Paradox

He came up to talk to me at the photo exhibition on rural India, or should I say, the fast disappearing rural India. 'I am an amateur photographer, I had been taking photos for some time now. But I like the way you were able to get these candid pictures'. I thanked him. 'You know if this was done by a white skinned person, there would have been a lot more applause. You skin colour doesn't fit'. He gave me an understanding smile and continued, 'I was in Switzerland once, and was clicking away to glory, when the man sitting next to me asked me,where I was from. I said, my face should let you know - I am from India. He said, 'then why are you taking photos here, go to your country, you have a treasure out there'.

My new acquaintance continued. 'Just see this, the depth. That is his life - his food, his necessities, and that's the rest...he said, pointing to one of the pictures where a Santhal family was busy cooking their feast for the annual puja. 'Yes, that's true, but all that is going away, getting displaced'. I remarked. He didn't reply, "I really like your pictures, I would like to gift you a couple of my own photos". 'Thank you, what do you do by the way?" I asked him. "I am an energy specialist. I was into Nuclear Energy earlier, was working with the Atomic Energy Department, now I am into Hydro".

"Oh, that's interesting, we are on the opposite sides then", I replied. "You see, actually, Nuclear Industry in India is really very safe. I can explain to you", he said with some consideration. "Definitely, we should discuss, may be some other time, it can be a long discussion." I replied. He gave me his phone number. His name was not common...it was the name of an ancient sage of India...the guru of the Devatas.

He continued looking around, "That one, the natural light is damn good. Look at the way they are all sitting around". "That is a village that will be submerged by the Polavaram Dam. You should know it better, since you are into Hydro electric power", I asked. He didn't respond.

"I like that "go dhuli" (evening, cattle coming home) so typical of Indian villages, those two kids with that little bit of orange makes the difference in that picture..." our man continued. This time I didn't try to bring his focus back - that the "safe" Nuclear energy and his current bread provider - Hydro electric projects are destroying the lives of those very people, whom he was all praise for, or at least, whose life style he adored...or may be it was just a good subject for his photography...can't say.

Interesting that this Dev-guru is actually involved in an industry that is destroying the "Dev Bhumi" - the land of gods: Himalayas - ripping them apart to produce electricity. Electricity which I was using extensively at that time, to bring his focus to such issues, inside a plush art gallery. Electricity, which is needed for our "growth", so that we too may be considered as equals by the "white skinned" people.