Mission Delhi – Shyam Lal, Paharganj
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It’s only noontime, but even so. Construction labourer Shyam Lal has dozed off by the pavement. How he can sleep at all is anyone’s guess,…
Mission Delhi – Monica Bizira, Sector 5, Gurgaon
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] She is a woman with decided views. “This Indian culture!” exclaims Monica Bizira in an exasperated tone. “It’s a punishment to be a woman in…
Mission Delhi – Bhawani, Sector 15, Gurgaon
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] For years Bhawani’s life stayed the same. Earning a living as a “maid” in a score of middle-class households in Gurgaon in the Greater Delhi…
Mission Delhi – Uday Sharma, Galleria Market
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Some read for leisure. Others have more specific reasons. Like Uday Sharma. A cake shop assistant in Gurgaon’s Galleria Market in the Greater Delhi Region,…
Mission Delhi – Reshma Khan, Kala Mahal
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Reshma Khan is enjoying chai this morning in an Old Delhi tea house where she seems to know everybody—all of them men. She’s the only…
Mission Delhi – Prem Buddha, Paharganj
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Virtually every day of the year, hundreds of souls migrate to Delhi, seeking a better life. Perhaps many do find it, but “the important aspect…
Mission Delhi – Rajinder, Gurgaon
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] He has moved up in life. So Rajinder feels about himself. With the help of a generous bank loan, he recently bought a gleaming new…
Mission Delhi – Deepak Kumar, Connaught Place
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] There are various ways of dealing with living alone, and with grief. This evening, Deepak Kumar made a rare purchase, buying a sacred book for…
Mission Delhi – Irudaya Kumar, St Michael’s Church
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The room has two tables. The smaller is placed at the center. There is barely any other furniture. This is the meager world of Irudaya…
Mission Delhi – Ashish Chauhan, Blue Line Metro
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Frantic evening rush hour on the Blue Line and, as you’d expect, almost every metro train passenger is hunched over their mobiles for some reason….
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