Mr. Imran Khan, this is vijay nair. U have taken wonderful photos of the ground reality in India. but i would hugely appreciate if you can also show the carribeans the beauty of indian art found in places like Ajantha, Ellora, Tajmahal, Udupi, Tanjavoor and Gods own Country Kerala.
I guess I can understand some of your concerns but if you really stretch it, less than a quarter of all the photos here can be interpreted to depict poverty in any way.
This blog clearly states that it will emphasize ordinary Indians on the streets. Unfortunately I have not yet gotten a glimpse of Ashwariya on any street.
Will keep an eye out for her and the others though.
Good job Imran! You have captured many a moment here. These candid expressions are really what make up a culture and a people. Indians you should not be ashamed. We in the west mostly only get to see your glamourous sides thru Bollywood movies. These pictures reflect true " everyday life" images.
hey man...nice work.. but how about you roam arnd guyana streets and show the world the poverty there...what you have shown is just a pinch of the "billion" and even they say "hoo-haa INDIA aa-ya INDIA" everytime the men in blue are there on the field. so you see...you missed out on the 99.99999% of INDIA theres much more and its much different. no we are not ashamed of what your pics show but dont let the viewers misjudge our country. and if this is still what you think of INDIA..let it be..just know that its the fastest growing country after china and can kick some 'u know what'. anywayz have a good time and try to make out what the tiger in the pic is saying...cant guess?? well lemme tell you..the indian tiger is saying,"hoo haa India aaya India"
Every country has people who are well to do and then people who are not.
I think it is as wrong to focus on the negative aspects or not so very fortuunate people to represent a country, as it would be to take pictures of beggars on streets and shantytowns or slums from the carribeans (and believe me, there are many.... I have visited most of the islands).
There is really no 'art' or beauty in it. Just bad taste.....
There is no question of being ashamed about anything. The unfairness of the representation is what the 'fuss' is about. It really takes an unfair person to focus only on the negative images a country has to offer and not see the efforts to survive, do well and excel (as I believe lot of Indians have in their chosen fields).
Brian says: "Imran is just showing "some" of the streel life in India, I am yet to see anything to be ashamed about!!!!! "
Probably you will never understand Brian, but there's a reason Indians are touchy about this subject. For decades the only image of India around the world was through the portrayal of Mother Teresa and the supposed hell-hole of Calcutta. But instead of burying our heads in the sand, we are actually doing something about the grinding poverty that we endured for haf a century. Now when we are coming out of it, I think it's prudent to say enough. Enough of western moralizing. Enough of that condescending and patronizing attitude. We know what is broken, and we are fixing it. You want to shoot pictures of poor homeless people, shoot them in your own country. Even today, the average westerner is not comfortable with an image of India he has not grown up with (assuming he knows where India is, in the first place!). If news from India is not about disease, population, death, hunger, gross and weird images, then it does not conform to stereotypes and is not fit to print. This is a reality that Indians have lived with for too long, and I think it is time for us to ask these patronizing assholes to take a walk.
That's why you have respected news sites reporting about a satellite launch from India, and adding "where most of the population lives on less than a dollar a day". Or every rookie cricket journalist taking pot shots at the BCCI because they make more money than their own boards (what...?? they are Indians...they can't handle money! They are corrupt and unscrouplous...Aussies...now they're different). This is what pricks the Indian conscience. Not something that the likes of Brian can understand. It's not about a few photos by a mediocre photographer. It's the fact that this has really gone on for too long. ENOUGH!
Congratulations Imran, keep it up. Hey guys, what’s wrong with you? When you walk around our cities & villages, what do we see? Mercs & BMWs and people dressed in GUCCI and PRADA? Why are we so uptight & hypocritical about what we are and how we are being seen? If we really care about our country & the outlook let me ask you this! How many of us think twice about dropping garbage (be it paper wraps, cigarette butts, cans or any such stuff) where we feel like, especially in public areas? How many of us try to keep our own environment (shops, houses, offices...) presentable? How many seriously get involved in improving the larger lot? We as a nation revel in 'touch-me-not' complex. Rather than looking at areas of collective improvement, we easily misinterpret and to jump on anybody with any opinion other than sacrosanct make believe gloss. I love my country and I don't really think anybody's perception has anything to do with the actual status of my country. Its all up to me and us. I had a good look at all the pictures of Imran, can't find anything other than what I see all over the country on a daily basis. There is much worse stuff out there, folks. Lets get wise and work on improving ourselves rather than hunting for hidden ghosts.
