VISUAL IMPACT: PHOTOGRAPHS WHICH CHANGED THE WORLD

INTRODUCTION
The visuals play a very significant and crucial role for media to show us what is happening
around the world. The photographs of wars, peace, protests, human violence, terrorism,
natural calamities, and catastrophic losses are intended to leave an impact on subconscious
level of human mind. It tends to evoke our conscience more than words can ever do. The
photographs give us an insight and gist of the important issues happening around the
world. It builds up a great overview of historical moments and movements. So, the stronger
a visual impact, the greater the influence over the world.
Visual impact can be described as the degree to which a photograph has visible presence
and impact on human mind. At present, it is a very general term, which is used to refer for
the effectiveness, prominence, and attractiveness of the image. Visual impact means how
you are affected by something you see, or the particular group or community who would be
seeing the image. In other words, it is defined as the strength or power of an image to evoke
the conscience of humans. A strong visual impact means that the visual impact perceived
by the viewer has strong effect on his subconscious mind. It holds empathy, compassion,
and devotion. In creating a strong visual impact, the photographers seek to get attention of
the viewer and evoke his conscience to see more and more.
In this chapter, we will focus scholarly on the photographs of major events and incidents
happened across the world, which either changed it up to a greater extent or left an
immortal impression on human conscience. Also, we will discuss thoroughly on those
photographs, which have emerged as an iconic image of the major historical incidents and
how they have played an important role in political ups and downs. Moreover, you will find
an interesting collection of photographs from the last two centuries that strongly illustrates
how powerful the impact of visuals can be over the world. There are several photographs
which have helped in spreading news, opening eyes, changing the state of mind, and
evoking a movement.

IMAGES THAT HAVE ENCOURAGED PEACE & DENOTED A ‘NEW WORLD

ORDER’
There have been images that have brought people face to face with the gory, human cost of
war. These images have bridged the gap between peaceful living and the price paid by
those inhabiting active theatres of War. These have most notably been graphic or horrific
to the extent that they capture the carnage and barbarity of conflict.
Due to the distance from the site of war, it was earlier possible for individuals to distance
themselves from the brutality of war, however, with the coming of televisions and
photographic technologies, this gap was bridged and most of the gory images were
broadcast in real time to the public at large.
This spurred on massive backlash against occupation, war, dehumanizing of the ‘other’, a
greater emphasis on peace building and human rights along with the necessity to extend
civil liberties to those that the neo-imperial powers oppress.
Some notable results have been the Flower Power Movement of the 70s that occurred as a
response to heavy militarization and American Occupation of Vietnam, the backlash that
ensued with the release of pictures showing the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.
Images have not only contributed to backlash against authoritative and exploitative
policies but often images have also become iconic in the sense that they herald a new world
order. They stand to symbolize change, the occurrence of which drastically changes the
lived realities of the people, these can be positive and negative or just indicative of the
larger changes that are implicated.

Napalm Girl, 1972,

Image 56: Napalm Girl running naked on the street during the Vietnam War
Also known as the “Terror of War”, the photograph of terrorized children running out of a
recently bombed building helped sway public opinion of the Vietnam War and encouraged
people to come out openly asking for an end to the war. Nick UT, the AP photographer, was
at scene on June 8, 1972 when Napalm was dropped on one of the buildings. As the
surviving children fled the scene, one of the without any clothes, Nick was there to
photograph the moment. This image debunked the claim of the Pentagon that civilians
were not involved in the conflict.
Vietnam War, 1968

Image 54: General Nguyen Ngoc Loan killing Viet Kong suspect Nguyen Van Lem in Saigon
Street during the Vietnam War; photographed by Eddie Adams in 1968
The photograph of Gen. Nguyen Ngoc Loan, a South Vietnamese Police Chief, shooting Viet
Kong suspect Nguyen Van Lem during the Vietnam War had a severe impact on the
General’s personal and professional life. Photographer Eddie Adams, who took the
photograph on the Saigon street in 1968, later regretted taking the Pulitzer-winning
picture claiming that he did not wish for the impact the photograph had. While he did not
agree with what the General did, he did empathize with him.

Tankman of Tiananmen Square

Image 58: The Tank Man stands in front of a column of tanks following suppression of
protests at the Tiananmen Square in China; Photo by Stuart Franklin, 1989
Photograph taken on June 5, 1989 by Stuart Franklin. A day after the Chinese government
had suppressed the Tiananmen Square protests by force, a lone man with shopping bags in
his hands was seen standing in front of a column of tanks moving on the road. This was a
symbol of strength and resilience and resonated with people all over the world. Four other
photographers had also taken the same picture, however, the reels were confiscated and
destroyed. Franklin managed to keep his reel and got it smuggled out of the country with a
French student who hid it in a pot of tea
George Harris sticks carnations in gun barrels during an anti-war demonstration at
the Pentagon in 1967

This picture was taken at the height of the Vietnam War wherein people from all walks of
life joined in to protest against the war in Vietnam and to encourage an environment of
peace. There was an emphasis on placing value on human life and accountability of state
machinery. This period was also dubbed as the flower power movement as it was a period
of liberal politics and social values.

