MIGRATE: THROUGH YOUR EYES
Migration is one of the biggest ways climate change impacts communities. From labourers leaving their homes due to threat of flood to communities holding on to their identities in drought-induced exile, the following images capture it all.
SHOWCASE
On the banks of Byrasandra Lake near Jayanagar, Bengaluru, is the ‘Gulbarga Colony’, sharing its name with the district of Gulbarga (now called Kalaburagi). Faced with frequent droughts and falling income from agriculture in the 1970- 80s, several people migrated to Bengaluru (then Bangalore) in search of work and made the city their home.
The Karnataka Slum Development Board resettled 250 odd families to the photographed buildings about twenty years ago. Despite being in the city for over 40 years, most of the people continue to work in low-income, informal jobs. While the men primarily work in the construction sector, women from the colony are mainly employed as domestic workers.
These images capture how women migrants affirm their Gulbargi identity with Ikkal sarees, jowari rotti, and flaming red bindis.
About the Photographer
Nabina Chakraborty passed out of A J Kidwai Mass Communication and Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia in 2019. Since then, she has worked with multiple filmmakers in Delhi. Currently, she is working as an Assistant in the Media Lab at Indian Institute for Human Settlements, an educational institution that works around urban issues. Her graduation film ‘Iq Rah - One Path, Many Journeys’ has been selected for various film festivals across India. She is also a keen photographer and her photograph ‘Urban snow - Chatt Puja’ was published by The Guardian as one of the best images of 2019.
In the Sundarbans, the sea level rises by an average of 3 centimeters a year, leading to one of the fastest rates of coastal erosion in the world. Many have seen their homes swallowed up by the sea, forcing them to relocate. According to some climate researchers, the inhabitants of the island of Lohachara in the Sunderbans became the world’s first climate refugees after the island was completely submerged under the sea.
Ghoramara is the smallest and most vulnerable island in the Sundarbans and, according to some researchers, will be completely submerged in another 30 years. This picture was taken with my mobile during a visit to the island. In the picture, some residents of the island are seen going towards the jetty. They will catch the last boat at 3:30 PM to go to Kakdwip, traveling onwards to other states where they work as labourers.
About the Photographer
Saranya Basu is currently pursuing his Political Science degree with specialization in International Relations from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. His areas of interest include climate change and its related consequences. He has done several internships on public policy and covered Sundarbans extensively to study the effect of climate change and the policy loopholes. He is also the Central Executive member of Green Crusaders, a non-profit organisation committed towards socio-ecological awareness.
In his free time, you might find him either with a book or a table tennis bat in hand. Apart from travelling and interacting with people from different backgrounds, he has a penchant for photography, and hopes to buy a camera in the near future.
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