The Hindu : New Delhi News : Remembering life on the streets

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Friday, Mar 23, 2007
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New Delhi

Remembering life on the streets

An exhibition on the issue of child rights is on in the Capital

"STREET DREAMS": A photo exhibition by Vicky Roy.

Having walked away from the nightmare that life on the streets can be, Vicky Roy's retrospection of that existence under the open sky is a collage of black and white pictures. Looking through the lens of his Nikon F80, he says: "The face has changed, but the sentiments remain the same.''

Titled "Street Dreams... ", this collage, faithfully encapsulating the nuances of life as lived by the children on the streets, has a twin purpose.

"First, I want people to know what kind of a life street kids live. Once there is awareness, there will be some help for them. Second, I want to inspire children... I want to show them how education and the desire to excel can change their lives, like it has changed mine," says Vicky, who was rescued by Salaam Balak Trust (SBT) from the streets.

On display at Experimental Art Gallery of India Habitat Centre till this Sunday, the exhibition focuses on the issue of child rights.

"I ran away from home in Purulia when I was 11, lived at New Delhi railway station for six months, worked in a dhaba for another six months, so I know what problems kids on the streets encounter. I chose the theme, because I have lived it," he says.

The journey from the safety that is home to the merciless streets has taught Vicky that education and skill together make an effective survival kit.

"I scored poorly in Class X, so I thought I must do something that will make me self-reliant. I opted for photography because I was inspired by an exhibition that was put up by the children at SBT. I knew nothing about it, but I went ahead," he recalls.

Currently assisting photographer Anay Mann, Vicky wants to "learn English and better his shooting skills".

"If I can make money from this exhibition, I will buy myself a digital camera," says the boy who has promised 20 per cent of the exhibit proceeds to SBT.

Shot over a month on the streets of Delhi, these pictures are of children whom Vicky chose for the efforts they are making to change their own lives. "When I began shooting, some children would ask me for money. I then decided to catch those who were making an effort to get education; my subjects were children who earned while they also learned," he says, proudly pointing out to a picture of the "only boy from SBT who has scored 83 per cent marks in Class X."

The exhibition, presented by SBT and supported by British High Commission and UK's Department for International Development (DFID), has been curated by Alka Pande.

British Deputy High Commissioner Creon Butler and Head of DFID India Susanna Moorehead inaugurated the exhibition on Thursday. -- Smriti Kak Ramachandran

-- Smriti Kak Ramachandran

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