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As the prime time debates sizzle with discussions of cows being mothers and being served on platters, a 24-year-old artist has taken matters into his own hands to talk about the issues that seem to have been sidelined.
Exactly a week ago, Sujatro Ghosh started a photoseries wherein he’s photographing women in a cow mask around Delhi, to highlight the need for making the streets a safe space for women and not just cows, as he told The Quint in a conversation.
Ghosh was born and brought up in a liberal environment in Kolkata sans religious polarisation. Now an alumnus of Jamia Milia Isalmia University, shifting to Delhi a few years ago was a paradigm shift for him.
He started this project in Delhi as “it is the hub of everything” and has photographed people in his hometown, Kolkata. But, he wishes to make this a pan-India project.
Ghosh began the project with the help from friends and acquaintances from different parts of the society. But, it wasn’t easy as there were many who were apprehensive to being photographed.
Now that the project is out, the response has been overwhelming for the 24-year-old.
Having shot in front of India Gate and President’s Estate in Delhi, what Ghosh presumed would be a tough task, instead was much easier than he anticipated.
The artist has received tremendous support from friends, acquaintances and strangers – both online and offline. Some have even offered to help him fund his project so that he can take it all over the country. While a nascent thought, he might himself start an online fund to take his project places.
But, as in any social cause, Ghosh had to deal with some detractors as well.
However, he has not faced any political opposition and also highlighted that his intention is to raise awareness about social causes and not hurt political or religious sentiments of any community.
The one and only key takeaway from Ghosh’s project is the need for safety of women on the streets of the country with the same enthusiasm with which cows are being protected.
He is using “#RisingbeyondJingoism” and “#misplacedpriorities” along with his images to remind people of the issues they are brushing aside, all in the name of “gau-maata”.
Ghosh has begun a BitGiving campaign to fund his project and you can donate by going to this link: https://www.bitgiving.com/cowmask
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