“Untold Stories” Part II | GMB AKASH

“Untold Stories” Part II

Habitually I take my camera, leave my place and lost for long time. These unpredictable journeys never tire me. In searching of stories I traveled miles after miles, I reached many unexpected places by unplanned ways.

Location was India, a mountain near a coal mine. I was not even thinking another terrible accident was waiting for me.

Jharkand, India. One of the largest coal mines in Asia.

© GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

My main focus was low-income people; I find out these poor people who were going back to the coal mine early in the morning. They went for stealing coal & later sell in local market. Next morning I followed them quietly. I experienced they carried these heavy basket full of coals 3 to 4 kilometers from mountain. They were bare foot most were children/female from poorest families.

Jharkand, India. One of the largest coal mines in Asia.

© GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

When I reached to the top of the mountain I could not miss the chance to take photos of those workers, who were working in coal mine. One of my friend was just beside me and poked me to skip from there. Just after few minutes suddenly three men came in the place. Then hold me & my camera tightly, caught my friend as well.

Jharkand, India. One of the largest coal mines in Asia.

© GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

Jharkand, India. One of the largest coal mines in Asia.

© GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

Those men were trying to throw me from the mountain, was scratching me to take the camera but I hold it tightly. I was literally scared but asked them to take me to their boss. They dragged me down, tore my shirt into two parts, hit my shoulders and kicked in my knee. They were dragging me to their boos which is around one & half kilometer. In the meantime of their kicks, I have changed my memory card of the images.

Jharkand, India. One of the largest coal mines in Asia.

© GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

Jharkand, India. One of the largest coal mines in Asia.

© GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

When I meet their angry boss, I managed to tell him that I am a tourist. My hobby is photography, I took picture as in Bangladesh there is no coal mine like this. He took out my cf card and threw to a drain. I said sorry to him, bribe some money and he let me free. I was so scared, their people followed me long. When I returned to the hotel I got sick for few days. But you can not blame a photographer’s blood. I go back again in my next tour and be careful to take pictures that time.

Jharkand, India. One of the largest coal mines in Asia.

© GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

These images are stories of my own experiences. I am writing tours of my life. These journeys invite me in territories I never dream evem. Sometimes I run to save myself, sometimes I take ride in the top of the roof of the train, or I sleep in the flooded floor of village hut, I swim, I hang on, and above all I meet those souls. These adventures invites dangers. But after reaching to those people, getting permission to enter to their private door all my hard work and risks become worthy.

Tags: child labor, children, coal mine, dangerous, India, innocents, Jharkand, Labor, poverty, south asia, UNICEF, Victims

10 thoughts on ““Untold Stories” Part II”

tahmid on June 13, 2011 at 6:43 pm said:

thrilled with the story that unfolded with the shots ……

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- Gmb Akash on July 3, 2011 at 5:51 pm said:
  
  My best wishes to you Tahmid.
  
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Reshad Kamal on June 19, 2011 at 5:21 pm said:

excellent boss.keep going.

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Gmb Akash on July 3, 2011 at 5:52 pm said:

Thanks Brother. Wish you good luck.

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Ismail Ferdous on July 22, 2011 at 9:41 am said:

hello Akash Bhai I always amazed seeing your spirit and works. Stay true and honest as you are!! thanks, see you soon.

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- Gmb Akash on July 26, 2011 at 7:33 pm said:
  
  Thanks Ismail. Pleased to know that you admire my activities. & Thanks my friend I will never let you down.
  
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Kazi Riasat Alve on September 20, 2011 at 7:59 pm said:

Great as usual… 🙂

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Rahat Amin on July 18, 2012 at 8:43 am said:

Hi Akash bhaia…………..absolutely stunning…..i am glad that you are safe……and sorry that you have to face such inconveniences…….:\……being a photojournalist has it’s price….:(….i guess that’s one of it!……:\…….YET – Salute You!….splendid photographs!…..worth everything!

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- Gmb Akash on August 2, 2012 at 8:05 am said:
  
  Thanks Rahat. its part of our job and I am happily dealing with every obstacle. Thanks to my ALMIGHTY.
  
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Himel on April 12, 2015 at 7:29 pm said:

bro u resurface their life in these photos.i love these photos…..

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"I see the beauty of people and the human soul in the pictures I take. And though the circumstances of some of the people I portray may be grim, back-breaking, depraved, the people themselves are always remarkable characters and souls" For me Photography is my language, to access, to communicate, to identify and mostly to make it hear. Through photography I only jot down my heart’s language. The best part about being a photographer is that I’m able to articulate the experiences of the voiceless and to bring their identities to the forefront which gives meaning and purpose to my own life. I have received more than 68 international awards and my work has been featured in over 70 major, international publications including: National Geographic, Vogue,Time, Sunday Times, Newsweek, Geo, Stern, Der Spiegel, The Fader, Brand Ein, The Guardian, Marie Claire, Colors, The Economist, The New Internationalist, Kontinente, Amnesty Journal, Courier International, PDN, Die Zeit, Days Japan, Hello, and Sunday Telegraph of London. In 2002 I became the first Bangladeshi to be selected for the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass in the Netherlands. In 2004 I received the Young Reporters Award from the Scope Photo Festival in Paris — once again, the first Bangladeshi to receive this honour. In 2005 I was awarded “Best of Show” at the Center for Fine Art Photography’s international competition in Colorado, USA. And in 2006 I was awarded World Press Photo award and released my premier book “First Light”. In 2007 I became the first Bangladeshi to be selected for the 30 Emerging Photographers (PDN 30), sponsored by Photo District News Magazine, USA. I won the 7th Vevey International Photography Grant from Switzerland in 2009 and in the same year, I took home the international ‘Travel photographer of the Year” title at the International Travel Photographer of the Year Competition (TPOY 2009) in the UK, the most prestigious award in travel photography. I was one of the speakers in the fifth Global Investigative Journalism Conference, held at Lillehammer, Norway in 2008 and as well I was the first Bangladeshi in Ted talk at TEDxOporto 2011, in Portugal. I was one of the speaker of “7th Forum of Emerging Leaders in Asian Journalism”, Yogyakarta / Indonesia”. In 2011 Nikon has selected me as one of the 8 influencers in Asia pacific (APAC region). Presentation of my 10 years project published as form of book ‘Survivors’ in 2012, which has reviewed by prestigious Geo magazine.

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