The plight of the thousands of Bhutanese refugees living in camps in Nepal draws empathy, sympathy and even nonchalance, but only a refugee can bear witness to what each day in exile truly means. The lens may not lie and yet, what appears on an outsider’s frame may fail to capture as much as an insider’s access can. Voices in Exile is an innovative initiative by PhotoVoice to highlight the issue of the refugees and showcase their life in the camps through their eyes rather than through that of outsiders.

The photos in this book were taken by a some young camp inmates, provided with some basic training in photography. Their photos cover a wide range of themes, and reflect life in the camps from an insider’s perspective. Most photographers crave for and seek out the human-interest angle in any issue, and life in the camp is a treasure house - from a child screaming his lungs out to an old man blowing a thick puff of smoke, every picture captures a moment and tells a tale, of remorse, longing and even hope.

The insider access of the photographers perhaps opened up the subjects while putting them at ease. Most of the captures thus are intimate, personal and spontaneous. Life in camp maybe mundane for the average observer, but even the routine actions captured in the photos appear to find meaning when seen and captured through the inmate’s lens.

Voices in Exile sheds a different light on the long unresolved issue of the Bhutanese refugees. As a photo-book, it retains the naivete of the amateur photographer while remaining free of the sensationalism of the professional.

Reviewed by Vikash Pradhan, cash0612[at]gmail[dot]com

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