Cloud over Nagasaki, 1945

Image 50: Mushroom Cloud over Nagasaki after the US dropped an atomic bomb Fat Man;
photographed by Lieutenant Charles Levy.
Three days after the US dropped an atomic bomb “Little Boy” over Hiroshima in Japan, they
dropped their second bomb, an even deadlier weapon named “Fat Man” on Nagasaki. The
explosion caused by “Fat Man” resulted into a 45,000-foot-long radioactive shaft of dust
and debris, which was photographed by Lieutenant Charles Levy, also the bombardier. The
photograph of ‘Cloud over Nagasaki’ shows the intensity of damage and make it way-too
easy to imagine the death of over 80,000 innocent people. The photograph was captured by
Lieutenant Charles Levy, who was actually the part of that team who dropped the second
bomb, ‘Fat Man’.

Bloody Saturday, 1937

Image 48: Bloody Saturday - Photograph by WS Wong; captured at Shanghai South Railway
Station in China
The picture of a wailing baby, named Bloody Saturday, was shot by H.S. Wong, a
photographer for Hearst Metrotone News (also known as Newsreel). In the summer of
1937, Japan’s army of the Rising Sun marched towards Shanghai while the Japanese air-
force bombed the streets to clear the way. The bombing created mass panic and
destruction, leaving numerous bodies scattered in the streets. After the attack of August 28,
when Wong arrived at the destroyed Shanghai South Railway Station, he was appalled to
see the streets coloured with blood. He saw the wailing baby in the streets, next to what
appeared to be the body of his mother. He quickly captured the picture before whisking the
baby to safety. The photo was published in Hearst Newsreel, several newspapers and Life
magazine reaching more than 135 million people. Bloody Saturday became one of the most
powerful images in news history and helped sway public opinion and forced US, U.K and
France to protest the war and eventually taking part in what would become the Second
World War.

U.S Iwo-Jima, 1945

Image 49: US troops raising the US flag at Mt Suribachi; Photographed by Joe Rosenthal in
1945
The photograph was taken in 1945 - a month after the US troops had landed at Ivo Jima, a
tiny island 760 miles south of Tokyo. Iwo Jima was strategic for both the Japanese and the
US to win the war and when the American troops landed on the island on 19th of February,
it started a month-long tussle that professed the lives of 21,000 Japanese and 6,800
Americans. Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal was there on the fifth day of the
battle when the Marines captured Mount-Suribachi and raised a large US flag on the top in
order to boost the morale of the US troops and demoralize the enemy. The photograph,
which was published all over the US newspapers, earned Rosenthal a Pulitzer Prize and the
image was made into a postage stamp in addition to being cast as a giant bronze memorial
in Arlington Cemetery in Virginia, US.
The fall of Berlin Wall in 1989 paved the way for a re-unified Germany. ANTHONY
SUAU, TIME

In the height of the cold war, Germany was divided into two republics, The Berlin
Wall denoting this divide. It was not simply a physical divide but also an ideological once.
The wall was intended to cut off West Berlin from all the surrounding East Berlin and East
Germany until the government officials opened it in November 1989. The demolition of
Berlin Wall was officially originated on June 13, 1990 and completed in 1992. The fall of the
wall took place as a result of several revolutions in Eastern Bloc countries. This picture
shows one of the many demolition processes and encapsulates the frustration of the people
separated by this arbitrary wall and their eventual relief.

A flag of the new Dominion of India unfurls outside India House, London. 1947

After continued efforts on part of nationalists from all over the Indian subcontinent, they
were successful in overthrowing British rule. However, this came at a price, that of the
partition of the subcontinent into various distinct countries. This picture however denotes
the suzerainty and freedom of India as it shows recognition of India’s independent status
by the British as it flies openly in London.

IMAGES OF MARTYRS
The trope of the ‘Martyr’ goes a long way in producing public memory and the image of the
martyr goes a long way in reinforcing the ideas that the martyrs stood for. Martyrdom is
the result of the conviction that an ideal is worth giving up one’s life for, to safeguard an
ideal at any cost. The images of the martyrs are usually a picture of serenity as they have
willingly given up their lives and have done so with the awareness of the power of this act.
The iconic images of these martyrs are produced by the image that serves as the symbol of
the sacrifice but the idea is reinforced by the lore that surrounds them, often invoked and
spoken of, almost inseparable from the cause that they stood for. Past events serve socio-
political and cultural ends in the present.

Guerillero Heroico, 1960

Image 63: Guerillero Heroico by Alberto Korda

Although Alberto Korda took this photograph of Fidel Castro’s young compatriot in 1960, it
was in 1967, after Che Guevara was killed in Bolivia and celebrated as a martyr by the
Cuban regime that this picture was published in news media. Che Guevara was a Marxist-
Leninist hero, a liberal hero or the hero of the left. Over the period of time, he emerged as a
hero of the authoritarian far left in the Cuban Revolution, one who was known for bloody
handed in Cuba, just like Fidel Castro did. He was never a hero of American “liberals”.
He became so popular for being revolutionary and a mercenary, which hold a great visual
impact in the history of martyrs. The above photograph of Che Guevara is one of the most
popular and reproduced images of all time, which became the synonymous with rebellion
all over the world.

