This evening at 4 pm I reached the Grant Road Sywalk and took this shot , of the Mumbai Pride March 2015 , than I walked down the steps to shoot the participants supporters at close quarters , this time the destination was no Chowpaty but a march back to August Kranti Marg Gowalia Tank from where it had stared.
I have shot the Mumbai Pride March since its inception but have disabled all the sets that I shot till 2011 .. than due to an issue and personal reasons I stopped shooting the Pride March completely ,but a message on Whats Up by my dear friend Nitin Karani of Humsafar I decided to let bygones be bygones and decided to shot this years Pride March..
I have disabled my entire set of Hijras Of India too from public view ..
I have been a supporter of the LBGT community from the very beginning and have written a lot of poems against the draconian anti human Article 377 a sad inheritance of the British Vampire that is our own government uses to bleed a community that is humble peaceful, gifted artistic intelligent and contributes to society to Art and Culture .. some of the big names in Film Industry Advertising Photography and other mediums.
Ashok Row Kavi, Nitin Karani , Pallav Patankar were leading the Pride March and there were housewives , school college kids all supporting this passionate human loving community .. even our cops in khaki were enamored by the participants , and the Mumbai Police bandobast was excellent Thank You Mr Rakesh Maria ,, another feather in your cap.
The Gay Pride Flag swirled and this is my tribute as a beggar poet photographer to them.. some of my best friends old college mates are proud to be Gay..
And I shot this prolifically as a street photographer not missing the urchins , who kept asking me bless them because of my Malang attire , I normally shoot this barefeet but I have a serious diabetic wound I wore slippers ..
This is my humble tribute to Azadi ,,,Queer Azadi...Freedom from Artice 377... Once and for all.
