Exhibition highlights modern India sticks to its traditions

Exhibition highlights modern India sticks to its traditions

By Izabel Deuff

JAKARTA (JP): Unity in diversity, the Indonesian motto of
Bhineka Tunggal Ika, is also India's. It could well summarize the
week-long Indian Photo Exhibition held at the National Museum.

The exhibition here ends today, but it will tour Medan later
this month. It is organized by the Embassy of India as part of
the celebration of the 50th year of India's Independence.

Sixty-one photos shot by a score of Indian photographers
display a contemporary view of the largest country of the Indian
subcontinent.

Some focus on the diversity and the hugeness of landscapes,
while the others show the modernity of this historic country
which is still cultivating its traditions.

A photo titled Heritage Hotel showing ruins shrouded in fog
evokes the unpeaceful meeting of religions. Another photo of a
woman praying surrounded by all-religion icons intends to
represent the syncretism of religions in India.

The mixture of races and the difficult relationship between
Hindus and Moslems often lead to clashes. Yet, India tries to
instill democracy. A high angle shot of a polling center
testifies to the establishment of Westminster-style democracy. A
view of Parliament also gives viewers the remembrance of India as
a British colony until 1947.

India's British heritage is noticeably missing from this
exhibition. It isn't directly displayed, as if Indians prefer to
erase this period of their history, even though we could unearth
some traces of this past in India's judicial system or witness it
by the overwhelming number of publications in English in the
country.

A series of photos representing women stresses the increasing
importance of women in Indian society. "Women had a very low
status. Now our society changes. We are proud of those women
coming up and giving a social momentum," said B.N. Reddy, the
second secretary of the Indian Embassy .

Many Indian women have become police officers, doctors and
researchers. Women have also played a prominent role in promoting
the arts.

This meaningful change in Indian society is one of the social
issues tackled by the photographers. They also demonstrate the
freedom of expression in India by showing taxi drivers striking
and prowomen's rights demonstrations.

Likewise, the willingness to portray India's development is
too obvious. A school provided with advanced computers, traffic
jams and urbanization in New Delhi. A Maruti car factory, a visit
to a satellite model display or a petrochemical plant by night
give an idea of how promising is the industrial sector in India.

India tries to enlarge her energetic resources by establishing
some wind energy farms and multiplying solar panels in remote
areas as shown in two photos.

Some endeavoring to educate people are also presented through
street schools or those welcoming liberated child workers.

A great part of the exhibition deals with Indian arts. The
photographers chose to promote traditional arts: dancing through
the dance academy of Kalasheta and a dance drama called
Kathakali, street theater and traditional instrument players.

The contemporary arts have not been forgotten either: the
cinema is personified by director Satyajit Ray, and painting is
represented by Vasundhara Tiwari, a famous Indian painter, in
front of one of her works. Two novelists, one who writes in
English (Arundhati Roy) and another in Hindi (Mahashweta Devi),
are also pictured.

Modernity seems to be one of the prevailing themes of the
exhibition. "This photo could represent the Indian way of life
and the new family relationship. It shows that some classes of
the population can afford more communication," said B.N. Reddy.

There is also a portrayal of a brand new mirror-windowed
building testifying that India can reach a high level of life,
but the AIDS campaign in Mumbai, depicted in another frame, shows
another side of India.

After the latest nuclear tests, it would have been amazing not
to find some evidence of the military power of India. Two photos
shed light on this subject. One depicts a military parade and the
other an old veteran sporting his decorations on a worn T-shirt.

All the individual shots in the exhibition emanate a pride for
their country and joy. But the look of a child worker weaving a
carpet is also a sign of another India, one that is excluded from
modernity.

If one photo were to summarize India, it would be the
following one: in the foreground, it portrays a man leading a
camel and surrounded by a few goats in the desert. In the
background there is a huge satellite dish which shows how India
is still bound to its traditions but yearns for development.