Last night rising anger
They had a big fight ..
They came to blows
Both uptight ..
He said she was wrong
She said she was right
Quietness fading light
He could not stop drinking
He was jobless he tried to
Convince her held her tight
No he could not marry her
Not yet as he was a wanderer
A spendthrift a bum no hope
In sight star struck lovers
Poetic plight ...in black and white

#beggarpoet

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There is a poor tribe in Bandra children are manufactured to beg the parents invariably are drunks gamblers incest is very common a new born child is drugged with cough mixture and slung on the shoulders of another semi nude child ..once they begged at Turner Road Traffic signal I befriended a few kids shot them gave them money parents were up in arms against me they did not want their kids to be photographed by me .
All this year's back they moved from here to Linking Road and their parents came up with this idea of dolling up the girls in garish makeup visible cleavage clapping hands posing as hijras at the signal Bandra Khar.
As most of the kids knew me they would smile I knew they were girls but posing as Hijras got them more money though they could be threatened by the original hijras if caught .
I shot this girl at Hill road opp St Peter Church necessity is the mother of invention .
Mind you they have to pay protection money to those who matter..they face sexual abuse rape but it's all about survival.
This is what I shoot..I shoot flowers begging on the streets like them I shoot insects that is how they are treated this is my wildlife and my urban landscape devoid of pictorial sunrise or sunset .
One thing in common between all of us is the camera ...
I can only shoot what I was destined to shoot if there was a live video on Flickr I could talk in depth and elaborate the python like grip on growing kids at the mercy of a corrupt system.
Good Morning

#imposterhijras

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I met him at Dargah Nizamuddin Aulia Delhi he had no eyes just sockets that were shut forever I also saw a young boy he too was blind both were begging .
Some kind soul gave this elderly beggar food to eat he ate it ravenously I regret I was not into video shooting those days ...now if I spot a Muslim beggar I first shoot his video than maybe a single still...the video draws you into his world of darkness his resilience and his wait for good times .
In short this is a story of a Muslim beggar ...

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Like a hermit crab this human crawls begging for alms his legs are useless damaged and I shot him at Ajmer ...Ajmer is a Sufi abode beggars from all over India come here to beg as he is the patron Saint of beggars ..yes that is why he is known as Garib Nawaz benefactor of the poor .
They come here during the Urus of Khwajah Moinuddin Chishti ..
The bulk of my beggar images were shot at Ajmer and Taragadh.
I have not been to Ajmer since 2018 ...my cameras are gathering dust ...but the soul of my imagery will never rust ...
in God We trust ...

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My oldest friend since 2005 is #BennBell we met at Buzznet than Flickr ..we are from two diagonally different worlds but we bond..Benn is. a master of shooting shop windows mannequins this is my humble tribute to him.
Om Mani Padme Hoon ..

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