Pingo: There's no need to take it to extremes. In response to critisisms Imran says "Unfortunately I have not yet gotten a glimpse of Ashwariya on any street."...you talk about Mercs and BMWs on our roads.
In the world of politics this is known as spin.
But just in case you weren't aware, there is something called the middle ground, the reality...which isn't black and white, but consists of various shades of gray. Yes, we don't see Aishwarya Rai selling channa on the street, and we don't see Anil Ambani in his Merc in Jhumritalaia...but we do see a mixture of the good and the bad, of the rich and poor, of the losers and the survivors, of the filthy rich and the opressed, of the educated and the ungli-chaap. This is what makes India the vibrant kaleidoscope of life that Imran talks about in the introduction to his blog. Unfortunately, his photos do not live up to that promise. Yes, you are right, I do see the things shown in his photos when I walk around my country's cities and villages. But I ALSO see many other things...things which complete the picture of modern India that I have in my mind.
Imran's photos are one dimensional, they are NOT representative of the true India that is much more complex than this naive simplistic interpretation.
Again, if this was just another blog in the vast ocean of anonymous blogs, who would have cared? But this has been publicised...this is being seen around the world, but a lot of people, for many of whom this is the only exposure they have ever had to India. So am I suggesting that Imran click pictures of shopping malls and put them up here? That's absurd! He has a right to take whatever pictures suits his asethetic fancy. But he should expect critisism (most of it not entirely unfounded) when he portrays his personal view of a country of a billion people as a true to life snapshot of a nation.
And sir, you are wrong about perception having nothing to do with the actual 'status' of your country. I don't know about your usage of the word status here. But I will tell you this. Perception is EVERYTHING in today's globalized world. Indians may not have kept their own house in order in many respects, but these issues are being addressed, in a slow laborious manner, as can be expected in a democracy with a billion different points of view. And I'm proud of the fact that we are sensitive to perception, and that we are doing something about it, in a lot of small ways. But I guess for you, the difference has to be visible, overnight.
You say "I had a good look at all the pictures of Imran, can't find anything other than what I see all over the country on a daily basis.". At the risk of repeating myself, let me add that I also see a LOT of other good stuff all over the country on a daily basis too.
I am from the West Indies and visited India in 2000. I currently live in Canada. India changed my life for the better. It is a beautiful and fascinating country. After reading the posts I think that the Indian posters have an inaccurate perception of how we in the west see India. India is greatly admired abroad for its vibrant new economy, for having the largest democracy in the world, for its ability to have many different ethnic groups live under one roof and for the most part in harmony. I would not take umbrage to Imran's photos. The world is in admiration of the progress you are making and Imran's photos show if nothing else that you India are alive with all sorts of possiblities. Don't not be afraid to be exposed warts and all. Every single country has its own warts. And India please keep in mind that by 2050 between you and China you will probably be running the planet.
i dont see why we indians get so offended when someone chooses to portray the reality from the streets. a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. india may be growing today. but the fact of the matter is that poverty exists. its not that these images have been concocted and being portrayed intentionally to sully the country's image. our intolerance to such images also shows our ignorance towards the ground realities. infact it reflects a system that has failed those people. let us not be ashamed of what we are and what exists in india. yes, the foriegn media has to stop depicting india as a land of snakes and beggars. because that is not the reality. but these images are reality. and nothing we say can change that.
If you want to see images of the true India through a foreigner's eyes, take a look at galleries like those of Claude Renault on PBase (http://www.pbase.com/clodreno/root).
You will understand what I mean.
There is no attempt to gloss over poverty in Claude's photos. There is no attempt at hiding the ugly truth behind a veneer of glitzy shopping malls. BUT his images do not reek of the patronising and condescending attitude that permeate through most of the photos here. There is a deep understanding, a respect for dignity, a glimpse into the actual humans behind the faces.
Claude's pictures tell a story, give you an insight into a nation. Imran's pictures portray an attitude.
THAT, friends, is the difference.
Else, you can say what Lawrence does..."There is beauty in poverty too". Makes me want to puke.
19 Comments:
Mr. Imran Khan, this is vijay nair. U have taken wonderful photos of the ground reality in India. but i would hugely appreciate if you can also show the carribeans the beauty of indian art found in places like Ajantha, Ellora, Tajmahal, Udupi, Tanjavoor and Gods own Country Kerala.
Cheers,
Vijay
Slices of life frozen in time ....
amazing ...
