History in photographs at Bengaluru's Indian Institute of World Culture

The Hindu

6 days ago

India's fight for freedom triggered a ripple effect among other nations buckling under colonial oppression; and among these was the African nation of Congo. Patrice Lumumba was a Congolese politician who lead his country to independence and had close ties to Indian leaders of the time. A photo exhibition titled The Undying Flame of Patrice Lumumba, is currently on display in Bengaluru.
Organised by the Intercivilizational Dialogue Project and the Indian Institute of World Culture (IIWC) the show not only shines a spotlight on African freedom struggles, but also celebrates Patrice's birth centenary. Curated by Archishman Raju and Nandita Chaturvedi, and organised by Arakali Venkatesh at IIWC, the show is a history lesson in pictures.
According to Nandita, the purpose of this show is two-fold: to explore India's connection to the world and understand the exchange of ideas between different civilizations.
'At one point in time, Patrice Lumumba was known everywhere in the world and when he was assassinated in 1961, there were protests in all the major Indian cities. We felt it was important to bring this period in history back in to public awareness.'
During that times lost to recent history, the Indian government was involved in the crisis in the Congo and Nehru wrote many letters to the UN Secretary General. Large scale protests were also organised by Aruna Asaf Ali in Delhi.
'Following the assassination of Patrice, Nehru sent the Indian Army to help with the situation there. This was also part of the peace movement to let people all over the world know about the struggles against colonialism going on in different nations,' she says, adding that the Indian freedom movement became a case study for almost all of Africa that was under colonialism in 1947.
Ghana was one of the first sub Saharan African country to gain independence, largely through the efforts of Kwame Nkrumah, who employed methods of civil disobedience in their own struggle.
Though there are many examples of African leaders taking a page or two out of India's fight for freedom, the exhibition focuses on Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, Oliver Tambo of South Africa and Amilcar Cabral of Guinea Bissau, as well as WEB Du Bois, the father of the Pan African Movement.
Though leaders of the African movement studied India's approach, in many areas it took on a different character due to varying conditions. For instance, the Belgians did not train native Congolese in administration, while we had a 100-year-long struggle, which gave us time to prepare unlike many African nations which were left in chaos, says Nandita.
'The exhibition is also dedicated to ES Reddy, an Indian diplomat, who used to be leader of the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid from 1963 to 1965. Though he lived most of his life in the United States, he was deeply involved in the anti-apartheid struggle and may be better known in South Africa than in India today,' she adds.
As a student, Reddy participated in the Quit India movement, and while in the United States for higher studies, he met activist Paul Robeson, who got him involved in the African movement. Reddy also developed a close friendship with Oliver Tambo, one of the central figures in the South African movement.
'In a way, Reddy is a bridge between the two nations and the show is dedicated to him too as it was his birth centenary last year,' she adds.
The different rooms of the IIWC not only highlights the series of events that stand out during the freedom struggle of these nations, but also documents the alliances and mutual support between world leaders. Needless to say, the 65 photographs on display are mostly in black and white, interspersed with quotes from nation heads and a copy African National Congress Freedom Charter.
According to Nandita, a lot of the images on display have been made available by the United Nations and many of the photographers who believed their work served a broader purpose. These images can be accessed at www.media.un.org and www.archive.org.
'We are living in a time when the world is shifting and political relationships are being remade — both between the West and other nations as well as between nations that were once known as Third World. We feel useful relationships can lift people out of poverty and promote peace,' says Nandita talking about the purpose of behind such events by the Intercivilizational Dialogue Project.
The Undying Flame of Patrice Lumumba is on display at the Indian Institute of World Culture till July 25 (will possibly be extended / relocated). Entry free.