‘India has lost a towering figure in field of journalism’: Fadnavis condoles death of Raghu Rai
Mumbai, Apr 26 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday paid tribute to internationally acclaimed photographer Raghu Rai, saying India has lost a towering figure in the field of journalism.
Rai, one of India's best-known photographers who distilled the essence of an evolving India and its people through his lens, died at a private hospital in New Delhi earlier in the day. He was 83.
In a condolence message, Fadnavis said Rai captured the essence of human emotions through his lens and visually documented India's journey of development.
"He portrayed India's history, the sentiments of its people and the realities of everyday life through his camera. His photographs of the victims of the Bhopal Gas tragedy brought their pain to the global stage and drew international attention to the disaster," the CM said in a statement.
During his long and illustrious career, Rai worked with leading Indian magazines Sunday and India Today. Over the years, his photo essays appeared in renowned international publications, including Time, Life, The New York Times, The Independent, and The New Yorker.
He served three times on the jury of the World Press Photo and twice on the jury of UNESCO's International Photo Contest, according to Magnum Photos, where he was nominated to join by Cartier-Bresson in 1977.
Rai received the Padma Shri in 1972 for his coverage of the Bangladesh war and its aftermath, apart from several national and international awards.
He received the Photographer of the Year award in the United States for his photo essay "Human Management of Wildlife in India", published in National Geographic. The French government conferred him with the Officier des Arts et des Lettres in 2009.
Fadnavis said Rai captured moments of truth, pain and compassion that are often difficult to express in words, adding that his photographs serve as a visual documentation of modern India's evolution.
India has lost a towering figure in the field of journalism, he added. PTI MR NR
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