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In one of the most densely militarized regions on earth, life takes place through barbed wires, checkpoints, internet blockades, and a common sight of uniform-donned men. While the occupation of Kashmir isn’t new and violence has been the norm in the valley, the brutality of the Indian occupation, the hyper-masculine nature of it and the extent of it is something that has been for the larger part either hidden or misrepresented when it comes to the Indian mainland. But resistance and resilience of the people in Kashmir, have been stronger than ever.
Now three women from the valley have come together to form a female photography collective based around the captivating shores of Dal Lake in Kashmir. With Her Pixel Story, Nawal Ali, Ufaq Fatima and Zainab Mufti are offering a visual counter-narrative to the brutality of the Indian Occupation from a female lens and perspective. While facing challenges like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) which considers any form of criticism of the occupation as unlawful and anti-national and can lead to imprisonment without trial (which is what happened to one of Kashmir’s most celebrated female photographers, Masrat Zahra).
The Purpose Of Her Pixel Story
As determined as ever, in an interview with Radical Art Review, Nawal stated that their work functions “...as a kind of alternative, to build an authentic Kashmiri narrative. This is not just art for art’s sake, but a way of highlighting the real and legitimate voices and demands of Kashmiris, and the human cost of an occupation which has been distorted by the Indian media.”
She further adds, “Certain things that seem normal to us because we have grown up in a highly militarized zone in the world are a complete shock for the outside world, it is only when a photo of a pellet ridden body, a road full of army trucks or a house burnt down to ashes is shown to people that it hits them hard.”
In the same interview, Ufaq added, “The primary aim of Her Pixel Story is to bring out the female perspective of the conflict in Kashmir. Women are the worst victims of this conflict, yet they have also come to the forefront of the resistance, and their stories tell of the personal suffering of daily life in the region.”
How Her Pixel Story Came To Be
Her Pixel Story came to be as a response to the 2016 photo book Witness which included the work of 9 Kashmiri photographers, all of whom were men. When Nawal questioned the editor of the book about the absence of female photographers, she was told that they tried to look for female photographers but found it hard to reach out to any — due to the dominance and saturation of men in the field of reportage in Kashmir.
“That was when we realised how much Kashmiri women photographers lack equal exposure, acknowledgement and recognition,” said Zainab. Hence Her Pixel Story was born. During its initial stages, it took the form of an Instagram page where a group of women photographers could connect and work together as a team to cover stories. In a week’s time they organized the first-ever women’s photowalk in the region.
The photographs on their Instagram highlight both the violence and the normality of existence under occupation; with images of soldiers in crowds of children and grandparents, and of childhoods spent playing in the rubble amidst the bullet holes.
“What matters at the end of the day,” concludes Zainab, “is whether you have sided with the oppressor or the oppressed.”
You can checkout Her Pixel Story here.
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