ÂŤKashmir is under Indian occupation and in this place survival is more of a blessing!Âť
Sharafat Ali was born in the Indian-administered territory of Kashmir, he is a documentary photographer and he is now involved in photojournalism at The Indira Gandhi National Open University. Kashmir is under Indian occupation and in this place survival is more of a blessing! The problems have started since 1931; thousands of people have been killed, disappeared, raped and tortured by the Indian occupation forces. The internet is bombarded with publications concerning the human rights violation in this area. The access to the internet is limited, controlled and lately altogether banned. In order for our friend to access the internet, he uses proxy methods and he's changed the VPN address (Virtual Private Network). This is what many people
in Kashmir do so as to have access to the worldwide web. How did you get started in photography? Working on photography since 2013 I have developed an intense interest in people and street photography. In my opinion, photography as a form of art has to do with emotions and the expression of the moment. Most of my work is black and white because it is a way to capture a story in all its dynamic and especially when I live in a country that's occupied. Black and white represents the sorrow, the pain and the grief we've been facing for a long time now in our beautiful country. It's been almost three years since I started being involved in photography and my interest and understanding of this form of art keeps increasing. I've been inspired by the work of photographers such as Eugene Smith, James Nachtwey, Paolo Pellegrini, Andy Spyra and Showkat Nanda. What does photography mean to you? Photography to me is an imaginative art that creates deep emotions and meaning. It connects me to the real world in a unique way. Photography is a
language through which I can publish and inform people of the various stories and affairs in my country. I like recording stories with my camera, stories that will constitute an archival tool for society.