The Burning Monk, 1963

Image 51: Self-immolation of Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc in Saigon Street; capture by
Malcolm Browne in 1963.
In 1960s Vietnam, Buddhists made up 70-80% of the total population. Yet, when South
Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem started implementing pro-Catholic policies, it created
a sense of discontent and resentment in the majority of the population, especially in
northern parts of Vietnam. In 1963, when President Diem banned the Buddhist flag, this set
off a sense of desperation in the community and Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc self-
immolated himself in the Saigon Street. He believed that to fight oppression, like every
other community, Buddhists needed martyrs too. Photographer for Associated Press,
Malcolm Browne was present at the occasion and captured what became one of the most
iconic pictures ever taken. John F. Kennedy, former US President, said of the picture, “No
news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one”.

Bhagat Singh
Image: Bhagat Singh posing for his photograph at Ramnath Photographers, Kashmere Gate,
1929, New Delhi.
The above photograph of Bhagat Singh is known for being instantly recognizable and
symbolic of India’s struggle for freedom. This photo was captured at Ramnath
Photographers in 1929. Bhagat Singh, a revolutionary nationalist, was one of the most
recognizable figures of the period of ‘revolutionary terrorism’ and tales of his heroism still
persist. At his early age, he joined Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HRSA) and
carried out a number of famous incidents like Lahore conspiracy, killing of Saunders, and
harmless bomb in Central legislative assembly, which became a threat for British East India
Company. He made a great visual impact at the minds of Indian and encouraged a large
number of youths to contribute in Indian revolution for freedom. In Lahore Conspiracy, he
was trailed and sentenced to death but even in such period of time, he took an active
propaganda and exposed the atrocities of Britishers. Moreover, he fought for the prisoners’
rights of political captives and inspired masses specially youth to participate in freedom
struggle. Soon, Bhagat Singh turned out as iconic figure in freedom fighters due to his
strong visual impact among Indians.

IMAGES OF PROTEST AND DEFIANCE: CIVIL RIGHTS

In the history of the world, protest and defiance have played a very important role in
propagating the issue and achieve a global reach. Both are the integral part of visual impact.
Though it takes a lot of courage to speak up for a common man’s disapproval, some of bold
individual have proved the power of defiance and brought transformation change in the
world. In particular, the defiance has the ability to enable the ordinary citizen to dissent on
any issue and make it heard by the government and authority. Moreover, the protest is a
form of activism, which is crucial for creating the groundwork for a change. It is clear that
these activisms signify a strong visual impact on the world.
The pictures in this section are images that are emblematic of protest in arenas removed
from the site of protest. The protestors have stood for an ideal and are willing to risk larger
accolades and worldly honors in order to convey their dissent and dissatisfaction. What is
most striking is that it is not protest in the conventional form but an expression of
disagreement in whichever sphere inhabited by these individuals. They embodied the spirit
of that being personal also being political and therefore conveyed their dissatisfaction with
the current regime in whichever way possible.
Black power salute at Summer Olympics at Mexico, 1968:
In 1968, the struggle for civil rights was still on for the blacks in the US. After winning two
of the three medals in the 200m sprint event, American athletes, Tommie Smith (Centre)
and John Carlos (Right) raised their fists in the air when the US national anthem played
during the medal ceremony. Raising their black-gloved fists in the air for the entirety of the
ceremony, Smith later confirmed that the gesture was “human rights salute” and not just a
“black power salute”. The photo was taken by John Dominis. It proved to be turning
point/landmark in the movement for civil rights.

Image: The Black Power Salute during 1968 Olympics; taken by photographer John
Dominis.

Mandela’s fist of defiance, 1964:

Image 66: Mandela’s Fist of Defiance

In 1964, Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment for conspiracy, sabotage and
treason. While being escorted in a prison carriage with eight other men, Mandela and a few
others raised their fists through the bars of the carriage window as an act of defiance.

Colin Kaepernick and the NFL:

Colin Kaepernick, center, started kneeling during the national anthem to raise awareness of
racial and social injustice. He was the first footballer who protested during the national
anthem at Big games. He first began it at a 49ers’ preseason game in August 2016, where he
opted to smash the tradition and sit on the bench instead of standing. He has been out of
the N.F.L. for more than a year. However, he has succeeded in his mission to bring notice to
racism and the double standards faced by people of colour in USA.

Rosa Parks: Bus

On December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks quietly evoked a silent

revolution by just sitting down. In Montgomery, Alabama, it was in practice that when a bus
becomes full, the nearer seats of the front were offered to the white passengers. The bus
driver James Blake ordered Parks to abandon the seat but she refused to obey Blake’s order
and kept be seated at her place. She didn’t give up her seat to make room for a white
passenger.
Though it was merely a little act of denial on giving up the seat, this was indeed a challenge
to an established law. This incident sparked off the biggest Civil Rights movement in
America, which brought in the demand of equal rights for the civilians irrespective of their
colour and abolished the racism in America. Eventually, it ended apartheid of many
centuries, and abolished the discriminatory rule of law.