That's a beautiful picture. I love the way one pigeon is just landing and the focus of the little boy on the others.
impressive work.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hi Folks,
I guess I can understand some of your concerns but if you really stretch it, less than a quarter of all the photos here can be interpreted to depict poverty in any way.
This blog clearly states that it will emphasize ordinary Indians on the streets. Unfortunately I have not yet gotten a glimpse of Ashwariya on any street.
Will keep an eye out for her and the others though.
Cheers
Imran
Haha..
Nicely put Imran..
:D
..Me
Good job Imran! You have captured many a moment here. These candid expressions are really what make up a culture and a people. Indians you should not be ashamed. We in the west mostly only get to see your glamourous sides thru Bollywood movies. These pictures reflect true " everyday life" images.
hey man...nice work..
but how about you roam arnd guyana streets and show the world the poverty there...what you have shown is just a pinch of the "billion" and even they say "hoo-haa INDIA aa-ya INDIA" everytime the men in blue are there on the field. so you see...you missed out on the 99.99999% of INDIA theres much more and its much different. no we are not ashamed of what your pics show but dont let the viewers misjudge our country. and if this is still what you think of INDIA..let it be..just know that its the fastest growing country after china and can kick some 'u know what'. anywayz have a good time and try to make out what the tiger in the pic is saying...cant guess?? well lemme tell you..the indian tiger is saying,"hoo haa India aaya India"
Every country has people who are well to do and then people who are not.
I think it is as wrong to focus on the negative aspects or not so very fortuunate people to represent a country, as it would be to take pictures of beggars on streets and shantytowns or slums from the carribeans (and believe me, there are many.... I have visited most of the islands).
There is really no 'art' or beauty in it. Just bad taste.....
what is all the fuss about??? Imran you are doing a wonderful job. We have all seen the great sights of India via television\magazines\internet etc.
Imran is just showing "some" of the streel life in India, I am yet to see anything to be ashamed about!!!!!
There is no question of being ashamed about anything. The unfairness of the representation is what the 'fuss' is about. It really takes an unfair person to focus only on the negative images a country has to offer and not see the efforts to survive, do well and excel (as I believe lot of Indians have in their chosen fields).
Brian says: "Imran is just showing "some" of the streel life in India, I am yet to see anything to be ashamed about!!!!! "
Probably you will never understand Brian, but there's a reason Indians are touchy about this subject. For decades the only image of India around the world was through the portrayal of Mother Teresa and the supposed hell-hole of Calcutta.
But instead of burying our heads in the sand, we are actually doing something about the grinding poverty that we endured for haf a century.
Now when we are coming out of it, I think it's prudent to say enough. Enough of western moralizing. Enough of that condescending and patronizing attitude. We know what is broken, and we are fixing it. You want to shoot pictures of poor homeless people, shoot them in your own country.
Even today, the average westerner is not comfortable with an image of India he has not grown up with (assuming he knows where India is, in the first place!). If news from India is not about disease, population, death, hunger, gross and weird images, then it does not conform to stereotypes and is not fit to print. This is a reality that Indians have lived with for too long, and I think it is time for us to ask these patronizing assholes to take a walk.
That's why you have respected news sites reporting about a satellite launch from India, and adding "where most of the population lives on less than a dollar a day". Or every rookie cricket journalist taking pot shots at the BCCI because they make more money than their own boards (what...?? they are Indians...they can't handle money! They are corrupt and unscrouplous...Aussies...now they're different).
This is what pricks the Indian conscience. Not something that the likes of Brian can understand. It's not about a few photos by a mediocre photographer. It's the fact that this has really gone on for too long. ENOUGH!
Congratulations Imran, keep it up.
Hey guys, what’s wrong with you? When you walk around our cities & villages, what do we see? Mercs & BMWs and people dressed in GUCCI and PRADA? Why are we so uptight & hypocritical about what we are and how we are being seen? If we really care about our country & the outlook let me ask you this! How many of us think twice about dropping garbage (be it paper wraps, cigarette butts, cans or any such stuff) where we feel like, especially in public areas? How many of us try to keep our own environment (shops, houses, offices...) presentable? How many seriously get involved in improving the larger lot? We as a nation revel in 'touch-me-not' complex. Rather than looking at areas of collective improvement, we easily misinterpret and to jump on anybody with any opinion other than sacrosanct make believe gloss. I love my country and I don't really think anybody's perception has anything to do with the actual status of my country. Its all up to me and us. I had a good look at all the pictures of Imran, can't find anything other than what I see all over the country on a daily basis. There is much worse stuff out there, folks. Lets get wise and work on improving ourselves rather than hunting for hidden ghosts.
Pingo: There's no need to take it to extremes. In response to critisisms Imran says "Unfortunately I have not yet gotten a glimpse of Ashwariya on any street."...you talk about Mercs and BMWs on our roads.
In the world of politics this is known as spin.
But just in case you weren't aware, there is something called the middle ground, the reality...which isn't black and white, but consists of various shades of gray.
Yes, we don't see Aishwarya Rai selling channa on the street, and we don't see Anil Ambani in his Merc in Jhumritalaia...but we do see a mixture of the good and the bad, of the rich and poor, of the losers and the survivors, of the filthy rich and the opressed, of the educated and the ungli-chaap. This is what makes India the vibrant kaleidoscope of life that Imran talks about in the introduction to his blog. Unfortunately, his photos do not live up to that promise.
Yes, you are right, I do see the things shown in his photos when I walk around my country's cities and villages. But I ALSO see many other things...things which complete the picture of modern India that I have in my mind.
Imran's photos are one dimensional, they are NOT representative of the true India that is much more complex than this naive simplistic interpretation.
Again, if this was just another blog in the vast ocean of anonymous blogs, who would have cared? But this has been publicised...this is being seen around the world, but a lot of people, for many of whom this is the only exposure they have ever had to India.
So am I suggesting that Imran click pictures of shopping malls and put them up here? That's absurd! He has a right to take whatever pictures suits his asethetic fancy. But he should expect critisism (most of it not entirely unfounded) when he portrays his personal view of a country of a billion people as a true to life snapshot of a nation.
And sir, you are wrong about perception having nothing to do with the actual 'status' of your country. I don't know about your usage of the word status here. But I will tell you this. Perception is EVERYTHING in today's globalized world. Indians may not have kept their own house in order in many respects, but these issues are being addressed, in a slow laborious manner, as can be expected in a democracy with a billion different points of view. And I'm proud of the fact that we are sensitive to perception, and that we are doing something about it, in a lot of small ways. But I guess for you, the difference has to be visible, overnight.
You say "I had a good look at all the pictures of Imran, can't find anything other than what I see all over the country on a daily basis.".
At the risk of repeating myself, let me add that I also see a LOT of other good stuff all over the country on a daily basis too.
I am from the West Indies and visited India in 2000. I currently live in Canada. India changed my life for the better. It is a beautiful and fascinating country. After reading the posts I think that the Indian posters have an inaccurate perception of how we in the west see India. India is greatly admired abroad for its vibrant new economy, for having the largest democracy in the world, for its ability to have many different ethnic groups live under one roof and for the most part in harmony. I would not take umbrage to Imran's photos. The world is in admiration of the progress you are making and Imran's photos show if nothing else that you India are alive with all sorts of possiblities. Don't not be afraid to be exposed warts and all. Every single country has its own warts. And India please keep in mind that by 2050 between you and China you will probably be running the planet.
Regards,
M Bachan
Man what's wrong with you Indians?
There is beauty in poverty too.
Good job Imran...love it and looking forward to the pics from Pakistan.
i dont see why we indians get so offended when someone chooses to portray the reality from the streets. a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. india may be growing today. but the fact of the matter is that poverty exists. its not that these images have been concocted and being portrayed intentionally to sully the country's image. our intolerance to such images also shows our ignorance towards the ground realities. infact it reflects a system that has failed those people. let us not be ashamed of what we are and what exists in india. yes, the foriegn media has to stop depicting india as a land of snakes and beggars. because that is not the reality. but these images are reality. and nothing we say can change that.
If you want to see images of the true India through a foreigner's eyes, take a look at galleries like those of Claude Renault on PBase (http://www.pbase.com/clodreno/root).
You will understand what I mean.
There is no attempt to gloss over poverty in Claude's photos. There is no attempt at hiding the ugly truth behind a veneer of glitzy shopping malls.
BUT his images do not reek of the patronising and condescending attitude that permeate through most of the photos here.
There is a deep understanding, a respect for dignity, a glimpse into the actual humans behind the faces.
Claude's pictures tell a story, give you an insight into a nation.
Imran's pictures portray an attitude.
THAT, friends, is the difference.
Else, you can say what Lawrence does..."There is beauty in poverty too". Makes me want to puke.
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