Stop, earth is dying

Every time Razack Thazhathangadi plans a photo exhibition, he has a bigger picture in mind, a bigger issue that would impact the young generation. Razack, who is the photo editor at a popular daily, is gearing up to conduct a photo exhibition keeping in mind the deteriorating environment around us.

“Every year, there is a rise in temperature. The major reason behind this is the cruelty we humans unleash on nature. This photo exhibition Naam Kollunna Bhoomi will showcase photographs which show how we treat Mother Nature,” he explains.

Nearly 35 photographs clicked over a period of three years will be displayed at the three-day exhibition beginning at the Ernakulam Press Club Hall on Monday. “Our rivers have turned into septic tanks. The plight of water bodies from across the state has been covered. I recently happened to witness a dredging happening in connection with the construction of the Kollam-Kottappuram waterway and was shocked by the amount of plastic getting stuck in the dredging machine. The greatest failure on our part and the biggest tragedy we are facing is the way we are destroying earth.”

Razack is not new to theme exhibitions. “While most photographers turn to news photography, my interest lies in theme photography. My first exhibition Grama Kazhcha was focused on villages. It showcased the practices that are slowly dying in the villages. The second exhibition was about women, named From the background to the centre stage, which dealt with bringing women out of the kitchen to forefront. The third exhibition revolved around the life of Madhavikutty. It was titled From Neermathalam to Gulmohar.

Razack intends to introduce this exhibition to at least 5 lakh students. He says, “It is the younger generation who has to see what is happening. The message is that they should not repeat what their previous generations practised. They should learn to protect water bodies and forests. These children should take initiatives to plant more trees rather than cutting those down and save what remains. This year, I am planning to take this exhibition to school and college students across the state.”