpeta district, they were encouraged to make the journey to Lucknow by a refuge contractor who promised a regular income in return for their labour. It is a measure of the desperate circumstances faced by Sameer and Zohra that their life in Shanti Busti is preferable to the circumstances they left behind in Barpeta district. Collecting rubbish is (Tom Pietrasik, Tom Pietrasik, To/Tom Pietrasik) A girl on a hot summer’s evening in Shanti Busti, a slum in Lucknow. All school-age children from this rag-picking (garbage-collecting) community must work to fund their families’ monthly spending of which food constitutes the greatest expense. Lucknow. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2008

Binayak Sen, for those that are unaware, is an public-health doctor and campaigner on the issue of malnutrition. Dr Sen served over two years in prison accused – and later convicted – of sedition for his alleged support of the Maoist Naxalite insurgence in eastern India. Last month he was granted bail by India’s Supreme Court and released from prison. The Free Binayak Sen campaign demands that his name be cleared and that a proper investigation be conducted into his scandalous intimidation by the government of Chhattisgarh state.

If you are in London on Saturday May 14th, please come along and show your support. The seminar begins at 4.45pm at Dragon Hall, 17 Stukeley St, London WC2. I will be presenting my photographs at 7pm.

A man walks past a government emergency store of food-grains in Bilaspur. The store is not protected from elements which illustrates a lack of concern among the government toward the wellbeing of vulnerable and hungry communities. ..Photo: Tom Pietrasik.Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh. India.February 17th 2011 (Tom Pietrasik)A man walks past a permanent government emergency store of food-grains in Bilaspur. The store is not protected from the weather – a stark indication that there is little concern in the government toward the wellbeing of vulnerable and hungry communities. Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. ©Tom Pietrasik 2011

May 12, 2011 | Categories:Development assignments, Exhibitions, Photography business | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

PHOTOGRAPHING CORRUPTION IN INDIA

Rupesh (sitting, left) and his colleague Father Jose Kariakatt (centre, sitting), of the PUCL (People's Union for Cilvil Liberties) monitoring the right to food, check administration records for the midday meals program at the Madhya Vidayalaya school in Tetua village. Teachers and local residents gather around...In the course of his work, Rupesh (no surname), advisor to the Indian Supreme Court Commissioner on the right to food, made an unannounced visit to Madhya Vidayalaya school in Tetua village. Such checks are an important way of holding local administrations to account and properly enforcing schemes like the school midday meals program. Unfortunately, a lack of resources mean that visits by Rupesh and his colleagues are rare...Rupesh found that meals at the Madhya Vidayalaya school had been suspended five days earlier because the Bihar state government had failed to deliver supplies to the school. Rupesh also discovered that cooking utensils had been stolen from a store cupboard. Such examples of lax supervision of fundamental programs are commonplace in much of rural north India where administrations have little personal vested interest in the proper running of schemes that benefit only the poor. Rupesh argues that the only way to properly administer schemes like school midday meals is to make them universal so that the the educated middle class, and not just the poor, have a personal interest in them...Rupesh is supported by Oxfam as part of a five month pilot program that began in November 2010...Photo: Tom Pietrasik.Tetua village, Gaya District, Bihar. India.February 24th 2011 (Tom Pietrasik)Witnessing public accountability: Rupesh (left), advisor to the Indian Supreme Court Commissioner on the right to food sits with his colleague Father Jose Kariakatt (centre) of the PUCL (People’s Union for Cilvil Liberties) to audit the midday meals program at the Madhya Vidayalaya school in Tetua village. The proper running of Bihar’s midday meals scheme is vital if the state is ever to tackle it’s terrible record on child malnutrition. Gaya District, Bihar. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2011

Earlier this week it was announced that that Suresh Kalmadi, the chief of Delhi’s 2010 Commonwealth Games committee had been arrested. It is alleged that his fixing of contracts for the procurement of timing equipment used during the games resulted in the government overpaying a Swiss firm by US$21million.

While revelations of Indian corruption are attracting much comment in the press, I have yet to see any photographs that contribute to our understanding the issue. Indeed, I read this latest disclosure in the Financial Times newspaper in an article by Amy Kazmin that appeared without a photograph to accompany her words.

