Life Of Photographers At India Gate

India Gate is a magnet for tourists from all part of India and abroad. Among the throng of these gawky- eyed tourists, instant photographers and souvenir sellers, one particular figure stands out.

It’s a lovely afternoon. India Gate gleams even in New Delhi’s winter haze. A man with a hint of a stubble is lying lazily under a tree’s scented shade. His black vendor’s box stands next to him, waiting for the next customer.

A man approaches him, hurriedly taking out a chip from his camera. He gets up and opens the box. Inside, there’s not the usual popcorn or kurkure that is peddled non-stop around this monument, but a printer. The camera chip is inserted into the printer’s drive. A picture slides out fitfully from the machine.

A  37-year-old Aashiq is searching for tourists visiting India Gate. He is looking for potential customers who would want their photographs taken at one of Delhi’s most popular tourist attractions.

“I like to think of myself as someone who helps people decorate their almirahs, cupboards and shelves with memories,” he says with a wide grin. Aashiq, who is a migrant labourer from UP, was introduced to this profession by a friend. He has been clicking photographs of visitors at India gate for three years now.

According to Aashiq, there are nearly 400 photographers in the area around India Gate. They work by splitting into groups of five to seven people each. Each group has one printer that rolls out photographs in a matter of minutes.

Most people who visit India Gate, do not return without clicking a picture of the iconic structure. Aashiq and his friends ask all visitors, so that at least one of them turn around to buy a photograph. Nowadays, only a few ask to get their photos clicked, Aashiq says. His eyes suddenly turns to a couple who were clicking a photo with a selfie stick. Aashiq shrugs off his disappointment and says, “Isme to bahut maza aata hai (This job gives a lot of joy).”

Aashiq says that framing according to the light conditions is the basic rule of photography. The rest, he believes, are trivial things.

Aashiq then goes on to ask his friends to join us. 31-year-old, Vinod, a B.Com. graduate, has been clicking photographs as a part-time job. He says he can make enough pocket money out of this. Vinod says he is trying for a government job.

He feels that there is joy in asking people to pose – and when customers see the photographers they often offer a word of praise. But there’s only one thorn in the picture. The police regularly visit and remove the unauthorised vendors and sellers around India Gate. The moment Aashiq spots a police van, he starts to walk fast with a squawk : “Ye police bas hami log ko pakadti hai. Nirav Modi log aaram se jee rahe hai (These cops only try to snatch us. People like Nirav Modi are living happily),” he adds..