ELEMENTS PRODUCTION SERVICES presents the project ‘This Isn’t Divide and Conquer’ by Aaryan Sinha about the relationship between photography and colonialism

Indian production company ELEMENTS has just presented its services, ranging from commercials to photo shoots, at UPDATE Berlin and is the go-to address when its comes to productions in India and the far reaches of Asia.

To Europe, ELEMENTS also has a very special relationship, as a son of the family is studying photography in the Netherlands. Here on GoSee, ELEMENTS presents ‘This Isn’t Divide and Conquer’ by Aaryan Sinha. The work has been exhibited in Luma Arles with House of Dior, Nederlands Fotomuseum, Melkweg Amsterdam, and is now on display at Foam Amsterdam as part of Foam Talent.

At the heart of the project is Aaryan’s attempt to depict a version of India that is truer to his experience, one of similarity and connection, instead of division and opposition. Through this, his project also exposes the relationship between photography and colonialism – aiming to revoke the stereotypical perception of a poor, overpopulated nation held by many in the West.

Aaryan Sinha : “This project, entitled ‘This Isn’t Divide and Conquer’, is rooted in my family history and branches out into a journey across the five states of India that share a border with Pakistan. Through photography, I attempt to understand how historical events have played a part in shaping the Indian landscape and the ever-changing identity of its people.

The title of the project has historical connotations. Divide and conquer is a strategy of the British that pitted religious groups against one another. The hope of employing it was that Indians would be busy fighting among one another and not the rule of the British Crown. It was a tactic that led to one of the largest forced migrations ever; 14 million people were displaced, and over 1 million were killed. A moment that defined generations – leading to four India-Pakistan wars. Countless other lives were to be lost and a deep rooted sense of hatred would exist between these two nations. 76 years later, the same tactic is being employed once again by India’s right-wing government. As they have successfully managed to polarize different communities based on religious differences and have gained a stronghold on the homeland of 1.4 billion people.

The majority of families in North India have their own story to tell about the partition. The project aims to act as a vessel for them to share these very stories. The border is what separates us; it is where history is embedded. A history that defines the identity of where I come from, my homeland, the land in which I lost my grandfather. Cities, villages, and families were separated by the lines so hastily drawn by the British. My grandfather, on my father’s side, was a member of the Indian Armed Forces, the road to which was from the Indian Military College, formerly named the Royal Indian Military College, where he ate, drank, and was raised alongside Pakistani Army Officials. However, after 1947, they would face one another in four wars – while both grandparents on my mother’s side migrated to India in 1947.

In a time of political division, with the ensuing polarization of the population, the project focuses on similarities instead of differences. It is aimed at providing a platform for reflection and dialogue.”

 
CREDITS
Photographer     Aaryan Sinha

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ELEMENTS PRODUCTION SERVICES PVT LTD

From the project This Isn't Divide and Conquer. A project rooted in family history that branches out into a journey. Journey across the 5 states of India that border Pakistan. Trying to understand the direct and indirect impact of the colonial heritage in India. Focusing on the ‘ever changing landscape’ aspect, we arrived in this sandstone mine. It was a landscape I had never seen before and I was enamoured by it. The relation between humans and our surroundings is something that has deeply interested me in my practice so far. What was supposed to be only 15-20 minutes ended up being 2-3 hours, under the scorching afternoon sun. The landscape seemed so vast and the showed or rather illustrated how humans interacted with the surroundings, using it for their own benefits. The capitalist, post colonial mindset of encroaching the land that surrounds us.

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One of the few digitally altered images in the project. 'Portrait of Time' acts as a sort of post-apocalyptic scenario to poetically depict the damages of our colonial history. It is subtle, yet attempts to gain some sort of stopping power. Growing up the damages of our colonial past was never paid too much attention to, atleast that was the case in my surroundings. There was always an infatuation with the west and the United Kingdom in specific. The past seemed to be sped fast, however with the rise of the right wing government in India since 2014, the rise of nationalism and the term colonialism was brought up at many instances. Repeating Patterns, subtly appeared ; manufactured lies rooted in demolished landscapes were brought to the foreground.

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"A Nation of Invasions' from 'This Isn't Divide and Conquer'. In September of 2016, there was an attack on an Indian Army brigade headquarters near the town of Uri in the Indian Jammu and Kashmir. 19 Indian soldiers were killed in the attack, and 19–30 others were injured. This image was taken in that province where military presence remains strong. A forest fire has been appropriated to seem like that of an invasion. The concept of appropriation the author exercises dates back to the use of photography by the British Imperial Rule during the reign over there colonies. To amplify and heighten a message.

