Survival moves

                                                           Photograph@Arijit Sen -All Rights Reserved

After Jorhat we travelled to Imphal, the capital of the northeastern Indian state of Manipur. The state has 42, 116 people who are HIV+. Manipur is quite close to Burma. The porous border with Burma and proximity to the infamous Golden Triangle drug route ensures drugs are easily available in Manipur. Add to that a life stifled under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Many intravenous drug users in Manipur struggle to survive in this state. Leading the battle for survival is the Manipur Network of Positive People. Formed in 1997, currently it has 2000 members who are countering fear, ignorance, social stigma and helping build a community based organisation. It is not an easy job to say the least. We had visited MNP+ in 2007. When we were there in December 2012, it was our second visit after five years.

Tea

Makaibari is an exception. Across India, most tea gardens are not doing well. And the government's policy just doesn't seem to work. Tea is not going through its best time. The workers are not paid well enough and the idea of profit distribution seems to have just flown out the window in the tea industry. Not a nice brew to sip, this one. This photograph was taken during the Makaibari shoot.