IT Consultant Wins Photo Contest
Prashant Bhardwaj’s passion for photography started when he used to play around with a camera his father owned. A couple of years ago that interest sharpened as he became serious about using his photography as a means of educating both the public and himself. “I can use my camera to do my bit for society,” Bhardwaj proudly states.
In a phone interview, he further explained that a lot of people in urban areas do not really know what is occurring in rural settings. He sees his works as having three benefits: personally becoming associated with people involved in positively changing rural society, educating the public about the progress being made in these communities, and learning about the development of rural areas firsthand.
Bhardwaj says that his awareness of these issues is the result of his contact with the Association for Stimulating Know How (ASK). Established in 1992, ASK is a nongovernmental organization comprised of development professionals committed to community-based development. This development work is primarily with those who belong to the economically deprived and socially marginalized sectors of Indian society. Bhardwaj took his winning photo at one of the organization's satellite schools. He enjoys capturing progress, what someone has gained, through his photography as he tries to sensitize himself and others to the situation in rural communities.
The school is six hours away from Delhi, where Prashant lives. The work done there is not so visible to urbanites. He said he would take pictures in Dehli, if he had the opportunity. However, Bhardwaj argues that people in Delhi have an easier time seeing what is around them, although they also have an easy time ignoring others.
Bhardwaj has committed half of the prize money from the Development Gateway Foundation’s photo contest to the school located in Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, India.
When asked why he wanted to share the money with that school, Bhardwaj said, “I went there. I brought something from there, so I wanted to give something back. It just seems to add to the happiness.”
