Inter Press Service - August 18, 2007
Karen Yap Lih Huey* - IPS/TerraViva

The 17-year-old Bangladeshi has a lot going for her. Mature beyond her age, she has a good understanding of what she has been through, as the daughter of a sex worker, and of how society sees and judges her. And she probably does not know this -- that her struggles inspired respected Bangladeshi photographer, writer and activist Shahidul Alam.

"The way she tackles issues regarding her mother and the people around her is powerful. Of course, among other things, she did martial arts and I thought rather than showing child of a sex worker, I photographed her as this powerful woman who came across with powerful ideas," said Alam, managing director and founder of the Dhaka-based Drik Photo Library.

Posters of her in a martial arts pose was the face for Shahidul's photography exhibition, a project produced by a team from Pathshala (classroom), the South Asian Institute of Photography which is the education wing of the award-winning agency Drik. The exhibition titled 'Portraits of Commitment', which opened Saturday, was held in conjunction with the 8th International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific in Colombo, Sri Lanka, which runs from Aug. 19 to 23.

The evocative portraits in this exhibition are from a book of the same name commissioned by The Asia Pacific Leadership Forum on HIV/AIDS and Development of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

South Asians portrayed in the exhibition -- a Bollywood superstar, a Pakistani journalist to a former Nepali drug user -- tell of how AIDS has made them better people and have more respect for human rights and individual choice where once there was little.

Quoted during an interview given on behalf of the exhibition, Sabina says, "I gave wrong information to make others afraid, as I had been. I had to go back and give correct information."

The photography project, which started in April, gives fresh insights into the AIDS subject. "Essentially, we need to a find a breath of people in terms of AIDS, gender differences, lifestyle and bring relevance to everyone. Finding the balance is one. Finding the distribution is another and then, of course, you try to find individuals who is most inspirational," Alam adds.

While trying to balance between the sensitive and delicate, he says the most difficult assignment was portraying the Rev. Alexander Vadakumthala from southern India, who is the executive secretary of the Health Commission of the Catholic Bishops.

"The thing I found difficult was the way he challenges the Church. That has to be tackled delicately. While I recognise this man has something important to say --challenging the status quo -- I also recognise that he's a deeply religious person. He said, 'The Church finds its meaning when it responds to the challenges of the times'."

"He didn't do it out of belief, but because he felt that the Church needs to change to adapt to circumstances. So, I portrayed him as a religious person but also a person that is ready to challenge religious beliefs," Alam says.

The photograph of the Rev. Alexander does not look provocative, but the subtle message is clear and strong.

To understand his subjects better, Alam spent time at an AIDS clinic, because, as he recalls, "I need to know for myself."

"The first time I decided on taking on this project was that I was not sure of myself. If I knew a person is positive, I'm not sure if I should touch that person or whether we could drink from the same glass, or learn how some body language could be totally disruptive for HIV-positive people," he adds.

Stigma and discrimination still abound and have discouraged demand for counselling, testing and treatment in South Asia. Reducing the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS in South Asia will require greater involvement of civil society organisations, businesses, the entertainment industry, religious leaders and the medical community.

According to UNAIDS, Sri Lanka had about 5,000 people living with HIV at the end of 2005. Officially reported cases are far fewer because of under-reporting, which is mainly due to the limited availability of counselling and testing, the fear associated with seeking services, and the stigma and discrimination associated with being identified as HIV- positive.

(*Terra Viva is an IPS publication)

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