George Fernandes in shackles

Images: The iconic image of George Fernandes being arrested in Kolkata during the
emergency for Baroda Dynamite Case.
George Fernandes is one of the most iconic political leaders in the history of India. In the
above picture, he is standing with his fist raised defiantly after being arrested for Baroda
Dynamite Case. This photograph of Fernandes is one of the most exemplary photographs
defining the 21-month-long deplorable emergency.
An arrest warrant was issued in the name of Fernandes when he went underground during
the Emergency. Along with Fernandes, Kirit Bhatt, President of Baroda Journalist Union,
and Vikram Rao, a staff member of TOI was involved in the Baroda Dynamite case.
According to the reports, the plan was to target the set-up of Indira Gandhi’s meeting at
Varanasi before her arrival. On June 10, 1976, George Fernandes was arrested at Kolkata
and shifted to Tihar Jail even without being filed the charge sheet. The unprecedented
deeds of George Fernandes were succeeded to gain a massive and strong visual impact
across the nation. Consequently, Fernandes won the Lok Sabha elections of 1977 from
Muzaffarpur by a huge margin of three lakh votes. Surprisingly, he was never been to
Muzaffarpur before but his strong visual impact led to winning the election.
Gandhi and the Spinning Wheel, 1946

Image 64: Gandhi and the Spinning

Wheel; Photo by Margaret Burke-White, 1946
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a barrister by way of profession, however, as most of
us know, he was known for much more. While a young barrister practicing in South Africa,
he was horrified at the endemic racism exemplified by the British in all of their domains. It
is here that he began to resist imperial powers through non-violent methods of Satyagrah,
self-reliance and living a life of dignity. Here he established his Tolstoy Ashram where he
practiced his philosophy and espoused it to those who chose to join his community. He laid
stress on strengthening one’s core through prayer and faith, in discipline as well as other
values that made one superior to the West by virtue of the fact that Indian civilization had
ancient and spiritual roots whereas the British represented a civilization rooted in material
modernity.
It is in this context that his image and all that he stood for became so iconic as it was
emblematic of a struggle against the west in all aspects of his life with an emphasis on
Swadeshi ideology and freedom both physical and spiritual.
In almost all widely circulated images of Gandhi, his simplicity is striking as is his
approachability, dressed almost as a mendicant, thereby also adding to his spiritual
prowess.
This picture in particular represents all of these ideals, here we see an aged Gandhi,
imprisoned in Yerwada Jail, Pune. At peace while also being one of the root causes of the
crumbling of the imperial power’s hold over the subcontinent. It eventually proved to be a
potent image of dissent as Gandhi is shown to be a saintly man of peace who espoused
tactics of non-cooperation and civil disobedience. The following are examples.
Taken by photographer Margaret Burke-White in 1946 in Pune prison, this photograph
became the most recognizable image of Gandhi. However, this image was only published
after his assassination, as a tribute and quickly established Gandhi as a symbol of peace
around the world.
While Gandhi was a popular figure in India, it was his photographs that depicted him as a
frail and ageing figure leading a non-violent resistance that made him a global
phenomenon. Gandhi and his spinning wheel became an instant hit and one of the most
recognizable pictures in the world.

March to Dandi, 1930

http://blog.yalebooks.com/2015/03/30/gandhis-non-violent-raid-during-the-salt-march/

Simon go back: A demonstration in Madras, 1928

Women demonstrating during Quit India Movement

Rajiv Gandhi

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/sri-lanka-probes-plot-by-rajiv-gandhi-s-
would-be-assassin/story-WAGFRnT5pkwJdLoOYP9RQN.html
In the above photograph, Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, is under attack
of a rifle butt by a Sri Lankan naval rating during an honor guard in Colombo, after his visit
to Colombo to sign Indo-Lanka peace accord with the Colombo government. This was done
so in anger out of India’s support for the Liberation Tigers Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and drew
wide backlash.

Kent State University protests, 1970

Image 55: Death at the Kent State University protests; Captured by John Filo in 1970

The protest at Kent State University had begun when Richard Nixon, President of United
States, escalated the Vietnam War into Cambodia at April 30, 1970. On May 1, a great
protest by the students of Kent State University was evoked destroying public and private
properties. The official reports of investigation on students were yet unclear when Ohio’s
governor, who was running re-election that year, overreacted and summoned National
guards to snaffle the students. On May 4, 1970, students were gathered for the protest
when one company of Guardsmen was ordered to fire and consequently, four students
were killed in an opened fire by the National guards.
A student photographer John Filo captured the moment when Mary Ann Vecchio fell to her
knees screaming over Jeffery Miller’s body during an anti-war demonstration at Kent State
University in the US. This picture, which won Filo the Pulitzer Prize, was taken right after
Ohio National Guardsmen shot at the protesters killing 4 students and critically injuring 9
others. The consequences of Kent State University protest turned out as one of the greatest
domestic watershed incidents in the history of United States of America. The aftermath of
this incident led to the temporary closure of colleges and university across the country.

Delhi gang rape, 2012

The brutal gangrape and eventual death of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student on a busy
street of South Delhi forever shook the security of those living within the confines of the
capital. It drew widespread public outrage both nationally as well as internationally. The
brutality of the act could be described as having shaken up the very core and conscience of
society at large. The public outcry led to reaction from politicians as well as a swift and
efficient inquiry into the crimes committed.

