Various shades of political ups and downs during the last 35 years in Pravin’s photo exhibition at AIFACS gallery

A unique, distinctive and an outstanding photo exihibition of the associate editor of India Express (photo) under the title of ,” 200 & one,” exhibiting about one hundred and fifty exclusive and rare photographs of the last three and a half decades pertaining to various political developments of the country showing all the important political leaders in different postures rather evocative n outstanding images, was inaugurated today at All India Fine Arts Theatre Arts Gallery by the union minister Ram Vilas Paswan in the presence of the late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s fostered daughter Namita, the Consulting chief editor of Indian Express Coomi Kapoor, leader of the NCP and MP Devi Prasad Tripathi, eminent journalists, photo journalists and his friends and colleagues of the media fraternity.

Praveen Jain is a recognised name in photo journalism in the country who carries behind him a chequered career of more than three decades as an outstanding photo journalist having covered ten prime ministers, eight presidents, amassing offbeat photos of an array of political leaders.

As per the version of the Consulting editor of Indian Express Coomi Kapoor with whom Pravin Jain worked for several years the latter began his career in 1981 as a helper to S. Paul, the chief photo editor of Indian Express. Paul and Jain both hailed from Rohtak, Haryana, which has spawned a large share of the Capital’s news photographers.

The primary work of Pravin then was to carry the camera, equipment for Paul and make tea including performing sundry other odd jobs. In return to his dedicated services Pravin was taught the basics of photography.

According to Coomi Kapoor he blossomed fast and soon made a unique reputation as an nationally acclaimed photo journalist having worked thereafter in Surya Magazine, Delhi recorder, Sunday Mail, the Pioneer Daily and then again in Indian Express till date in his capacity of an associate editor ( Photo) .

Pravin Jain is one photo journalist who is the one of the prime witnesses in the Babri Masjid demolition trial and was greatly instrumental in leading to several erring policemen getting life sentences in the Hashimpura Messacre of 1987. According to Rebecca Mammen John the lawyer of Jain in the Hasim Pura massacre case :

“Sometimes, the most innocuous piece of evidence are captured like the horror of Hashimpura which later on become the credible evidence. Praveen Jain , the iconic photographer took the unique pictures at ground Zero at Hasimpura while hiding behind bushes ,on 21 st May 1987, , showing the men of Hashimpura being taken away by the PAC . These photographs were part of the court record. Praveen Jain appeared as a witness in the trial and even produced negatives of all the photographs taken . The surviving eyewitness used these photographs to identify the other victims of the crime which finally resulted in getting the erring policemen the life sentences for the murder of the innocent people in this episode which was termed as the most talked about Hashimpura messacre.

The pictures of Pravin Jain’s exhibition were unique in the sense that most of them are the vivid description of the tale of politics of the last three and a half decades.

A pioneer in photo journalism Praveen Jain has covered wide range of breaking stories in India as well as abroad. He travelled to Si Lanka in 1995 to record the ethinic riots, been to Pakistan to cover its national election including the Lahore declaration and various other international conferences. On the domestic front he covered almost all the significant events of the eighties and nineties – from the riots of Bhagalpur, its arbitrary and tortuous human bl8ndings to the eathquake of Latur to the massacre of Sikhs in 1984 to the demolition of Babri Masjid, its rehearsal to the plaque in Surat including the earthquake of Gujarat, opetation Black Thunder in Punjab and the Kargil war of 1999 as well. His last exhibition in 2000 was inaugurated by the prime minister VP Singh who said that he has always admired his outstanding work but has alwaysbeen scared of his candid camera.

While congratulating Praveen Jain for his precious collection of rare photographs of his special work of the last three and a half decades I would advice one and all to visit the rare collections of Jain’s photographs at AIFACS ART GALLERY ON ANY DAY till 7th of this month and have a feel of the political nerve, various shades and postures of political dignitaries of the last 35 years several of them have left of their eternal homes or rest retired from public life like presidents, prime ministers, union minisers and mass leaders etc. . Hats off to you Praveen Bhai.