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Pranab Basak
Unity and Diversity
Pranab Basak
Judges Choice
Pranab Basak is an Indian photographer who started his journey through the lens in 2009. He is commonly known for his Travel, People, Portraiture, and Social Documentary photography. His human-interest photographs also reflect the life and soul of people's daily routine. His documentation with photographs of people and their problems, concerns, or achievements brings interest, sympathy, or motivation to the viewer and creates an esthetic environmental story of life.
Colours of life
Gangani village, Garhbeta, iWest Medinipur District, West Bengal, India
2019
Unlike the majority of women in the rest of India, those in the village of Gangani, west of Calcutta, West Bengal, are often the hostesses and breadwinners.
Every day, they fish with traditional nets, which they have made themselves, before selling their catch in local markets. The low water level helps to optimize this traditional fishing as the algae that accumulate attracts a variety of fish and shrimp.
These women fought a lot for their autonomy and formed mutual aid circles, like here. This is one of the most impressive examples of female emancipation I have seen.