Every year, when winter starts spreading its sweep in India around October, nearly 1,000 families find their way to the capital to prevent themselves from freezing in Kashmir. Who doesn’t know about Kashmir’s winters! In October 2013, photographer and film maker Chitvan Gill encountered these families who had set up their tents in east Delhi’s Shastri Park area and she found a subject for her next exhibition.“Out at work one chilly winter morning, I come upon an empty field, a former landfill, now a habitat for the living, and witness a strange spectacle. A large number of people have suddenly descended, and there is a flurry of activity. It is quite obvious from their appearance and clothing that they are Kashmiris,” says Gill who was surprised by the quick mushrooming of a Kashmiri camp in the heart of Delhi. “The stereotypes quickly came tumbling out. But the truth is that it’s a ritual they have been following for the past 40 years, or may be even earlier; to flee to other cities to escape the bitter chill of Kashmir,” she adds.Titled “Winterlude: A Season In Delhi”, the exhibition of photographs by Gill at Alliance Francaise in Delhi is a visual representation, an inquiry into the lives of these nomads. It’s an attempt to comprehend and capture their ordinary yet adventurous lives. Usually, the time of their stay is between October to March. While winters determine their decision to move to different cities, there are other factors that play a significant role. For instance, the camp was set up late in 2014 (towards end-November) because of the massive disruption caused by the floods in Kashmir in September, and also because of the Assembly Elections in November-December. The camp was much smaller in 2014 than the preceding year, because a number of the families stayed back due to these factors, found Gill.Moving away from the comfortable life in Kashmir seems appalling but the families have been managing quiet well in the capital. The camps, made up of bamboo struts, straw mats and colorful tarpaulin, are warm and comfortable. Though the residents cater to their bare minimum needs, a lot of emphasis is given on décor with colorful sheets, carpets and other small items. “The interiors had an ambiance which was surprisingly aesthetically pleasing,” says Gill. However, since the area is surrounded by a landfill, there is a lot of filth around. Gill says, “It’s amazing that they manage to salvage a quality of life in these conditions, which is so inconsistent with their larger surroundings.”Leaving their own land means leaving the occupation behind. Most of the people are farmers or orchard workers back in Kashmir while some are taxi-drivers, retailers etc. For most of them, these months are like a long vacation. “They appear to have sufficient savings to survive the roughly five months in Delhi without difficulty,” says Gill but some of them get into occasional apple trade within the wholesale fruit markets in the capital.Children seem the happiest in these camps, mostly because they get to extend their holidays. Gill believes the children in camps are very different from children in the surrounding areas. They are confident and boisterous. The girls are “fashionistas” and the boys “sported hoodes, tattoos and attitude”. The children do not study here but some parents hire local tutors for their continued education. “There was an extraordinary atmosphere of freedom and security within the camp, and the children roamed free all over, virtually all day long, only disappearing into their tents in the afternoons when summer approached,” says Gill.More than moving because of the climate, it has become a way of life for the seasonal migrants. Some of them can afford to stay back home during winters and “staying in the camp was no longer dictated by the necessities of survival” but they continue to come, because the 1,300 odd families who set up camp in Delhi each year, had become a close knit community.Gill has been a writer and filmmaker for nearly three decades now and delved into documentary photography only a couple of years ago while shooting for her film “Take me to the River”. As a writer, Gill has covered various issues like urbanization and urban culture and social and development issues. So when she came across this little community, she could feel an instant connection.“Winterlude: A Season In Delhi” is on view at Alliance Francaise de Delhi, 72, KK Birla Marg, Lodi Estate, New Delhi through May 29Follow @ARTINFOIndia
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