Lensman portrays struggles through a photo series

Chennai

He always wanted to visit those places through which the river flows. After becoming a photographer, he ventured into the villages in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Jaisingh noticed that the lifestyle of people there is very similar to his childhood days in rural Tamil Nadu. He captured a few images for archiving and went on with other projects. Back at his hometown in Vadipatti, Madurai, because of lockdown, Jaisingh decided to do a comparative study of both the cultures and has come up with a photo series called The Land That Is No More. “I spent my childhood in rural Tamil Nadu and I have fond memories of those days. I enjoyed swimming in the river, catching fish, playing in the open fields with my friends, herding cows, sleeping under the sky and the stars. I can still remember the smell of the fields before the rain, the smell of the river, the smell of the cattle, the smell of fresh milk and the smell of simple food. Now, while looking at the photos taken from those states, I feel nostalgic about my childhood days. So, I compiled a few photos taken from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat and shared it on my social media pages. This is more like a comparative study between the culture and life in Madurai and those states. I could say that life around 10-15 years was very simple,” he says.

Grandson of Ponnuthai, a fiery Dalit woman who fought all odds and started a school in Vadipatti, Jaisingh questions the politics behind the land issues across the country. “Most of the land issues are between minority or indigenous tribes and government or influential people. The land struggles are very much similar to racial equality protests that are happening now,” he points out.