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One of the reasons I am posting these pictures, is to tell you behind the capture of these images is a memory of a undiluted pain given me by the bureaucrats of the Ministry of Information, inspite of having a valid press card the honcho who was handling all this at Nasik , made me wait hours for a pass, that would give me access to shoot the Shai Snan.He tortured me simply because I had a Muslim surname.He is one person, very Devanand like walk , red jacket slung over his shoulders I will never forget .He only gave access to foreigners, we Indian photo enthusiasts were treated worse than lepers, this is the irony of being a Indian but also being reminded that I am a Muslim, there is an inherent bureaucratic Hate that comes with the territory of the spirtiuality you shoot , my pictures of the Kumbh are pictures of pain.The Trimbakeshwar Shai Snan this gent kept me waiting for 5 hours finally refused to give me a pass.This is hate for my ethnicity , nothing else, I hardly looked like a Taliban in 2003 , I was dressed in normal clothes at Trimbakeshwar.