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ELEMENTS PRODUCTION SERVICES PVT LTD

'Violence' an image shot 10km away from the Hussainiwala border in Punjab. In the small town, there lies an abandoned train station, one which holds many stories having witnessed many horrors. In August of 1947, a separation caused the violent birth of two nations, India and Pakistan. Violence that led to 14 million people being displaced and over 2 million people being killed. Trains full of corpses arrived on either end of the border that remained open for 2 days post the independence. Hussainiwala was one of the multiple train stations that experienced this arrival.

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'Come Apart'. Abandoned and broken bridge that led to Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi. Situated on the banks of river Jhelum, in the hilly town of Uri. When Sikhs were targeted during the 1947 tribal invasion, the Syed Muslims of the area did not let anyone violate the sanctity of the Gurdwara. The Gurdwara Sahib is still a site with deep spiritual significance not only for Sikhs but for many followers of Islam and Hindu faiths as well.

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“The fact that the history of the medium coincides with the heyday of imperialism and the colonial appetite for spectacle in no accident"- Nathanial Gaskell and Diva Gujral. The ‘Western Saviour’ was portrayed in several images during this era . The ‘civilised’ European, coming to the aid of the ‘primitive subjects’, the ones that did not know how to deal with their possessions, those who did not handle their resources. The Europeans helped us, molded us into suitable candidates for Western Society. Western society natured us, benefited us. They did not steal or ransack, they did not leave us in further turmoil, the Kohinoor was a gift, they needed us more than we needed them. I hope you get the sarcasm in this. If not well... you would not be the first one. These mannequins somehow reminded me of the white saviour, which in time show their decay.

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Shot in Atari, the last railway stop of India leading to Pakistan on the North-Eastern side of Punjab. Another site that witnessed the 1947 train massacre.

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The scars from the partition still run deep, resulting in a sense of hatred that exists between the two countries mass population, that again is fueled by politics. On the backs of which 4 wars have been fought between India and Pakistan. Out of the four, three have used the state of Kashmir as the battleground. The so-called Heaven on Earth is one of the most disputed areas in the world. Heavily militarised and weaponised, by the Indian Armed Forces to combat the militant groups. Generations have been born in this conflict and unfortunately have died in it as well.

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Image from 'This Isn't Divide and Conquer'. Taken in Bentonite Mines in Gujarat, India

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The rise of a potential superpower comes with a lot of change, change in the collective identity, in the landscape, in the politics. Growth seems to require sacrifice, mountains have been split in half to make way to the new roadways and infrastructure. Communities have been forcefully relocated, all in the hope to make the nation great. As foreign relations strengthens, the image changes, yet there are faults that naturally form during the course of time. 'Natural Formation' intuitively felt like a representation of the Indian identity. Identity that seemed to me both fragile and beautiful.

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Shot on the Manali-Leh National Highway where massive construction work is going on to make the flow of movement smoother, especially for the army. Situated in the midst of 3 nuclear power nations, Ladakh is strategically immensely important and has been the battleground for the 1999 Kargil War as well as many other altercations amongst the neighbours. What was once a mountain is slowly changing and the effects can be shown of the environment.

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Enroute Turtuk, the last village of India in the region of Ladakh. Is home to the ancient silk route. The image as titled was produced there. A village divided in two, families separated for eternity

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ELEMENTS PRODUCTION SERVICES PVT LTD

Grand Welcome, Image from 'This Isn't Divide and Conquer' taken in the border state of Gujarat

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ELEMENTS PRODUCTION SERVICES PVT LTD

A staged photograph in Rajasthan captures children climbing a tree, embodying fearless exploration and communal spirit.

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ELEMENTS PRODUCTION SERVICES PVT LTD

'Fleeting' image from 'This Isn't Divide and Conquer' Taken Enroute Ladakh.

About ELEMENTS PRODUCTION SERVICES PVT LTD
Elements is a production service company in India with offices in Mumbai and Delhi. We produce and facilitate different genres of film/video and still photography including catalogue, editorial, television commercials, music videos, documentaries among others, across the globe. We believe that production is not just about executing a ‘to-do’ list, but it is about understanding your creative, and your perspective and being able to bring together successfully all the elements of production to create the best possible experience and media product. Toward this, we have created a support team of the best available professional talent for still and film production. We have a dedicated team with strong work ethics and trained to work at an international standard. 
 

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