Chipko Movement (1973)

The Chipko Movement of 1973 spearheaded by Sunder Lal Bahuguna emerged as a form of
reaction to condemn the action of logging of trees by government that used to cover forest
of Uttarakhand. This movement was carried out rural villagers, especially women, and
initially raised as women’s movement for forest rights. It was non-violent social and
ecological movement in which the villagers used to hug the trees to protest them and
refuse to let the industrialist go ahead with their planned destruction. The entire
movement received a massive visual impact, which was intended to prevent the tress from
forests slated for government-backed logging.
In terms of political consequences of Chipko movement, the visual impact boosted up the
process of nationalization as it appealed to most of the political leaders, who soon turned
their legislatures in favor of this movement. Several political parties stood with Garhwal
peasants and proposed the idea of making them independent of the State Forest
Department to earn political benefits. Consequently, the victory of Chipko movement
turned out to be massively successful, giving rewards to some regional political parties like
Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Uttarakhand Revolutionary Group). Moreover, it brought the
gateways for political parties to demand for regional autonomy through a separate ‘Hill
State’, Uttarakhand for the eight Himalayan districts in Uttar Pradesh.

IMAGES OF COALITION ACROSS MIND SPACES

A coalition is proved as a great test between two powers and it has received a very strong
visual impact around the world. In most of the most, the demand of coalition is brought in
by the political crises. Some of the major coalitions have established a better relationship
for democracy and emerged as the greatest peace gesture around the world. The visual
impact of those coalitions across the world have left a remarkable and phenomenal change
in the history of global politics and relationships.
In this section, the pictures of some great coalitions are mentioned, which have witnessed a
potentially strong visual impact over the world. The strength of coalition’s strength can be
understood when the two-party agree to abandon some of the common ground where they
disagree and form a mutual bond for a long run.

Fidel Castro and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in Moscow, 1963

Image 65: Castro with Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev

Fidel Castro holding the hand of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev during a four-week
official visit to Moscow, 1963. This photograph was a strong message to the US and defined
the relationship between Cuba and the US for years to come.

Nelson Mandela and Fredrik d Kierk: 1993, End of Apartheid in South Africa

Image 69: Nelson Mandela and

Frederik de Klerk shake hands
In the above photograph, Nelson Mandela is shaking South Africa's last apartheid president
Frederik de Klerk’s hand after both of them were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo in
1993. In particular, Nelson Mandela, the south African president, whose stubborn defiance
survived 27 years in prison for discarding the brutal apartheid system without violence.
Mandela emerged as one of the giants of the 20 th century, which became a global statesman
who inspired millions of people across the world through his strong visual impact.
Gandhi and Jinnah
Nationalist figurehead Mahatma Gandhi and the founder of Muslim League, Mohammad Ali
Jinnah had to meet in August 1944 after the former wrote and called for a meeting. Both
were known to each other since 1915 but had grown apart.
Gandhi met Jinnah as himself, an individual not as a representative of the Congress, when
he had launched anti-British civil disobedience campaign. In the above picture, Gandhi is
leaving the home of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of the Muslim League, en route to the
Viceroy's Lodge in Delhi, 24th November 1939.

IMAGES OF HUMAN VIOLENCE-GRAPHICS

The world has witnessed several incidents of violence which have showed the sufferings,
failure, and hatred of humanity in our history. Over the last century, some of the major
human violence and crises have left a powerful imprint on the mind of human showing a
great intolerance. In this section, we have mentioned some of the historical photographs of
the major human violence, which shook the humanity. Also, we will discuss about the
impact of such crises in the history of the world. These photographs reflect some of the
worst incidents of the human experience across the world. From remembering Hindu-
Muslim riots to the gulf war to the catastrophic tsunami pictures, this section will unfold
the visual impact of human violence and humanity.

Chauri Chaura, 1922

Chauri Chaura incident is one of the most misfortunate incidents of human violence, not
only in the history of India but world. During the struggle for Indian independence, Chauri
Chaura incident took place while carrying out the noncooperation movement led by
Mahatma Gandhi. On February 5, 1922, a large group of protestors was constrained by the
local police, which killed three people in opened fire. In reflex of this casualty, the
nationalist crowd went into a frenzy and burnt the police station of Chauri Chaura, killing
22 policemen who were sheltered inside. The barbarity of this act drew immediate legal
action from the British as well as Gandhi Ji who called off the Non-cooperation movement.
Subsequently, it costed the entire nation and the Indian independence got delayed for the
next 20-25 years.

Gujrat riots

Image 60: Arko Dutta’s iconic

photograph of a victim of Godhra riots, Gujarat (2002)
Source: Arko Dutta’s Photography of Gujarat Riots (2002)
Gujarat riots is one of the most unfortunate incidents in the history of India, which turned
into an unprecedented riot across the world. On February 27, 2002, a large group of Hindu
Pilgrims were returning from Ayodhya via train when a crowd of fanatic Muslims of Godhra
town attacked and burnt them alive at Godhra junction. In this incident, a total of 59
activists were killed including 15 children and 25 women. It was the orientation of Gujarat
Riots. Firstly, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and then, the Bhartiya Janta Party State
president declared a strike against this inhuman act. Soon, the Hindus began to strike back
in retaliation of killing of innocent pilgrims. Consequently, the innocent Muslims who had
no connection with Godhra incident were also under attack by Hindus. This riot turned out
as the worst human violence riot in the history of the world.
The above picture of Gujrat riots is an iconic photograph taken by the famous
photojournalist Arko Dutta during the communal riots in Godhra, Gujarat in 2002. The
photograph captures the plight of a victim of violence, named Qutubuddin Ansari who
became the face of the riots. Dutta has captured the right emotion with tears in victim’s
depicting the pain of losing loved ones and hope for survival.

