Photos

In Depth recently spoke with Sanjit to discuss his work in general and a recent feature about migrant coal mine workers in India.

Your photo series on coal mine migrants in Jharia, India, shows the human cost of natural resource mining — the “dirty end of a dirty business,” as you put it on your website. What were some challenges you encountered while shooting the series?

Working on stories like these isn’t easy – it’s extremely draining, both physically and emotionally. I spend a lot of time reading and speaking to either the experts, or the community members before embarking on projects such as this. Projects of this nature are multi-layered and need a lot of research and a thorough understanding of the larger issues. I have been working on the Jharia project since 2010, and it isn’t easy to navigate one’s way out of the challenges one faces while working on these kinds of projects.

You frequently shoot in areas that are hard to gain access to. How do you work around these barriers? What’s the most satisfying part of shooting in closed regions?

I spend a lot of time in the field, and not necessarily photographing all the time. I speak to communities, I break bread with them, and what’s most important is to gain the trust of the people you’re working with. It’s about the ethics and about being a concerned photographer that takes you an extra mile. The fact that I am able to spend time with these communities and bring these stories to share with a wider audience is massively satisfying.

As a photographer, how do you think photos help enhance the global economic and business coverage that Bloomberg specializes in? What do you think readers value about your photos?

The digital world has changed our lives drastically – it’s made our world even smaller than it used to be. News travels faster than light, metaphorically speaking, and the economic decisions are made based on the news people read. The integrity of Bloomberg’s reporting and fact checking makes people make decisions about how to invest. My photographs depict reality, and these photos hopefully help people get a visual sense of that reality. It hopefully connects them to the story, helping them not only be more aware but make the right decisions.

Discuss the reaction that your photos have received in the regions in which they were shot. Do you think your work can bring about real social change?

Change doesn’t happen in a day; however, awareness comes quickly. My photos make people more aware of the ground realities. Awareness is the first step and that first step is a monumental one because people make decisions based on what they are aware of. Photographers need to be honest while working on issues that are about real people, because if you aren’t concerned when you’re photographing, people won’t connect to it either when they’re seeing it.

Photographer: Sanjit Das/Bloomberg

— Lauren Meller