Photo © SANTANU DEY
Photojournalism - NOMINEE: SANTANU DEY
Life At The Nightfall
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“A woman with an education may be able to spend more time sitting in a chair instead of lying on her back. A sound advantage, I should think.”—Anne Bishop, Daughter of the Blood
The world we live in is a beautiful place, is it??
We are aware of our world and everything that happens around, really? Yes, the world definitely a beautiful place but, from a certain perspective. It is only about what we see through our naked eyes; that we are made aware of. It won’t be wrong to say that the majority of us are ignorant to the dark world that surrounds us. We generally tend to focus on the sunny sides. But then, there is the other side of the coin, dark, grimly, shabby. We are all familiar with the word “prostitution”, the primeval business. But quite little we know about the dark abyss that it extends to.
One such dark place is BARUIPUR BROTHEL, SOUTH 24 PARGANAS, WEST BENGAL, INDIA. A huge number of women, both young and middle aged, in this brothel are living their life in such miseries. These sex-workers lack the option of choice. Irrespective of their mental and physical conditions, they have to attend to the call of the clients. ‘Money’-that only bothers the pimps.
No women want this life. But then, it is also true that they cannot dream of a different one. They were bred and reared up in this dark world, generations after generations. Nevertheless, the mothers want their daughters to tread on a different path. But how can one, who is confined in such an environment? The solution is not unachievable though. With proper guidance and education, those unfulfilled aspirations can come true. Unfortunately, the ones who are already swamped cannot be brought back. But their legacy need not continue. Their children can be brought to the main stream with proper education; they can be inculcated with better dreams and goals in life. It is us who can help them in achieving a better life and save the small daughters of Bengal from this black and white life of their ancestors. Unfortunately many schools can’t accept these children just because of they are born in brothel. But many NGOs and Children Welfare Association are trying to collect a fund for building a home for those children’s education. I believe only proper education can change these children and will tear through this darkness to the bright colors of the world outside their narrow lane.
About author:
Santanu Dey is an independent emerging photographer based in Kolkata. Who started his education as an accountant, but then he got a scholarship to study post graduate diploma in photography from “Counter Foto- A center for visual art” Dhaka, Bangladesh and he did it. He also done workshop with Documentary photography practice by Saiful Haque Omi (He is principal and managing director of Counter Foto - A center for visual art), and contemporary long term documentary photography practice by ArkoDutto (He is a photographer of Noor foundation). Santanu has had group shows in Kolkata, Dhaka and Scotland. His works have been published in such online publications as Life force magazine, Dodho magazine, 121 clicks. He got 1st place in the Polyphony Photo Festival in 2017, finalist in Sente Antue Cup, China 2018, finalist in HIPA Photography contest 2018, long listed in Toto Tasveer Award 2016 and 2018, nominee of the Photography grant 2017, Selected in Jakarta International Photo Festival (JIPF) 2019, Indian photo feastival (IPF) 2019. Santanu also has had an artist talk and presentation in Counter Foto 6th anniversary program organized “Speaking on the young seminar” at Bishwo Sahitto Kendro, Dhaka, 2019.
The world we live in is a beautiful place, is it??
We are aware of our world and everything that happens around, really? Yes, the world definitely a beautiful place but, from a certain perspective. It is only about what we see through our naked eyes; that we are made aware of. It won’t be wrong to say that the majority of us are ignorant to the dark world that surrounds us. We generally tend to focus on the sunny sides. But then, there is the other side of the coin, dark, grimly, shabby. We are all familiar with the word “prostitution”, the primeval business. But quite little we know about the dark abyss that it extends to.
One such dark place is BARUIPUR BROTHEL, SOUTH 24 PARGANAS, WEST BENGAL, INDIA. A huge number of women, both young and middle aged, in this brothel are living their life in such miseries. These sex-workers lack the option of choice. Irrespective of their mental and physical conditions, they have to attend to the call of the clients. ‘Money’-that only bothers the pimps.
No women want this life. But then, it is also true that they cannot dream of a different one. They were bred and reared up in this dark world, generations after generations. Nevertheless, the mothers want their daughters to tread on a different path. But how can one, who is confined in such an environment? The solution is not unachievable though. With proper guidance and education, those unfulfilled aspirations can come true. Unfortunately, the ones who are already swamped cannot be brought back. But their legacy need not continue. Their children can be brought to the main stream with proper education; they can be inculcated with better dreams and goals in life. It is us who can help them in achieving a better life and save the small daughters of Bengal from this black and white life of their ancestors. Unfortunately many schools can’t accept these children just because of they are born in brothel. But many NGOs and Children Welfare Association are trying to collect a fund for building a home for those children’s education. I believe only proper education can change these children and will tear through this darkness to the bright colors of the world outside their narrow lane.
About author:
Santanu Dey is an independent emerging photographer based in Kolkata. Who started his education as an accountant, but then he got a scholarship to study post graduate diploma in photography from “Counter Foto- A center for visual art” Dhaka, Bangladesh and he did it. He also done workshop with Documentary photography practice by Saiful Haque Omi (He is principal and managing director of Counter Foto - A center for visual art), and contemporary long term documentary photography practice by ArkoDutto (He is a photographer of Noor foundation). Santanu has had group shows in Kolkata, Dhaka and Scotland. His works have been published in such online publications as Life force magazine, Dodho magazine, 121 clicks. He got 1st place in the Polyphony Photo Festival in 2017, finalist in Sente Antue Cup, China 2018, finalist in HIPA Photography contest 2018, long listed in Toto Tasveer Award 2016 and 2018, nominee of the Photography grant 2017, Selected in Jakarta International Photo Festival (JIPF) 2019, Indian photo feastival (IPF) 2019. Santanu also has had an artist talk and presentation in Counter Foto 6th anniversary program organized “Speaking on the young seminar” at Bishwo Sahitto Kendro, Dhaka, 2019.