Hindu Muslim violence 1947

Image: Vultures meander over those killed in Muslim-Hindu violence (1947).

In the wake of the partition of the Indian subcontinent, it was also a time of rising
communal tensions and violence. The scale of which was previously unprecedented. The
graphic images caused distress to many including Gandhi Ji who went on a fast unto death
until the violence had not stopped.
The Muslim League called a general strike on August 16, 1946 and termed it as Direct-
Action Day, to assert the demand of separate Muslim homeland. A several request, followed
Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was proposed to the Governor of Bengal Sir Frederick Burrows to
declare a public holiday. The Governor of Bengal agreed and after his grant, the protest
triggered a massive riot in Kolkata against this backdrop. Around 4000 people lost their
lives and 1 lakh people turned homeless in Kolkata in the next three days. This violence
evoked further Hindu-Muslim violence in other parts of India like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,
Punjab, Noakhali and other western regions.
In course Hindu-Muslim Violence, a series of riots was carried out in 1947 in the backdrop
of India-Pakistan partition. In March 1947, the first attack was made against non-Muslims
in Lahore and Amritsar. Moreover, the mobs led by Muslim League were also struck at
helpless Hindus and Sikhs scattered in the villages of Rawalpindi, Multan and other nearby
districts. The attack in Rawalpindi village began on March 7, 1947, which was continued for
weeks incorporating other villages as well. All these led to a huge human and economic
loss, which weakened the back of the country.
Babri Masjid, (1992)

Babri Masjid was a mosque that was contested by Hindus to have been built over Hindu
shrines. To prove this, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) initiated a campaign and gathered
public support for Hindu access to the Babri Masjid and other structures which was built
over Hindu shrines. In course of raising public awareness, the VHP planned
nationwide rath yatras over 10,000 kilometres. The entire event can be described as a peak
moment of Hindutva as a political ideology. Over the course of this, on December 6, 1992, a
large gathering of Hindu Pilgrims, termed as Kar Sevak, was catapulted to the top of the
Babri Masjid and that signalled the demolition of the then 464-year-old mosque. The
demolition of Babri Masjid resulted in several months of inter-communal rioting between
Hindu and Muslim communities across the whole country, which caused the death of over
2000 people.

Highway of Death, 1991; The Death of an Iraqi soldier, Gulf War

https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/dont-photograph-people-like-mom-will-think-war-see-
tv-gulf-war-1991/
The Highway of Death is referred to a six-lane highway between Kuwait and Iraq, which is
also officially known as Highway 80. It basically ran through Kuwait to Basra, Iraq during
Operation Desert Storm. The Highway 80 is termed as Highway of Death due to the
destruction of Iraqi Forces that were attempting to escape Kuwait and back into Iraq. The
Coalition forces had attacked the Iraqi Forces, which destroyed several military and civilian
vehicles and killed a large number of people.
The above image provided is a photograph of a man burned beyond recognition. It was
deemed to be almost too graphic by most editors, due to this, it didn’t get much publicity in
the US but did in the UK. However, the photographer was successful in creating a debate
about the vagaries of war and whether one should want to be involved in it.

ICONIC IMAGES OF HUMAN LOSS, DISPLACEMENT, MIGRATION AND

ECONOMIC BURDEN
There has been several crises of human loss and economic depression across the world
which has witnessed a massive shift in humanity leaving a visual impact like never before.
Some of the photographs of great human depression have left an adverse effect in the
history of the world. In this section, we will see the photographs of some of the major
human loss, displacement, and migration incidents, and discuss about their visual impact
around the world.
The Great Depression, 1936
Image 46: "Migrant Mother" by Dorothea Lange. The Great Depression, 1936
The “Migrant Mother” is one of the most important pictures in history as it humanised the
cost of the Great Depression. Lange spotted Frances Owens Thompson sitting outside one
of the camps and took the picture using her 4x5 Graflex camera. The people at the camp
were homeless rag-pickers who used to work at the nearby farm. After the farm’s crop had
frozen, there was no work for them and they had to rely on selling their belongings to buy
food.

Rohingya crises, (2017)

https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/reuters-wins-pulitzer-for-photography-of-
idUSRTX5QZXT
Myanmar was ruled by the military Junta until 2011 and accused of ethnic cleansing of
Rohingya Muslims and enactment of citizenship law. During 1970s, thousands of refugees
had migrated to Bangladesh. After the political reform and democratic rule information in
2011, there was a slight change in the fate of Rohingya Muslims. In the above photograph,
an exhausted Rohingya refugee women is found touching the shore after crossing the
Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal in Shah Porir Dwip,
Bangladesh. Chilling images such as this one shows the struggle of human displacement
caused by conflict. Pictures such as this one is symbolic of the flagging human spirit as well
as the quest for survival in the face of all odds being stacked against them.
Alan Kurdi, Nilüfer Demir, 2015
The sensational photograph of Alan Kurdi was captured by a Turkish photographer named
Nilufer Demir for the Dogan agency while the international news agency Reuters published
it, which received a massive reaction from all part of the world. During the war period in
Syria, a refugee family tried to set off from the Turkish coast for the Greek Island of Kos but
they couldn’t ever reach as their boat drowned. Alan Kurdi was a three-year-old Syrian
refugee among them who died by drowning in the Mediterranean Sea in 2015. His death
made global headlines as it brought the refugee crisis to a center stage.

