Tales from the Island of Serendip 4 4

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If Roshni was the chief highlight of my trip, it was by no means the only one. I came at this time to coincide with Purnabha and Lucina's convocation, at which at last they were awarded their PhDs after so many years of dedication and hard work. I'm extremely proud of them both.

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During the three weeks I stayed with them, we traveled extensively, from coastal regions to hill stations, from jungles to cities. We met with tribal peoples in various locales, and discussed future plans that might build on our experiences with Roshni. I continued my existential journey with the camera, compiling several photo essays on the poorest people, all the while pondering whether I was exploiting them or in some way raising awareness of their plight. You will have the opportunity to consider this for yourself in future posts.

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Dooars

Dooars is an undulating plain at the foot of the Himalayas, much of which is a tropical rainforest replete with wild elephants, leopards, monitor lizards, peacocks, rhinos, poisonous snakes and buffalo. As I was later to discover, it's not the animals, but the plants you really need to worry about!  There Purnabha would be supporting a local NGO dedicated to working with very poor tribal people seeking out a subsistence living as best they can.

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NGOs such as this do a fantastic job, and in his professional capacity Purnabha travels vast distances across the length and breadth of India to advise them. Despite all the gruelling journeys he does this with enormous energy and commitment. 

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In this sequence you can see what happens when we placed my camera in the hands of the villagers. I'll let the camera tell the story...