Congress Manjhi's son Pramod (centre), 3, and other children receive their midday meals in Mananbigha village Anganwadi (child care) centre. ..Mananbigha resident and day-wage laborer, Congress Manjhi died of hunger in April 2010. He was a landless Maha Dalit (Bhuiyan caste). He had tuberculosis. Bedridden, he had been unable to work for four years. As a consequence, Congress' wife, Kari Devi, 35, became the sole breadwinner for their family of four children. When Kari Devi was bitten by a dog in 2010, she was not able to work for 15 days. She had to travel 40km for a rabies vaccination as the local hospital in Barachatti was out of stock. This incurred substantial expense at a time when no one in the family was bringing in an income. Kari Devi had to borrow money for treatment. The family had not been granted a BPL (Below Poverty Line) card even thought they were entitled to one. As a consequence they had no access to rations from the PDS (Public Distribution System). With no food, Congress Manjhi eventually succumbed to tuberculosis. Following his death, it took representation from the Oxfam-supported Nyadal, a local village court, to force the administration into granting Kari Devi the 25kg of grains to which she and her family are entitled as part of the Antyodaya scheme (providing staple food for the poorest of the poor). Kari Devi must now bring up her four children alone. She is a member of the local five-person vigilance committee that reports to the Nyadal...Like much of rural Bihar state - particularly among low caste communities - the residents of Mananbigha regularly go hungry. Some have died as a result of food shortages. There is a scarcity of water in the area and no irrigation facility. Though there are schemes in place to support vulnerable families, it is an ongoing struggle for residents to claim benefits, including rations, that are by rights theirs. Oxfam partners have helped to promote awareness of social security schemes among residents in Ma (Tom Pietrasik)Potential victims of corruption: children receive their midday meals in Mananbigha village Anganwadi (child-care) centre. The proper running of Bihar’s midday meals scheme is vital if the state is ever to tackle malnutrition levels running at 56 percent among the under-5′s. Gaya District, Bihar. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2011

The Indian investigative newspaper Tehelka has famously used hidden video cameras to expose corruption but these images are principally concerned with gathering evidence and do not employ the skills of a photographer to illustrate the subject. Of course bribing someone is an illicit act and is rarely witnessed. So when a politician colludes with industrialists to deny the Indian people revenue that is by-rights theirs, how does a photographer go about illustrating the crime?

Rupesh (left) discusses the running of the Atri Block State Food Corporation Godown (depot) in Atri with assistant manager Bharat Rai...In the course of his work, Rupesh (no surname), advisor to the Indian Supreme Court Commissioner on the right to food, made an unannounced visit to the Atri Block State Food Corporation Godown (depot) in Atri where he unearthed two cases of malpractice. He found that Bharat Rai, assistant manager of the godown, responsible, among other things, for the distribution of one quintel of grain per-month to each of the PDS (Public Distribution System) retailers in his area as part of the Antyodaya scheme (providing staple food for the poorest of the poor), had failed to deliver this essential food for eleven of the previous twelve months. Furthermore, it was discovered that though retailers supplied by the Atri Godown had paid Rai for grains for the months of November and December 2010, these foods had not in fact been delivered. Rupesh demanded paperwork from Bharat Rai and will now take up the case with the District Magistrate in Gaya. Rupesh argues that the only way to properly administer schemes like PDS is to make them universal so that the the educated middle class, and not just the poor, have a personal interest in the running of them...India's PDS (Public Distribution System) is a three-tier system that provides subsidized food at thee different rates for those people classified as APL (Above Poverty Line), BPL (Below Poverty Line) and Antyodaya (literally 'serving the last man in the queue'). The system is an essential provision that sustains the lives of many. However experts including the JSS (Jan Swasthya Sahyog or People's Health Support Group) argue that the PDS needs to be extended. This is because the monthly allocation of subsidized grain will last the average family just 12 days...Rupesh is supported by Oxfam as part of a five month pilot program that began in November 2010...Photo: Tom Pietrasik.Atri, Gaya District, Bih (Tom Pietrasik)Surrounded by sacks of rice and wheat, Rupesh (left), advisor to India’s Supreme Court Commissioner on the right to food, quizzes assistant manager Bharat Rai about his alleged syphoning of supplies from the Atri food depot. Gaya District, Bihar. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2011

It is clear that acts of fraud and bribery are incredibly difficult to photograph but I did recently have the privilege of witnessing first hand, the work of those whose responsibility it is to confront corruption by holding public officials to account.