This photograph emerged as one of the most defining photographs of a war in the history
of world. Within no time, the photograph of Alan Kurdi went supremely viral over the
social media, receiving a huge reaction across the world. All the media organizations hit
this news with full force. Eventually, the European governments had to open the closed
frontiers and within a week of this action, the Syrian refugees were lifted to Germany by
trains.

Tsunami:
https://www.worldpressphoto.org/collection/photo/2005/world-press-photo-year/arko-
datta
2004, Arko Dutta, Reuters, Tsunami in Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 is one of the most catastrophic natural calamities in the
history of the world. It wreaked havoc in most of South East Asia, causing a damage to not
only property but also loss of human lives. On December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake,
having a magnitude of 9.1 at Richter scale, struck at the coast of an Island Sumatra of
Indonesia. Within next seven hours, a series of huge ocean waves was triggered by the
undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean, which turned out as immense destruction and
loss. Over 2,25,000 people were killed across a dozen of countries like India, Sri Lanka,
Maldives, Thailand, and Indonesia. An immense economic damage and hundreds of
thousand casualties were estimated across the coast of several of South and Southeast Asia.
Moreover, the long-term environmental damage was also huge due to the destruction of
villages and demolition of soil by the debris, carcass, and plant-killing salty water.
The above image of 2004 tsunami in Indian Ocean is particularly powerful and chilling as it
is that of a woman mourning the death of a loved one. The Tsunami is also considered to be
one of the worst natural calamities in living memory.

South Sudan, 1993

Image 59: The Vulture and the Little Girl; Photo by Kevin Carter, 1993
During the second Sudanese civil war between 1983 to 2005, people were dying from the
starvation. In 1993, when Kevin Carter visited South Sudan for work, he was horrified by
what he saw. The abject poverty and hunger were captured wonderfully by the New York
Times photographer. However, one picture stood out. “The Vulture and the Little Girl” is an
iconic picture that moved the entire world. Photographer Kevin Carter, who won a Pulitzer
for this picture, was initially photographing the little famine-stricken girl, who was resting
from crawling to the United Nations feeding center, when he realized that a vulture was
sitting nearby, eyeing her. He readjusted his camera angle and managed to click one of the
most recognizable images related to poverty. Sadly, Carter had to left the girl behind as he
was instructed not to touch famine victims. Carter committed suicide in 1994, aged 33.
Bhopal Gas Tragedy, 1984

Image 57: Unknown child being buried during the Bhopal Gas Tragedy; Photograph by
Raghu Rai in 1984
On December 2 1984, 30 tons of toxic gas was released in Bhopal due to industrial
negligence, killing more than 3,500 people in a matter of days. The entire nation was
shaken and aggrieved, and the pictures coming out of Bhopal were shocking. But none
captured the essence of the disaster as well as the picture of this unknown child being
buried did. Celebrated Indian photographer, Raghu Rai, captured one of the most haunting
pictures ever that became the face of one of the biggest industrial disasters caused due to
negligence.

IMAGES OF GLOBAL TERROR

Terrorism is one of the global tactics which is used by the group of different ideologies, be
it a religious or non-religious, right-wing or left-wing, Muslims, Christians, Hindu or
sometimes political parties too. Over the period of time, it is found that the terrorism has
been practiced by most of the organization, whether separatists or nationalists or
communists. The terrorist organizations have used all the force and violence to reach the
brutality and achieve political and economic goals. At present, probably any country would
exist who can claim that they not affected by global terrorism directly or indirectly. Some of
the major terror attacks around the world have left a very strong visual impact.
In this section, we will focus on the visual impact of global terrorism in terms of their
impact on the country and its political system. Also, we will try to understand how some of
the global terror attacks led to major changes in politics and economy.

Mumbai serial blasts (1993):

The 1993 Bombay blasts have turned out as one of the most deplorable terrorist attacks in
the history of the world. On March 12, 1993, a series of 12 bomb explosion took place in
Mumbai, which was carried out in the reflex of Bombay riots where the majority of victims
were Muslims. In this, first large-scale, conducted terror attack, around 257 people were
killed and over 1400 were injured. The responsibility of this attack was taken by the leader
of Mumbai based International criminal organization, D-company, Dawood Ibrahim with
his sub-coordinates, Yakub Menon and Tiger Menon.

Image: Firemen clear the debris at Air India building damaged during the serial blasts.
Mumbai, 1993
The 1993 Bombay serial blasts are described as the emergence of criminalization of
politics, which was the result of a collaboration of a diffused network of terrorist
organization, custom officials, and their political patrons.

World Trade Centre attack (2001):

The attacks on the World Trade Centre on 11 th September 2001 is one of the biggest and
worst terrorist attacks on USA in entire history of global terrorist attacks. On September
11, 2001, a group of 19 militants, who were associated with an Islamic terrorist
organization al-Qaeda, hijacked four passenger airplanes and carried out suicidal attacks at
their targeted places. Two out of four planes were struck at New York’s twin towers of the
World Trade center while the one hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C, and the
last one crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. In this attack, around 3000 people were killed
and over 6000 were injured. The 9/11 attack shook the whole world as it was an attack on
the USA. There have been several memorials held for the lives lost, with ground zero being
constructed where the World Trade Centre once stood.

