At a time when it appears that the pluralistic character of the nation is under a cloud, veteran photographer Raghu Rai feels it is time for every man or woman to spread the message of love, compassion and forgiveness..
For Rai, who has sensitively captured Missionaries of Charity founder Mother Teresa and The Dalai Lama in how they connect with the masses and how their message of compassion and tolerance for fellow human beings is spreading far and wide, it is important to assuage feelings of hatred, vengeance and animosity towards any community. “Responsibility lies with every citizen. They should understand what is in the nation’s interest and not get brainwashed by divisive politics. There is so much pain and suffering in society which can be reflected through images that narrate multiple emotions and sense of insecurity . It is a professional photographer’s job to highlight what the society is going through. Of course, he needs to be sensitive. Insaniyat honi chahiya; dignity of the person should remain intact. ” On photographers being mute spectators when people are lynched in riots or face police action in demonstrations, Rai, who has extensively covered such situations, says, “ Yeh phaltu ki batein hain . Nobody asks the reporter on how he/she would do the story. People ask questions like why did he not prevent it? As if the photographer on the spot is responsible for such inhuman occurrences. His job is to showcase the insensitivity, emotions of any given situation. If he is not there then how would society come to know about terrible incidents taking place? Responsibility lies with everybody to prevent such ghastly attacks.”
While it is the job of photographer to capture a person or situation with brutal honesty and frankness, it becomes incumbent on him not to show vulgarity. “ Ashleelta nahin honi chahiye . Truthfulness is an essential prerequisite. Like when I covered the Bangladesh war, I highlighted the vulnerability of the people who were oppressed. And I could empathise with them because I had myself seen the mayhem and bloodshed during the Partition. My father and sisters had to flee from Pakistan. We had to live in refugee camps and I saw some really bad days. Khane ko nahin miltha tha . I understand the emotional fallout in victims of such situations.”
This is the reason why the ace photographer keeps capturing the uncertainty and anguish of Afghan, Sri Lankan and Rohingya refugees. “I have been covering refugees as I have myself been a refugee when Pakistan was created. As a photographer I have captured suffering, emotional pain of men, women through powerful, striking images. During the Union Carbide gas disaster, I felt compelled to capture a boy buried with his eyes popping out.”
Rai maintains that his latest work — a coffee table book “Khajuraho” (Niyogi Books) in which introduction has been given by Usha Rai, should be seen in the context that love has the power to conquer everyone including those instigating violence? “Of course, Khajuraho is one of the most important works of mankind. It liberates your pain and suffering. Sensitivity goes with tenderness. Such beautiful architecture, the magnificent temples! Each statue has its uniqueness, relevance and needs to be understood in the broader context. Woh batlati hain ki Hindustan ki sanskriti kitni purani hai .”
Narrating an interesting incident to highlight lack of appreciation of craftsmanship of sculptures of Khajuraho, Rai says, “Bulganin, Premier of Soviet Union, was coming to India at a time when Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister. While planning his itinerary, he asked one of his ministers to go to Khajuraho and organise his stay there. Nehru knew that Khajuraho was one of the great historical places. This Minister came back and was horrified with what he saw there. He told Pandjitji if you tell me I would get mud painted on those erotic statues. Panditji was so angry with him; he told him you neither knew art nor culture. Woh Hindustan ki sanskriti hai. Even in the 11th and 12th centuries the people were sexually evolved. Look at the way those statues were chiselled out.” Is there lack of understanding of the relevance of these statues among Indians? “Sexuality was depicted for a valid reason. Aap bhagwan se kaise connect karo ge if you are not sexually satisfied? Pehle jiyo phir temple ke andar aao . As a creative person, I would say the same thing. Without sexual fulfilment a man or woman is an incomplete person. Those masterpieces are symbols of our culture and heritage. And that is what I have depicted in the book.”
Talking about the process of framing temples, Rai reminisces, “Daily scores of people visit there and take pictures which are used in books. I took a special permission from the Archaeological Survey of India to use a 20-feet ladder. The idea was to stand eye level to those imposing statues just like when you are talking to someone you are sitting at the same level. I wanted to avoid geometrical distortion and bring out exact proportion of the human figures. This ladder, which easily gets folded, helped me immensely.”