It was in Gaya District in Bihar state, while I was gathering stories of hunger and malnutrition for Oxfam, that I found myself in the company of Rupesh who is an advisor to India’s Supreme Court Commissioner on the Right to Food.

Rupesh, who goes by one name only, is one of those people who’s dedication and commitment to his job goes well beyond the call of duty. Refreshingly unsentimental in his approach to the task of uncovering corruption and equipped with a dry sense of humor that undoubtedly provides respite from the depressing nature of his work, Rupesh is charged with a responsibility to uphold the Indian Constitution that guarantees life to all Indians. This right – it goes without saying – cannot be granted without access to food.

Rupesh was accompanying me as I photographed a food distribution depot in the town of Atri when he found himself surrounded by retailers responsible for supplying food to those who qualify for rations under India’s Public Distribution System (PDS).

Rupesh (left) discusses the running of the Atri Block State Food Corporation Godown (depot) in Atri with assistant manager Bharat Rai while local retailers look on...In the course of his work, Rupesh (no surname), advisor to the Indian Supreme Court Commissioner on the right to food, made an unannounced visit to the Atri Block State Food Corporation Godown (depot) in Atri where he unearthed two cases of malpractice. He found that Bharat Rai, assistant manager of the godown, responsible, among other things, for the distribution of one quintel of grain per-month to each of the PDS (Public Distribution System) retailers in his area as part of the Antyodaya scheme (providing staple food for the poorest of the poor), had failed to deliver this essential food for eleven of the previous twelve months. Furthermore, it was discovered that though retailers supplied by the Atri Godown had paid Rai for grains for the months of November and December 2010, these foods had not in fact been delivered. Rupesh demanded paperwork from Bharat Rai and will now take up the case with the District Magistrate in Gaya. Rupesh argues that the only way to properly administer schemes like PDS is to make them universal so that the the educated middle class, and not just the poor, have a personal interest in the running of them...India's PDS (Public Distribution System) is a three-tier system that provides subsidized food at thee different rates for those people classified as APL (Above Poverty Line), BPL (Below Poverty Line) and Antyodaya (literally 'serving the last man in the queue'). The system is an essential provision that sustains the lives of many. However experts including the JSS (Jan Swasthya Sahyog or People's Health Support Group) argue that the PDS needs to be extended. This is because the monthly allocation of subsidized grain will last the average family just 12 days...Rupesh is supported by Oxfam as part of a five month pilot program that began in November 2010...Photo: Tom Piet (Tom Pietrasik)Retailers surround Rupesh (left), advisor to India’s Supreme Court Commissioner on the right to food, as he looks through paperwork with Bharat Rai (in blue), assistant manager of Atri’s ration depot. Retailers accused Rai of syphoning off food supplies that should have gone to Atri’s poorest people. Gaya District, Bihar. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2011

These retailers, who were at the depot to collect monthly supplies of rice and wheat, were keen to inform Rupesh of malpractice on the part of Bharat Rai, assistant manager of the depot. According to them, Rai had failed to supply grains specifically allocated for Atri’s poorest of the poor as part of a scheme called Antyodaya. Rai, they said, had sold this grain and pocketed the money for himself.

While Rai’s offense should not be considered commensurate with Kalmadi’s crimes, the serious implications of his alleged misconduct cannot be underestimated in a state where where 56 percent of under-5′s are underweight.

Rupesh (no surname), advisor to the Indian Supreme Court Commissioner on the right to food...Rupesh regularly exposes examples of lax supervision of fundamental hunger-alleviating programs are in much of Bihar where administrations have little personal vested interest in the proper running of schemes that benefit only the poor. Rupesh argues that the only way to properly administer schemes like school midday meals is to make them universal so that the the educated middle class, and not just the poor, have a personal interest in them...Rupesh is supported by Oxfam as part of a five month pilot program that began in November 2010...Photo: Tom Pietrasik.Amas Block, Gaya District, Bihar. India.February 25th 2011 (Tom Pietrasik)Rupesh, advisor to the Indian Supreme Court Commissioner on the right to food. Gaya District, Bihar. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2011

Rupesh argues that Rai must be held accountable for his own actions and has raised the case with the District Magistrate. But he insists that corruption should be considered chiefly a consequence – rather than the cause – of a deeper malaise, namely poverty and inequality. Rupesh is adamant that until these structural deficiencies are confronted, India cannot hope to build proper systems of education, accountability and justice that are prerequisites for a society free of corruption.