The 9/11 attack brought major some major changes in U.S politics and foreign policies.
Both the major political parties of USA, the Democratic party and the Republican party,
rallied against global terrorism to evoke ‘Global war on terrorism’, a term devised by the
first term of president George W. Bush. The US government had to increase the military
operations, economic measure, and political pressure on the terrorist organizations and the
countries, which had sheltered and trained them.

Madrid Train Bombings (2004):

Madrid train bombings in 2004 turned out as one of the hazardous incidents of global
terror, which gave the scariest pictures to the world. On March 11, 2004, just three days
before the general elections of Spain, the terrorist targeted four trains in three Madrid-
region train stations and exploded 10 bombs during the rush hours of that morning. In this
deadliest attack, 191 people were killed and nearly 2000 were injured. Seven out of ten
bombs were aimed around Madrid’s Atocha Station and carried in backpacks through
boarding in trains while the rests were targeted near the EI Poso del Tio Raimundo and
Santa Eugenia stations. These blasts were caused by improvised explosive devices and
detonated by the mobile phones. Initially, the responsibility of Madrid train bombings was
on the Basque separatist militant group ETA but soon, it turned to be incorrect as the
evidences were found against and extreme Islamist militant group, Al-Qaida. Surprisingly,
the attack had occurred just two days prior to the major general elections of Spain in which
the anti-war Socialist were swept to power.

Since this attack had struck just three days before the general elections of Spain, a number
of schools of thoughts around the world came into contrast, in which many considered it as
the reprisal of Spain’s participation in Iraq war where 1400 Spanish soldiers were
mobilized. This major global terror attack had major political consequences on the general
elections. Since the initial suspect was the ETA, the government continued to blame the
Basque separatist militant group ETA for the attack in their campaign. On March 13, 2004,
the people of Spain evoked a massive protest in Madrid, Barcelona and the other cities as
the first arrest was made. The demonstrators raised a slogan, “We want to know the truth
before we vote.”. This attack turned out as the major breakthrough in the general elections
of Spain. According to several reports, around 90 percent of Spaniards opposed the Prime
minister, Jose Maria Aznar’s support to U.S-led invasion of Iraq, which consequently turned
the Islamic connection to put Iraq back at the top of the political agenda. Subsequently, it
proved as the boon for the opposition party, Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE),
which had condemned the support to Iraq. On March 14, 2019, the PSOE party witnessed a
remarkable victory at the polls. After three days, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero became the
Prime minister of Spain. The new government removed the Spanish troops from Iraq.

26/11 Mumbai attacks (2008):

The 26/11 attack can be described as one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in not only India
but also the world. On November 26, 2008, a group of ten people of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an
Islamic terrorist organization based in Pakistan sneaked in India via sea routes and
targeted major highly luxurious places like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, The
Oberoi Trident, Taj Hotel of Mumbai, The Nariman House, The Metro Cinema, Café Leopold,
Cama Hospital, and St. Xavier’s College. The attack began on 26 of November and lasted
until 29 November when all the sites got secured by Mumbai Police department, Security
Force, and National security guards (NSG), who conducted an operation to wipe out all the
terrorist. In this attack, a total of 174 people was killed including terrorists and over 600
were injured. The visuals of 26/11 attack and destructions made by terrorists shook the
conscience and spirit of the entire country but the aftermath of this attack was quite
shocking. The country was expecting a concrete action against Pakistan based terrorist
organization. After a period of time, the leaders of UPA government released a book, in
which it was stated that the 26/11 attack was carried out by RSS group in order serve
political benefits to BJP. Later after years, on the stark contrary, a several statements were
issued by the personnel of Indian Air Force (IAF) that the UPA government didn’t give
access to IAF and blocked the option of surgical strike against Pakistan.

Peshawar school attack (2014):

The 2014 Peshawar school massacre was one of those horror terror attack, which received
global condemnation all across the world. On December 16, 2014, a group of seven heavily
armed gunmen, associated with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), burst in an army-based
primary and secondary school in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar and started
opened firing on the children who were gathered for First-aid training and learning
purpose. In this brutal attack, more than 150 people including 134 students were killed and
over 150 were injured. Peshawar school massacre was carried out by the foreign national,
including a Chechen, three Arabs, and two Afghans affiliated with TTP.
Image: A Pakistani soldier inspecting the casualties at Army Public School in Peshawar,
Pakistan right after the attack by Taliban gunmen on December 16, 2014. (Mohammad
Sajjad/AP images)
Source:https://www.britannica.com/event/Peshawar-school-
massacre/media/2111782/228893

Peshawar school attack remarked various political consequences in the course of Pakistani
politics. The political leaders of Pakistani regime and other religious parties cropped up to
condemn the terrifying attack and sworn to wipe out the terrorism from Pakistan. The
Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) government, headed by the then Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif was under immense pressure following the allegations of elections of fraud and
corruption. To overcome the political impact, the chairman of the Pakistan Thereek-e-Insaf
(PTI), Imran Khan evoked several nationwide rallies, which were attended by hundreds of
thousands of people.