Indian mission sees red over kids' photos

KOLKATA: The Indian high commission at Dhaka has refused to display photographs taken by children from Kolkata’s red light areas at the Indian Culture Centre gallery. Though the first secretary of the press and culture wing of the high commission, Neeta Bhushan, had initially agreed, permission was later withdrawn citing “suspect credentials� of the children.
The photographs were culled from the works of sex workers’ children who had spent a weekend at Shankarpur, capturing the life at the seaside.A group of professional photographers had organised the photography workshop for the children this July and the results left them impressed. Indian high commission officials, though, had a different view. “We can allow works of only reputed photographers to be exhibited at the gallery,� they told representatives of Drik, the organisers of the second Chhabi Mela in Dhaka, after the programme schedule had been published and distributed.
Shocked photographers from Bangladesh and India then scurried to make alternate arrangements.When approached, the British Council Gallery agreed to host the three-week show of 45 photographs taken by 14 children. Photographer and social activist Suvendu Chatterjee, who had participated in the Shankarpur workshop, said the kids were extremely talented.
Acclaimed photographer Raghu Rai had also agreed to inaugurate an exhibition in Kolkata. “The photographs reveal the latent talent in the unfortunate children. One child, Sunita Sen, has already expressed her determination to take up photography,� Chatterjee said. Her works have been selected for the Dhaka photo festival. “The attitude of high commission officials is disappointing. How can they differentiate between ordinary children and those of a sex worker? Isn’t it enough that their works are good enough for an international exhibition?� Chatterjee said.