Rice on a weighing scale ready for distribution as part of the PDS (Public Distribution System) at the Atri Block State Food Corporation Godown (depot) in Atri...In the course of his work, Rupesh (no surname, not in photo), advisor to the Indian Supreme Court Commissioner on the right to food, made an unannounced visit to the Atri Block State Food Corporation Godown (depot) in Atri where he unearthed two cases of malpractice. He found that Bharat Rai, assistant manager of the godown, responsible, among other things, for the distribution of one quintel of grain per-month to each of the PDS (Public Distribution System) retailers in his area as part of the Antyodaya scheme (providing staple food for the poorest of the poor), had failed to deliver this essential food for eleven of the previous twelve months. Furthermore, it was discovered that though retailers supplied by the Atri Godown had paid Rai for grains for the months of November and December 2010, these foods had not in fact been delivered. Rupesh demanded paperwork from Bharat Rai and will now take up the case with the District Magistrate in Gaya. Rupesh argues that the only way to properly administer schemes like PDS is to make them universal so that the the educated middle class, and not just the poor, have a personal interest in the running of them...India's PDS (Public Distribution System) is a three-tier system that provides subsidized food at thee different rates for those people classified as APL (Above Poverty Line), BPL (Below Poverty Line) and Antyodaya (literally 'serving the last man in the queue'). The system is an essential provision that sustains the lives of many. However experts including the JSS (Jan Swasthya Sahyog or People's Health Support Group) argue that the PDS needs to be extended. This is because the monthly allocation of subsidized grain will last the average family just 12 days...Rupesh is supported by Oxfam as part of a five month pilot program that began in November 2010...Photo: (Tom Pietrasik)Food grains intended to supplement the nutritional needs of Atri’s residents are weighed before being allocated as part of the Indian Public Distribution System (PDS). Gaya District, Bihar. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2011

Apr 28, 2011 | Categories:Development assignments, Photography business | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

INDIAN PHOTOGRAPHY TODAY EXHIBITION

Rickshaw riders gather around a fire beneath streetlighting in the dawn chill of Moradabad railway station...Moradabad,.Uttar Pradesh, India..November 2006. (Tom Pietrasik)Rickshaw riders gather around a fire beneath street-lighting in the dawn chill of Moradabad railway station. Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2006

These photographs will be displayed at Brighton’s AM Gallery from tomorrow as part of an exhibition called Indian Photography Today. The show will feature a diverse range of work from several photographers under the broad banner of contemporary Indian photography.

This is the first time that my work has been displayed in the UK since the National Portrait Gallery hosted the Taylor Wessing Award two years ago. Unfortunately I was not able to attend the opening of that particular exhibition so I’ve made sure I won’t be missing out this time around.

I’ll be at the gallery from 7pm on Tuesday April 12th so, if you’re in the Brighton area, please do drop in and say hello.

The exhibition runs until April 24th. A map with directions of how to get to the AM Gallery is here.

