There is always something to be said about the duality of the Indian State. Indira Gandhi, in this image in particular, is the perfect personification of this duality.
The Indian State at it’s best is a supremely competent force of nature that bends the laws of man and god, to accomplish it’s agenda in a sea of impossibilities. The Indian State at it’s worst is a nightmarish and corrupt asylum held together by the sheer force of bureaucratic self-interest and ill-gotten duct tape. It continues to inspire only because it’s rare moments of exceptionalism are so grand that they outshine a thousand little catastrophes. This is why it is said that India ends up disappointing the optimists and the pessimists in equal measure.
This image is that duality of exceptionalism and lack thereof, much like Indira Gandhi. It radiates and proves its power, while giving it up behind closed doors for self-interest. It shows the majesty of the geographies it fights for, while portioning them off to enemy states. It shows the ability to be competent and the inner willingness to do genuine good, while continuously opting for paths of self-interest and lethargy.
That is what this image represents. It may not have been what Indira Gandhi wanted, or what Raghu Rai was capturing, or what the Shimla Agreement was intended to be. But that is what hindsight shows us. Intentions don’t matter in the Indian State.
Watch Raghu Rai discuss how this photo was taken, in this interview (1:35 onwards)
Year
Source
1972
Source Caption:
Against the Himalayas – 1972
