Riyaz Ul Khaliq
KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
At a time when state’s education minister Naeem Akhter is impressing upon valley’s teaching human resource to strengthen the practical outlook of students by taking them to field visits, a Kashmiri photojournalist was Friday declared one of the 18 top photojournalists of 2015 by Freedom House for his field trip click.
Freedom House is a US-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights.
The photojournalist, Syed Shahriyar, 22, is a media graduate, who also holds one year’s PG Diploma in ‘Still Photography’ from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
He had participated in Freedom House‘s fourth annual Photo and Art Contest (2015) – Images of Repression and Freedom – which reflect the themes of freedom, political participation, democracy, human rights, and repression around the world.
Shahriyar’s picture displays: “Prayers and Clashes.”
“A civilian car is destroyed by Indian paramilitary forces in Kashmir during an anti-India demonstration after the prayers of Eid, the annual Muslim festival. A large percentage of Kashmiri citizens flee India due to gross human rights violations committed by the Indian army in Kashmir,” reads the caption of photo awarded by Freedom House.
The picture clicked by Shahriyar in October 2012 was among other finalists of 2015, auctioned at a Freedom House’s Fund Raising Event on May 14, 2015 in Washington DC, in the United States.
In an e-mail to Shahriyar, the Freedom House writes,
“Syed,
Photojournalist Syed Shahriyar age 22, is among the finalist’s of the Freedom House‘s fourth annual Photo and Art Contest – Images of Repression and Freedom.
Your photo was chosen as a finalist this year with 18 other photos from over 400 submissions.
Thank you.”
The US-based research group invites submission every year and this year Freedom House received submissions from over 30 countries across world.
Notably, many photojournalists of valley have brought laurels for state by winning scores of competition on global platform.