Scene of the fishing village of Randhbhandar which does not receive any Government services. Women must walk 5km for water and there is no government school. The community are however assisted by UNDP-supported Mahiti-Mitra which acts as a bridge allowing residents to campaign and apply for donor-agency support. Loans have been provided with the help of Mahiti-Mitra and the community are now establishing a fish-production company which allows families to pool their resources, bypass middle-men and sell fish directly to big buyers. Mahiti-Mitra estimates that this will see a two to three-fold increase in average household income. ..Photo: Tom Pietrasik.Kutch District, Gujarat. India.September 8th 2008. (Tom Pietrasik)Workers from the fishing village of Randhbhandar in the isolated district of Kutch in Gujarat state sort their nets on the beach. Though Gujarat is one of India’s wealthiest states, Randhbhandar does not receive any Government services. Women must walk 5km for water and their is no local authority school. Loans provided with the assistance of Mahiti-Mitra (a Non Government Organisation) have established a fish-production company which allows families to pool their resources, bypass middle-men and sell fish directly to the market. The formation of this fish production company has resulted in a two to three-fold increase in household incomes. Kutch District, Gujarat. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2008
..Mayawati is the Dalit (formerly untouchable) Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh state. She has undertaken an ambitious architectural project in Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati has commissioned hundreds of stonemasons to build a paved park in honor of Dalit hero Ambedkar (who wrote the Indian constitution). She considers the park a symbol of Dalit pride but her BSP party have done little to raise the lot of Dalits. The park is complete with domed buildings ornate pillars and statues of Ambedkar and Mayawati. ..Photo: Tom Pietrasik.Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. India .May 2nd 2009. (Tom Pietrasik)A construction worker passes the main monument in Lucknow’s Ambedkar park. Kumari Mayawati, the Dalit (or Untouchable) Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh state, has undertaken two ambitious architectural projects in state-capital Lucknow. She has commissioned hundreds of stonemasons to build two paved parks in honor of Dalit author of the Indian constitution B.R. Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram, Mayawati’s political mentor. The project employs 20-25,000 workers but has been criticised as a misallocation of public funds in one of India’s poorest states where there is a desperate need for greater investment in health and education services. Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2009
Since the beginning of August 2007, residents of Simra village in Gorakhpur disitrict, Uttar Pradesh, have been marooned by flooding along the Rapti river. A government boat provides the community access to areas beyond the village. The village was last marooned in 1998. The government have provided residents essential food rations and Unicef supplied medicine. Unicef-supported Health camps have served the health needs of the community...Flooding, begining at the end of July 2007, has ravaged 14 districts in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state. Crops have been destroyed, people left homeless and communities isolated. The districts of Barabanki and Gorakhpur are among those still suffering rainfall. Together with the government, Unicef is providing relief to affected communities, many of whom are without the resources to adequately cope with the situation. Supplies of chlorine tablets, ORS (Oral Rehydration Salts), tarpaulin and mosquito nets have been distributed by Unicef among affected communities. With the support of local administrations, Unicef has begun the construction of eco-san latrines in areas that have suffered flooding. Information on hygiene and sanitation has been provided in an effort to stem the threat of water-bourne disease. Unicef and the government have joined forces to send doctors into flood-affected areas. These mobile health-units provide consultation and treatment as well as medicine to those suffering in the floods. ..According to the Indian government flooding, which began at the end of July 2007, has affected over 38 million people across northern India. 31,514 villages have been affected and 343,614 houses have been damaged. 1,835 lives have been lost. Most of the devastation has occurred in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Assam and Orissa have also been affected. Unicef is working with the Government of India Health Department to bring relief to people affected by the flooding. Mobile teams provide medical care across affected districts an (Tom Pietrasik)A young resident of Simra village. At the beginning of August 2007, Simra village in Gorakhpur disitrict, Uttar Pradesh, became marooned by flooding along the Rapti river as a result of heavy monsoon rainfall. A government boat provided the community access to areas beyond the village. Gorakhpur disitrict, Uttar Pradesh. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2007

Apr 11, 2011 | Categories:Exhibitions, Photography business | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

THE SAD STORY OF DHANGA BAIGA

Dhanga Baiga, a TB patient during a weekly out-patient clinic at the JSS outreach medical centre in Bamhni village. ..The JSS (Jan Swasthya Sahyog or People's Health Support Group) is a public-health initiative established in 1996 by a handful of committed doctors all of whom trained at elite medical schools in India. While many of their peers secured high profile, high earning posts in premier hospitals in India, the US and the UK, the doctors at JSS have focussed their medical expertise on providing a service for poor and marginalised rural communities in Bilaspur district in the east Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Relying on grants and private donations, the doctors at JSS pay themselves only Rs.20,000 (US$500) a month...The JSS operate out of a hospital in Ganiyari, 25km from the main district town of Bilaspur. The JSS provide a first-class medical service for a community that would otherwise rely on underfunded and poorly resourced government facilities. Though the hospital at Ganiyari boasts 30 beds, two operating theatres, a fully-equipped lab and three outpatient clinics every week, the service provided by JSS is over-subscribed by a community totaling 800,000 people from 1,500 villages. ..To address the malnutrition that is so widespread among the population they serve, the JSS offers training on new agricultural techniques. The JSS has a well established outreach program of village-clinics and employs over 100 village health workers serving 53 villages. The JSS also operates an ambulance service and assists with transport costs for a rural community who's access to essential services has been undermined by the Chhattisgarh government's decision to completely disinvest in public transport. ..Continually exposed to illnesses associated with malnutrition and poverty including tuberculosis and rheumatic heart disease, the doctors at JSS are tireless advocates for universal healthcare and the need to introduce measures to reduce society's inequities and focus re (Tom Pietrasik)Dhanga Baiga photographed twelve months ago while being treated for the hunger-related tuberculosis that led to his death on March 21st 2011. Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2010

My good friend and fellow-journalist Dilip D’Souza wrote to me a few days ago with the sad news that a man called Dhanga Baiga, whom we both met a year ago, died last Monday.

