East Pakistan
led to a mass exodus of refugees into India. Despite an international
outcry, the assaults and rapes continued. With the intervention of the Indian
Armed Forces in December 1971, after nine months of violence and uncertainty
and a twelve-day war between India
and Pakistan, the
independent nation of Bangladesh
was born. Ace photographer Ragu Rai documented the plight of the refugees, the
action during the war and the jubilant scenes of victory and Independence.
Raghu Rai
Indian, b. 1942
Raghu Rai was
born in the small village of Jhhang, now part of Pakistan. He took up photography in
1965, and the following year joined “The Statesman” newspaper as its chief
photographer. Impressed by an exhibit of his work in Paris in 1971, Henri Cartier-Bresson
nominated Rai to join Magnum Photos in 1977.
Rai left “The
Statesman” in 1976 to work as picture editor for “Sunday,” a weekly news
magazine published in Calcutta.
He left in 1980 and worked as Picture Editor/Visualizer/Photographer of “India
Today”, India’s
leading news magazine, during its formative years. From 1982 to 1991, he worked
on special issues and designs, contributing trailblazing picture essays on
social, political and cultural themes, many of which became the talking point
of the magazine.
In the last 18
years, Rai has specialized in extensive coverage of India. He has produced more than 18
books, including Raghu Rai’s Delhi, The Sikhs, Calcutta, Khajuraho, Taj Mahal, Tibet
in Exile, India, and Mother Teresa.
For Greenpeace,
he has completed an in-depth documentary project on the chemical disaster at Bhopal in 1984, and on
its ongoing effects on the lives of gas victims. This work resulted in a book
and three exhibitions that have been touring Europe, America,
India
and southeast Asia since 2004, the 20th anniversary of the disaster.
Rai hopes that the exhibition can support the many survivors through creating
greater awareness, both about the tragedy, and about the victims – many who are
still uncompensated – who continue to live in the contaminated environment
around Bhopal.
Rai was awarded the ‘Padmashree’ in 1971, one of India’s highest civilian awards ever given to a photographer. In 1992, his National Geographic cover story “Human Management of Wildlife in India” won him widespread critical acclaim for the piece. Besides winning many national and international awards, Rai has exhibited his works in London, Paris, New York, Hamburg, Prague, Tokyo, Zurich and Sydney. His photo essays have appeared in many of the world’s leading magazines and newspapers including “Time”, “Life”, “GEO”, “The New York Times”, “Sunday Times”, “Newsweek”, “The Independent,” and the “New Yorker”.
Rai was awarded the ‘Padmashree’ in 1971, one of India’s highest civilian awards ever given to a photographer. In 1992, his National Geographic cover story “Human Management of Wildlife in India” won him widespread critical acclaim for the piece. Besides winning many national and international awards, Rai has exhibited his works in London, Paris, New York, Hamburg, Prague, Tokyo, Zurich and Sydney. His photo essays have appeared in many of the world’s leading magazines and newspapers including “Time”, “Life”, “GEO”, “The New York Times”, “Sunday Times”, “Newsweek”, “The Independent,” and the “New Yorker”.
He has served
three times on the jury of the World Press Photo and twice on the jury of
UNESCO’s International Photo Contest.Raghu Rai lives in Delhi with his family and continues to be an associate of Magnum Photos.
Awards
1992 Photograph of the Year, USA
