Curator V
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Man hugs an Indian Soldier standing guard during a public gathering two days after the liberation of Jessore, East Pakistan, during the third India-Pakistan war (1971)
This photo, taken during the 1971 War, shows a young Bengali embracing an Indian soldier who stands guard during a large public meeting of the Provisional Government of Bangladesh, only two days after the town of Jessore was liberated. The town of Jessore is located on the eastern end of the Jessore road. The Jessore [Continue Reading]
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President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi after signing the Shimla Agreement in Himachal Pradesh (1972)
President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan pays Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India a farewell call after signing the Shimla agreement. The location in of the signing, is Himachal Pradesh’s Raj Bhavan, a colonial era building known as the Barnes Court. Barnes Court, initially the private residence of Sir Edward Barnes, Commander-in-Chief of the British [Continue Reading]
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Children walk through the flooded ruins of Bhadrak, Orissa after the 1971 Cyclone (1971)
A particularly distressing photo that shows the effects of a natural disaster even 5 days after it passed. This town likely was also affected by the Bhola Cyclone, just a year back, making the effects of this cyclone even more devasting than it normally would be. The 1971 Cyclone, often overshadowed by the ongoing Bangladesh [Continue Reading]
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The Panchen Lama and Dalai Lama set up their film cameras before entering the Elephanta Caves in Bombay, India (1956)
Before the Dalai Lama came to India to live in exile, he made a trip to India on then PM Nehru’s invitation with the consent of Chairman Mao, in 1956. This trip was a test for the Dalai Lama under the new CCP administration in Tibet. The trip took place while Chinese premier Zhou Enlai [Continue Reading]
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US Army Canadian Military Pattern Trucks ride alongside Camels in India (1943)
Another extremely interesting WW2 era photo that shows the stark contrast between two modes of transport. The truck, a Canadian Military Pattern Chevy 3 Tonner, is traversing the rough roads on top of metal strips. Indian involvement in WW2 , especially Indian troops on the European front is rarely discussed. However, the Allies involvement on [Continue Reading]
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Indian Air Marshal Dewan takes the Instrument of Surrender after it is signed by Pakistani Lt. Gen. Niazi (1971)
By now, most Indians have seen the iconic image of the signing itself. While the original is often attributed to the Indian Navy, this image from an alternate angle is taken by the esteemed Indian photographer, Raghu Rai. It does not capture the moment that Lt. Gen. Niazi signs the paper, but rather immediately after, [Continue Reading]
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Evacuated residents in makeshift refugee shelters during the Union Carbide Disaster in Bhopal (1984)
In this photo, we see a limited amount of residents, since most had left the town as a whole, bundled up in makeshift refugee shelters in the Bhopal city stadium. More about the stories of the large number of evacuees, the government response and the disaster that killed over 3000 people, and affected more than [Continue Reading]
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The India-China Wing of the US Air Transport Command flies a C-46 Commando across the Himalayas from India to ROC forces in Mainland China (1945)
The Republic of China’s victory in the Second Sino-Japanese War would simply not have been possible without supplies provided to the Chinese forces by the allies. In this photo, we see another example of American air presence in India during WW2. After land routes were cut off due to the Japanese invasion of Burma, the [Continue Reading]
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British soldiers walk through Amritsar surveying the damage caused by rioting (1947)
Two British Raj soldiers walk through and inspect the damage caused by the 1947 riots in Amritsar. The soldiers, a Major and a Private belong to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, a regiment which has a long history in India dating all the way back to 1854 on their first deployment, where they helped suppress the [Continue Reading]
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Maneka Gandhi and her son, Feroze Varun Gandhi, photographed two years after the death of her husband, Sanjay Gandhi (1982)
A photo that captures the continuing sense of loss felt by a grieving mother and son. This photo is taken a mere months after the initial rift began to form between Maneka and Indira Gandhi over the plane crash that took Sanjay Gandhi’s life, culminating in the eviction of Maneka and her son from 1 [Continue Reading]