I was introduced to Dhanga while photographing the work of a group of doctors called the JSS who run a hospital in the small, dusty town of Ganiyari in Chhattisgarh, central India. The JSS stands for Jan Swasthya Sahyog which means People’s Health Support Group.

It was while photographing Dr Yogesh Jain as he ran an outreach clinic in the village of Bamhni that the wizened figure of Dhanga Baiga entered the consultation room.

Moving with a caution that was in keeping with his fragile state, Dhanga, a member of India’s indigenous Baiga community, eased himself onto a plastic stool in front of Yogesh. It was clear that Dhanga knew and trusted Yogesh. Indeed, he owed his life to the intervention of the JSS medical team who had temporarily slowed the advancing tuberculosis that was gripping his hunger-ravaged body.

Dr. Yogesh Jain with a TB patient during a weekly out-patient clinic at the JSS outreach medical centre in Bamhni village...The JSS (Jan Swasthya Sahyog or People's Health Support Group) is a public-health initiative established in 1996 by a handful of committed doctors all of whom trained at elite medical schools in India. While many of their peers secured high profile, high earning posts in premier hospitals in India, the US and the UK, the doctors at JSS have focussed their medical expertise on providing a service for poor and marginalised rural communities in Bilaspur district in the east Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Relying on grants and private donations, the doctors at JSS pay themselves only Rs.20,000 (US$500) a month...The JSS operate out of a hospital in Ganiyari, 25km from the main district town of Bilaspur. The JSS provide a first-class medical service for a community that would otherwise rely on underfunded and poorly resourced government facilities. Though the hospital at Ganiyari boasts 30 beds, two operating theatres, a fully-equipped lab and three outpatient clinics every week, the service provided by JSS is over-subscribed by a community totaling 800,000 people from 1,500 villages. ..To address the malnutrition that is so widespread among the population they serve, the JSS offers training on new agricultural techniques. The JSS has a well established outreach program of village-clinics and employs over 100 village health workers serving 53 villages. The JSS also operates an ambulance service and assists with transport costs for a rural community who's access to essential services has been undermined by the Chhattisgarh government's decision to completely disinvest in public transport. ..Continually exposed to illnesses associated with malnutrition and poverty including tuberculosis and rheumatic heart disease, the doctors at JSS are tireless advocates for universal healthcare and the need to introduce measures to reduce society's inequities and fo (Tom Pietrasik, Tom Pietrasik)Dhanga Baiga, attended to by Dr Yogesh Jain of the Jan Swasthya Sahyog at a weekly clinic held in Bamhni village. Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2010

As Dhanga recounted his most recent ailments, Yogesh examined him, gently prodding and squeezing in a manner intended to reassure his patient as much as facilitate a diagnosis. Weighing just 29 kilos, Dhanga was certainly not doing very well and Yogesh concluded by asking him stay overnight for observation before venturing home on foot the next day.

The tuberculoses that had all but destroyed one of Dhanga’s lungs had undoubtedly reduced his chances of survival. But when I enquired, Yogesh had been reasonably optimistic about the sick man’s prognosis so long as he could raise his calorie intake and avoid the kind of opportunistic infection that so frequently claims the lives of those weakened by hunger.

