The Other India

  What is the first thing that comes to our mind when we think about slums? Do we know what deplorable health and environmental conditions exist in slums? Every now and then we come across news that reports eviction of slum dwellers due to encroachment? Their houses are demolished and asked to leave. Do we ever wonder where would they go after getting evicted? They just get settled in another government or private land only to get evicted again just when they think that they have a home now. The cycle just keeps occurring again and again. Why aren't we able to solve this problem and help them to give a sense of belonging? Slums are the other India that we should focus on. Ok, let's understand the cycle first before thinking about a plausible solution. Due to rapid urbanization more and more people come to cities with a dream to improve their lives. They get settled on lands that are open and unclaimed what we call slums. These slums have people who work as daily wagers, dr...

“Don’t need to ask. If you ask, they will say no. Just make a picture.” This is what Nils Heininger's companion said two years ago when both of them were exploring one of the lesser known shantytowns of the country. Today I happened to read an article written by Nils Heininger who is a photographer, traveller and Anthropology student whose area of focus is Culture of India .As a part of this, he had travelled across the country and lived his life with different communities including the Balmiki Community, a well-known minority group of India. But what captured my attention was his passion towards photography and views on Photo Journalism.  The article started off with his entry to the world of Travel Photography. According to him, 'Travel Photography' is an overused western term which basically means that a foreigner exploring a place and capturing pictures of exotic people , but Nils's version for the same is entirely different and for him the concept of Travel Photog...

The Past, Present and Future :  Slums in the Indian context is a place that came as a part of colonial invention, that sprouted from the leftovers of the dirt and stench at the backdrop of its flamboyant towns and cities. The advent of industrial revolution brought about a paradigm shift in the world by eventually reducing the grip of agricultural activities in the socio-economic realm. The destruction of the rural industries and agriculture by virtue of the innumerable British policies, and persuaded by the false prospects of better employment and livelihood in the industrial establishments of colonial India, forced the rural poor, burdened by famine and deprived of livelihood , to migrate in large numbers to towns and cities . This migration that remained consistent and increasing since its inception led to the formation of slums, that accommodate large number of population in the small discrete pockets spread at indiscrete parts of cities and towns where people subsist on mini...