Photo Exhibition - "Below the Poverty Line" @ DRIK, Dhaka 23rd-30th Sep, 2007

Below the Poverty Line (BPL) by Suchit Nanda The headlines on 26th April 2007 newspapers in India screamed and declared "India a trillion dollar economy", but does this headline really matter to over 350 million Indians? Probably not as arguably, that many Indians can't read or write a word. For that matter, they probably don't really understand the meaning of the word economy or the number of digits in trillion! Visiting rural India in a place (GPS data included with images) about 300 kms from Nagpur in Maharashtra state and bordering with Madhya Pradesh State one comes face to face with this reality. On an ICT evaluation visit, I was amazed to learn that most of the villages I visited had 100% illiteracy. All of them fall under this virtual line that we have drawn called "The Below Poverty Line (BPL)". In other words living on an earning of under a dollar a day. The BPL Census in India is conducted by the Ministry of Rural Development at the beginning of each Five year Plan period. According to the survey and estimates, the number of people living below the poverty line (BPL) in the country continues to remain in the range of 22-23 crore, while in terms of net percentage of population it has decreased. This suggests that the series of poverty alleviation programmes undertaken by the Government between 1993-94 and 2004-05 have had only a minimal impact on the real economic situation of a larger section of the population, according to the findings of the National Sample Survey (NSS). A visit to any of the villages shows this is true. In August, 1995 The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was passed. It states that every state government shall within six months from the date of commencement of this Act, make a scheme for providing not less than one hundred days of guaranteed employment in a financial year to every household in the rural areas scheme and whose adult members, by application, volunteer to do unskilled manual work. Ironically even to fill the form for this one needs to be literate. Even though thousands of crore rupees have been allocated and Governmental and NGOs have tried to help by offering assistance in this regards, the benefit does not seem to percolate down to all. Even this limited financial assistance has not reached everyone. On my visit to villages such as Banur, Pathakila, Pipalna and others I could see the levels of poverty and sufferings. Some of the villages I visited get cut off from the rest of the civilization for nearly 3 months each year due to the monsoon season. Healthcare is poor and even the basic amenities like clean water was an ordeal. Suchit Nanda's photography exhibition "Below the Poverty Line" was held from 25th to 30th September, 2007 at the Drik Gallery, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Suchit is a majority world photographer and regularly contributes to http://www.majorityworld.com/ The exhibition was part of a series of activities carried out under UNESCO's Artist in Development Programme funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norwegian Embassy). See: http://majorityworld.com/features.php?sessioid=&features_id=17

India: Portrait of an elder lady in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Often religious symbols and names of Gods or the husband is tatooed on the arm of the wife and vise versa for the men. Seen here is a symbol tatooted on her face. Jan 2007.
portrait lady saree elder tatoo India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
India: Young children typically girls carry vessels filled with water from the local village hand pump to their homes as part of their daily chores in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Jan 2007.
water saree lady vessel pot India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
Typical village scene.
Old lady walking on the village road.
Girls going on their cycle to school.
India: Lady with her child and a large bag on her head was walking back towards her village located near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Its amazing how well they balance these bags and the loads they can carry over long distances. Jan 2007
lady son bag bag on head India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
India: Sweet smile of the child melts the heart. Living in rather poor and difficult conditions, the inner happiness shows through. Sitting outside her house in her village near Nagpur, Maharashtra, she was happy to be photographed.
Jan 2007.
girl smile happy India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
Child in the village in MP/MH.
Shy little girl in her school uniform peeping from behind the door to her house.
India: Finger in mouth - this was exactly how this little girl was walking down the rural street carry water for her family. Image shot in village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Jan 2007.
girl water vessel finger India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
India: "Smiling India": As I was walking down the lanes of the village in near Nagpur, Maharashtra the children of the village started to follow me. They were very excited when I turned to them to take their picture. Jan 2007.
children smile poverty teeth tree branch portrait India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
India: "Delicate Balance in Life": This girl in her school uniform was sitting on the wooden branch outside her house in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. When visiting the villages (in India) its hard not to get moved by the level of poverty in the country side and to experience the feeling of helplessness that they feel. Jan 2007.
girl stump tree sitting branch uniform school poverty poor education India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
India: "Grandfather with the little girl": As I was taking the picture of the old man, he called out to his young grand daughter and asked her to sit with him for this picture.
Jan 2007.
old man child girl granddaughter green dress sweater red scarf turban India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
India: "Happy children": As I was walking down the lanes of the village in near Nagpur, Maharashtra the children started to follow me and then at one time gave me a pose which I have captured here. Jan 2007.