A TB patient's weight is recorded at 28.9 kg (64 pounds) during a weekly out-patient clinic at the JSS outreach medical centre in Bamhni village. All patients accessing care from the JSS are weighed as a matter of course. Documenting the weight of a patient has obvious benefits for individual diagnosis and care. But trends can also be extrapolated from the data and this has helped the JSS focus resources toward confronting malnutrition which is widespread in rural Chhattisgarh...The JSS (Jan Swasthya Sahyog or People's Health Support Group) is a public-health initiative established in 1996 by a handful of committed doctors all of whom trained at elite medical schools in India. While many of their peers secured high profile, high earning posts in premier hospitals in India, the US and the UK, the doctors at JSS have focussed their medical expertise on providing a service for poor and marginalised rural communities in Bilaspur district in the east Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Relying on grants and private donations, the doctors at JSS pay themselves only Rs.20,000 (US$500) a month...The JSS operate out of a hospital in Ganiyari, 25km from the main district town of Bilaspur. The JSS provide a first-class medical service for a community that would otherwise rely on underfunded and poorly resourced government facilities. Though the hospital at Ganiyari boasts 30 beds, two operating theatres, a fully-equipped lab and three outpatient clinics every week, the service provided by JSS is over-subscribed by a community totaling 800,000 people from 1,500 villages. ..To address the malnutrition that is so widespread among the population they serve, the JSS offers training on new agricultural techniques. The JSS has a well established outreach program of village-clinics and employs over 100 village health workers serving 53 villages. The JSS also operates an ambulance service and assists with transport costs for a rural community who's access to essential services has been under (Tom Pietrasik) Patients attending JSS clinics are all weighed. Dhanga Baiga’s weight is recorded at 28.9kg (64 lb). Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2010

By the time he died, Dhanga had been able to increase his weight by only two kilos. And, as Yogesh had feared, a fever did eventually strike, confining Dhanga to his bed and leaving him unable to eat. Dhanga died last Monday evening, too late for the intervention of JSS field staff who were informed the following day. Though no one knew his exact age, Dhanga was probably in his early 50s.

Dhanga’s is not an isolated case. Thirty-three percent of Indians are underweight with a BMI (Body Mass Index) below 18.5 which, Dr Binayak Sen says amounts to a “genocide without bullets”. Sen, a public-health activist and advisor to the JSS, currently resides in prison, serving a life sentence on false charges of sedition. Sen’s real crime has been to expose the Chhattisgarh state government’s appalling failure to represent the interests of those to whom it was elected to serve: ordinary people like Dhanga Baiga.

A village health worker inspects blood samples at a monthly JSS antinatal clinic in Semariya village....The JSS (Jan Swasthya Sahyog or People's Health Support Group) is a public-health initiative established in 1996 by a handful of committed doctors all of whom trained at elite medical schools in India. While many of their peers secured high profile, high earning posts in premier hospitals in India, the US and the UK, the doctors at JSS have focussed their medical expertise on providing a service for poor and marginalised rural communities in Bilaspur district in the east Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Relying on grants and private donations, the doctors at JSS pay themselves only Rs.20,000 (US$500) a month...The JSS operate out of a hospital in Ganiyari, 25km from the main district town of Bilaspur. The JSS provide a first-class medical service for a community that would otherwise rely on underfunded and poorly resourced government facilities. Though the hospital at Ganiyari boasts 30 beds, two operating theatres, a fully-equipped lab and three outpatient clinics every week, the service provided by JSS is over-subscribed by a community totaling 800,000 people from 1,500 villages. ..To address the malnutrition that is so widespread among the population they serve, the JSS offers training on new agricultural techniques. The JSS has a well established outreach program of village-clinics and employs over 100 village health workers serving 53 villages. The JSS also operates an ambulance service and assists with transport costs for a rural community who's access to essential services has been undermined by the Chhattisgarh government's decision to completely disinvest in public transport. ..Continually exposed to illnesses associated with malnutrition and poverty including tuberculosis and rheumatic heart disease, the doctors at JSS are tireless advocates for universal healthcare and the need to introduce measures to reduce society's inequities and focus resources upon t (Tom Pietrasik)A village health worker inspects blood samples at a monthly JSS antinatal clinic in Semariya village. Bilaspur District , Chhattisgarh. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2010

Continually exposed to illnesses associated with malnutrition and poverty including tuberculosis and rheumatic heart disease, Yogesh Jain, Binayak Sen and others at the JSS argue that any serious challenge to hunger necessitates that we also confront India’s vast and growing inequities.

I was privileged to spend some more time with Yogesh and his colleagues last month while on assignment for Oxfam and will return to them again here in my blog. In the meantime, a gallery of my photographs of the JSS working with the people of rural Chhattisgarh, including the unfortunate Dhanga Baiga, can be seen here. And, for a revealing insight into the experiences of working as a doctor in rural north India, I’d certainly recommend the Fieldnotes blog written by the JSS’s, Dr Ramani Atkuri.

