THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the war field, gun and the camera do the same - find, focus and fire.
During the journeys of the photographer thrice to war-torn Palestine, his focus was not death, but a ray of hope found in the land of death, through the smiles of some of the children he met during all the three journeys.
“Each time when there was news of the Israeli attack on Palestine, I prayed, let it not be the familiar faces I met during my journey to the war-torn land. But in the next two visits, I could not meet the same faces I met during my first visit. Let them be staying somewhere safe,” says renowned photographer Ajeeb Komachi, while exhibiting his 45 photographs clicked during his visit to Palestine in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
He travelled along with a private touring agency that conducts trips abroad.
After working as a press photographer, he is now into freelance photography and conducts exhibitions on social issues that need immediate attention. He has visited more than 25 countries with his lens and until now, has conducted more than 4,200 exhibitions, including ‘Durantha Bhoomiyiloode' (2002), a walk through the quake-hit lands in Gujarat, ‘Nashtabalyam' (2004) on children who have lost their parents and 'Pen Nove' (2006) on the sorrows of women.
“While focusing on children, all the photographers search for some beautiful backgrounds. Unfortunately, in Palestine, I could not find one. The children I met have great love and regard for India. In one of the photographs, I have captured the face of a boy who offered me toffees. When I gave cash in return, he did not accept it and told me to tell Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan his regards.
They watch Hindi films a lot and what they wish to live is a life they see in Hindi film songs,” says the photographer. Most of the photographs in the collection are those of the children.