Jan 2007.
children smile happy poverty India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
India: "Shy": This little girl was shy and coy at the same time. Image shot in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Jan 2007.
girl smile child India mud Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
India: Loving mother and her daughter were sitting near their home in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Jan 2007.
mother lady daughter child saree India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
India: Portrait of a girl in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. This girl had drapped the torn cloth over herself and with her earings gave a pose for a picture. Jan 2007.
portrait child girl earings India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
India: Water is scarce, and any water source serves as an area to collect water to drink, to wash cloths and vessels and do the laundry. This image is taken in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra, India Jan 2007.
lady girl woman laundry cleaning India cloths washing Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
India: Group of women returning to their village after filling water from the the community well which is fitted with a hand pump. The women typically carry the water in vessels balanced on their heads. This image was taken in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra, India Jan 2007.
water hand pump pump well ladies vessels India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
A vendor sells sweets, peanuts and chickpeas (channa) heated in the small earthen pot at a village fair known as "Haat". In the background is a "talkis", a cheap form of cinema. Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. January 28, 2007.
facesatwork
India: Mother with her smiling son sitting at the entrance to their home in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Jan 2007.
house entrance mother lady woman child smiling naked India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
India: Children playing near a centre which is for pre and post natal care. The sign board in Hindi talks about the health care for mother and child. Jan 2007.
pregnant mother child health care prenatal post natal care India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
India: Local art and design found on the barricade of a house in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Jan 2007.
art design fence India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
India: "The Super Highway": This Maharashtraian family was travelling on the bullock cart in a slow and steady pace just as their ancestors have been doing for hundred of years. Jan 2007.
family lady old young woman bullock cart cotton child India Nagpur Maharashtra village rural
"Below the Poverty Line" photography exhibition of Suchit Nanda's images held from 25th to 30th September, 2007 at the Drik Gallery, Dhaka. The exhibition was part of a series of activities carried out under UNESCO's Artist in Development Programme funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norwegian Embassy). Suchit is a majority world photographer and regularly contributes to http://www.majorityworld.com/
"Below the Poverty Line" photography exhibition of Suchit Nanda's images held from 25th to 30th September, 2007 at the Drik Gallery, Dhaka. The exhibition was part of a series of activities carried out under UNESCO's Artist in Development Programme funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norwegian Embassy). Suchit is a majority world photographer and regularly contributes to http://www.majorityworld.com/
"Below the Poverty Line" photography exhibition of Suchit Nanda's images held from 25th to 30th September, 2007 at the Drik Gallery, Dhaka. The exhibition was part of a series of activities carried out under UNESCO's Artist in Development Programme funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norwegian Embassy). Suchit is a majority world photographer and regularly contributes to http://www.majorityworld.com/
Photography exhibition of Suchit Nanda's images "Below the Poverty Line" held from 25th to 30th September, 2007 at the Drik Gallery, Dhaka. The exhibition was part of a series of activities carried out under UNESCO's Artist in Development Programme funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norwegian Embassy). Suchit is a majority world photographer and regularly contributes to http://www.majorityworld.com/
photography photo exhibition suchit nanda Below the Poverty Line drik gallery dhaka UNESCO Artist in Development Programme Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Norwegian Embassy majority world photographer www.majorityworld.com
Photography exhibition of Suchit Nanda's images "Below the Poverty Line" held from 25th to 30th September, 2007 at the Drik Gallery, Dhaka. The exhibition was part of a series of activities carried out under UNESCO's Artist in Development Programme funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norwegian Embassy). Suchit is a majority world photographer and regularly contributes to http://www.majorityworld.com/
photography photo exhibition suchit nanda Below the Poverty Line drik gallery dhaka UNESCO Artist in Development Programme Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Norwegian Embassy majority world photographer www.majorityworld.com
Poster at entrance to Drik Gallery where a photography exhibition of Suchit Nanda's images "Below the Poverty Line" was held from 25th to 30th September, 2007 at the Drik Gallery, Dhaka. The exhibition was part of a series of activities carried out under UNESCO's Artist in Development Programme funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norwegian Embassy). Suchit is a majority world photographer and regularly contributes to http://www.majorityworld.com/
Artist in Development Programme Below the Poverty Line Nanda Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Norwegian Embassy Suchit UNESCO dhaka drik gallery exhibition majority world photo photographer photography www.majorityworld.com
Photography exhibition of Suchit Nanda's images "Below the Poverty Line" held from 25th to 30th September, 2007 at the Drik Gallery, Dhaka. The exhibition was part of a series of activities carried out under UNESCO's Artist in Development Programme funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norwegian Embassy). Suchit is a majority world photographer and regularly contributes to http://www.majorityworld.com/
Artist in Development Programme Below the Poverty Line Nanda Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Norwegian Embassy Suchit UNESCO dhaka drik gallery exhibition majority world photo photographer photography www.majorityworld.com
Students of Pathshala came for the photography exhibition of Suchit Nanda's images "Below the Poverty Line" held from 25th to 30th September, 2007 at the Drik Gallery, Dhaka. The exhibition was part of a series of activities carried out under UNESCO's Artist in Development Programme funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norwegian Embassy). Suchit is a majority world photographer and regularly contributes to http://www.majorityworld.com/
Artist in Development Programme Below the Poverty Line Nanda Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Norwegian Embassy Suchit UNESCO dhaka drik gallery exhibition majority world pathshala photo photographer photography www.majorityworld.com