Dr. Raman Kataria reviews an x-ray on the ward of the JSS hospital in Ganiyari. Kataria is a specialist in pediatric surgery...The JSS (Jan Swasthya Sahyog or People's Health Support Group) is a public-health initiative established in 1996 by a handful of committed doctors all of whom trained at elite medical schools in India. While many of their peers secured high profile, high earning posts in premier hospitals in India, the US and the UK, the doctors at JSS have focussed their medical expertise on providing a service for poor and marginalised rural communities in Bilaspur district in the east Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Relying on grants and private donations, the doctors at JSS pay themselves only Rs.20,000 (US$500) a month...The JSS operate out of a hospital in Ganiyari, 25km from the main district town of Bilaspur. The JSS provide a first-class medical service for a community that would otherwise rely on underfunded and poorly resourced government facilities. Though the hospital at Ganiyari boasts 30 beds, two operating theatres, a fully-equipped lab and three outpatient clinics every week, the service provided by JSS is over-subscribed by a community totaling 800,000 people from 1,500 villages. ..To address the malnutrition that is so widespread among the population they serve, the JSS offers training on new agricultural techniques. The JSS has a well established outreach program of village-clinics and employs over 100 village health workers serving 53 villages. The JSS also operates an ambulance service and assists with transport costs for a rural community who's access to essential services has been undermined by the Chhattisgarh government's decision to completely disinvest in public transport. ..Continually exposed to illnesses associated with malnutrition and poverty including tuberculosis and rheumatic heart disease, the doctors at JSS are tireless advocates for universal healthcare and the need to introduce measures to reduce society's inequities and (Tom Pietrasik)Pediatric surgeon Dr. Raman Kataria reviews the x-ray of a child on the ward of the JSS hospital in Ganiyari. Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2010

Mar 28, 2011 | Categories:Development assignments | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments »

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Bhateri, age 65, harvests a mustard crop. Bhateri is an agricultural labourer from Lagarpur village in Haryana. She and other labourers are particularly vulnerable to the development of SEZs. Unlike land-owning farmers, she will receive no compensation for the acquisition of land and it is almost certain that she will not be offered employment in the high-tech industrial facilities proposed in SEZs. ..Reliance Industries (RIL), India's largest private company, has been granted a license to acquire and develop 25,000 acres of land as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Jhajjar district in the state of Haryana. This land borders Delhi and is at present almost exclusively agricultural. The land has huge potential value as it borders Delhi and will be serviced by the proposed Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway. At present RIL are offering farmers INR2.2 million (£27,000) per acre. Many of Jhajjar's farmers are refusing to sell and have joined a national struggle to resist the development of SEZs. ..India's Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are areas of land owned by private companies which are deemed to be foreign territory for the purpose of trade, duties and tariffs. SEZs have been declared "public utilities" making collective bargaining and strikes illegal. SEZs are not subject to India's Environment Protection Act. It is questionable whether SEZs are consistent with the Indian constitution. The Indian finance ministry is concerned that SEZs will distort land, capital and labour costs. SEZ exemption from tax and duties will result in lost revenue for India...The law allowing for the establishment of SEZs in India came into effect in February 2006. The law was not debated in parliament. According to the Citizen's Research Collective, a total of 760 SEZs have been approved in 20 states across India. At present most of the land designated for the development of SEZs is agricultural. The Government of India says it has promoted the scheme to encourage exports, create jobs and rai (Tom Pietrasik)A woman harvests a mustard crop in rural Haryana. Women farmers shoulder 70 to 80 percent of India’s agricultural work but their labour is rarely recognized. Lagarpur, Haryana. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2008

Happy International Women’s Day! I’ve just returned home from a three week assignment for Oxfam which included photographing the activities of a group called AROH who campaign for the recognition of women farmers in Uttar Pradesh state.

Think of an Indian farmer and it is likely that you will conjure up the image of a man, dressed a dhoti or perhaps wearing a turban toiling in a field of wheat or rice. But as Neelam Prabhat of AROH pointed out to me last week, it is not men but women who shoulder the burden of 70 to 80 percent of the agricultural work that takes place in India.

It isn’t only casual perceptions that fail to recognise the contribution women make to India’s agricultural economy. Women too are almost wholly denied control of the land they work. In Uttar Pradesh, only 6.5 percent of women own land.

AROH understand that ownership of and control over land are essential for the recognition of women as farmers. Their campaign for the joint ownership of land in Uttar Pradesh is an important step in challenging the subjugation of women in rural India.

Mar 08, 2011 | Categories:Development assignments, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »