In February this year, a Tanzanian national was attacked, stripped, and beaten in Bangalore, over an accident involving a Sudanese student. This incident came as a wakeup call to a lot of Indians who believed that racism didn’t exist in this country.
For Bangalore-based photographer Mahesh Shantaram, this incident was a reminder of how little he knew about the African community living in his city. He immediately set off on a journey to give them a voice and dismiss the notion that they are homogenous.
His series ‘Racism: The African Portraits’ captures glimpses of racism in India through photographs and stories of African students. Each image portrays an African in their surroundings, and mentions their current city and home country, bringing out the plurality of Africans, who hail from different countries and backgrounds.
Prosper (pictured above), for instance, lives in Bangalore. Contrary to stereotypical beliefs, he did not escape Africa for a better life in India. His parents are influential politicians in Tanzania, and this sleepy locality in Bangalore was his escape from all the limelight back home.
Another portrait features Michel, the brother of Olivia, the young Congolese who was beaten to death following an altercation with locals in Kishangarh, Delhi, while another introduces Wando and his family who have made India their home despite an attack in 2013.
Racially segregated by classmates, homeowners, and the general population, Africans in India often face discrimination on a daily basis, and are looked down on as criminals.
Through his portraits, Mahesh tries to eradicate this irrational fear of the black person and forces us to look beyond stereotypes. He takes the viewer, into their private and personal spaces, their houses, their neighbourhoods, their bedrooms. His intent is not to show them as the victim, but to humanise them. His portraits are of Africans, but the subject is about India and Indians.
For Mahesh, who recently showcased the series at the Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (ICIA), having these portraits up in a gallery is, in itself, recognition of the African identity in India.
Featured image source: Scroll.in
Written by Tulika Bhogaraju
