What makes a young man set himself on fire? What cause
is worth such a sacrifice when a 27-year-old runs through the streets of Delhi,
slowly burning to death while we watch? In the ten years of my life as a photo-journalist
these are questions that I have never grappled with.
is worth such a sacrifice when a 27-year-old runs through the streets of Delhi,
slowly burning to death while we watch? In the ten years of my life as a photo-journalist
these are questions that I have never grappled with.
Until today as the images of the young man came
through my shutter and burned itself into my consciousness. For years looking
through a single reflex mirror, playing with light, shutter speed, apertures
and fields of depth have helped me understand the world around me a little
better. But how do I deal with an image of self-perpetrated violence that leaps
out of streets on a mundane day and changes my life forever?
through my shutter and burned itself into my consciousness. For years looking
through a single reflex mirror, playing with light, shutter speed, apertures
and fields of depth have helped me understand the world around me a little
better. But how do I deal with an image of self-perpetrated violence that leaps
out of streets on a mundane day and changes my life forever?
Today was no different as our gang of
photo-journalists began the day, hunting in packs for the image that will
define and justify our attempts to record history through our cameras. Protests
make compelling pictures so when we were told about a group of Tibetan exiles getting
together at the historic Jantar Mantar
we rushed to the spot. As usual the Tibetans were gathering to protest against
the visit of Chinese premier Hu Jintao, who heads to New Delhi tomorrow for the
BRICS summit.
photo-journalists began the day, hunting in packs for the image that will
define and justify our attempts to record history through our cameras. Protests
make compelling pictures so when we were told about a group of Tibetan exiles getting
together at the historic Jantar Mantar
we rushed to the spot. As usual the Tibetans were gathering to protest against
the visit of Chinese premier Hu Jintao, who heads to New Delhi tomorrow for the
BRICS summit.
Stock pictures taken I was busy reviewing my images
when suddenly a pall of black smoke seemed to emerge from the crowd at a
distance. In a fraction of a second, my vision saw smoke and fire erupt as a young
man set himself on fire. People setting themselves on fire have been images that
have been caught through time immemorial, defining an age or a conflict for
decades. I had seen images of a young girl, burnt on the streets of Cambodia or
a monk immolating himself on the streets of Vietnam as I learnt my craft years
ago. Somewhere on my consciousness are the images of a Rajeev Goswami burning
himself in outrage against the Mandal Commission.
when suddenly a pall of black smoke seemed to emerge from the crowd at a
distance. In a fraction of a second, my vision saw smoke and fire erupt as a young
man set himself on fire. People setting themselves on fire have been images that
have been caught through time immemorial, defining an age or a conflict for
decades. I had seen images of a young girl, burnt on the streets of Cambodia or
a monk immolating himself on the streets of Vietnam as I learnt my craft years
ago. Somewhere on my consciousness are the images of a Rajeev Goswami burning
himself in outrage against the Mandal Commission.
But I was
about to click my first shot of a self-immolating person. The next moment I saw
a burning figure in my Nikon frame – a running youth all covered in flames –
from head to toe as if he is made of charcoal.
about to click my first shot of a self-immolating person. The next moment I saw
a burning figure in my Nikon frame – a running youth all covered in flames –
from head to toe as if he is made of charcoal.
As he came close, I kept clicking him frame after
frame through my 17 – 35 wide angle lens. Like a ruthless professional my mind
and my body worked in tandem recording the images. The image captured on my camera, in that moment, was far more important that the young man slowly burning away for a lost homeland.
frame through my 17 – 35 wide angle lens. Like a ruthless professional my mind
and my body worked in tandem recording the images. The image captured on my camera, in that moment, was far more important that the young man slowly burning away for a lost homeland.
I could not even feel the heat of flames when ran
past, barely a distance of 5 or 6 feet. My left hand was busy setting the zoom
to get the best shot and my right index finger was busy clicking the shutter,
and my legs egging me on to keep pace.
past, barely a distance of 5 or 6 feet. My left hand was busy setting the zoom
to get the best shot and my right index finger was busy clicking the shutter,
and my legs egging me on to keep pace.
I followed and kept clicking till he collapsed. As
the crowd gathered and doused his fire my adrenalin levels came down and I
withdrew. I was shooting like a maniac, running after the burning man. The
Tibetans made a path leading to where there man was lying, perhaps now dead. It
was at that moment that I finally saw what I had missed earlier. That here was
a man, more than an image captured in my digital camera. A living, breathing fellow-human
being, now smouldering and still on the ground.
the crowd gathered and doused his fire my adrenalin levels came down and I
withdrew. I was shooting like a maniac, running after the burning man. The
Tibetans made a path leading to where there man was lying, perhaps now dead. It
was at that moment that I finally saw what I had missed earlier. That here was
a man, more than an image captured in my digital camera. A living, breathing fellow-human
being, now smouldering and still on the ground.
Jamphel Yeshi, 27 years. Why did you have to die? What
will this single act of sacrifice fetch for you or your cause?
will this single act of sacrifice fetch for you or your cause?
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