The Kashmir valley has been on edge since August 5, the day the Centre revoked Article 370 and imposed a lockdown to contain the backlash. The days were reminiscent of the militancy era of the 1990s, and journalists found it hard, more than usual, to report on the ground situation.
Years of life under conflict, however, had given them the tools to navigate the tense terrain. And on May 5, three of the journalists—Associated Press photographers Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand—won the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography for documenting life under lockdown. While Channi had captured images in Jammu, Yasin and Khan did so in Kashmir.
The duo in the valley often took cover in strangers’ homes to avoid security forces, and had to conceal their cameras while working. They then copied their work in pen-drives and disks, rushed to the airport and requested passengers to deliver it to their colleagues in Delhi. It worked, and other journalists followed suit. The government later set up a media centre in a Srinagar hotel.
Channi Anand: A BSF soldier keeps vigil near the India-Pakistan border | AP
The news of the photojournalists winning the coveted award brought cheer to people in Jammu and Kashmir. WhatsApp groups of journalists were filled with congratulatory messages since 3am on May 5, when Kashmir woke up for the traditional meal before Ramzan fasting.
Yasin told THE WEEK that he was happy, but was not authorised to talk further until his organisation permitted it. A resident of Downtown in Srinagar, the 45-year-old father of two has won many national and international awards for his stories from Kashmir. “It’s overwhelming to receive this honour,” wrote Yasin, an engineer by training, on Twitter.
The passion for photography runs deep in Yasin’s family. His younger brother, Rafiq Maqbool, who works with AP, had recently got attention for recording his life in quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19.
Mukhtar Khan: Children attend Quran classes on the first day of Ramzan in Srinagar.
Yasin’s wife also chipped in with the camera, capturing some moments of celebration at home.
His colleagues describe him as a perfectionist. “Once I covered a night protest in Soura after the removal of Article 370,” said photojournalist Umer Asif. “He clicked only two pictures after spending hours there.”
Mukhtar Khan, the other winner from Kashmir, told THE WEEK: “I was not expecting that my colleagues and I would be selected for this prize.” A resident of Fateh Kadal in Srinagar, Khan is married with two children and has more than 20 years of experience in the field. Known for his sense of humour and for keeping a low profile, he said the clampdown was one of his biggest challenges. “Once we stepped out for assignments, we had no clue about each other’s well-being,” he said.
The third winner, Jammu-based Anand, put up a WhatsApp status that read: “Thank you so much, everyone, for the congratulations and appreciation. It’s been a long journey and kudos to those who stood by my side.”
Anand has had a career that spans more than two decades, and his colleagues describe him as hardworking and honest.
Indeed, hard work has continued to pay off.