hands

i was following the women of stree jagruti domestic worker's union again today. i met this woman on the street while shooting, and like many people in the poorest areas of bangalore, she had never had her photo taken. digital cameras are quite amazing and strange, because i took a picture of her and then we were able to look at it. she was unhappy with the first one, so this picture is the third in a series, and we both agreed this one was the best. i doubt this woman has a mirror among her belongings, and she has likely not seen herself in a long time. she probably felt she looked old. if you look closely, you can see how rough her hands are. she is a street cleaner, and likely a dalit (untouchable). when i was leaving she came over and shook my hand, and thanked me. i have never felt a hand so rough, it felt like a tree trunk, not a human body part.

i have now spent some time with the women of stree jagruti, and these women are poor, they have few rights and they are of a low caste. but the caste system is intense, and so even these women were surprised when i shook the street cleaner's hand-