Srinagar, March 11 (Scoop News) –Showkat Nanda, a young photojournalist of Baramulla in North Kashmir has won the prestigious National Press Photo Award 2011 organized by the Media Foundation of India .
Showkat’s picture of three Kashmiri sisters widowed in the ongoing conflict in Kashmir was selected as ‘photo of the year” by the Three-member jury which included award-winning photojournalists Pablo Brtholomew, Arko Dutta and the Associated Press Chief Photographer for South Asia, Kevin Frayer. Apart from the top title, Nanda also won first and third prize in General News category. The jury selected 97prize-winning images in six categories.
According to release issued by the Media Foundation of India, the three member jury was unanimous in selecting Showkat’s image as the Photo of the Year.
“This picture is not only beautiful and quiet, but haunting. We are used to the usually bold images from Kashmir-of crying women, graves and teargas. But then there is this picture, which is so quiet but tells such a strong story. For us it’s the defining image of 2010,” the jury said in a statement.
Showkat Nanda who has done Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from MERC in 2007 is a freelance photographer who started his career with Agence France Presse (AFP) and then worked for Daily Rising Kashmir for nearly two years .His pictures had appeared in Batter Photography magazine and many other national and international web portals . Three other Kashmiri photojournalists also won honors in the prestigious contest. Altaf Qadri of Associated Press won the second prize in General News category while Dar Yasin and Rafiq Maqbool, both working with Associated Press were given an honorable mention in the Best Photo Story and Spot News respectively.
It is pertinent to note that the jury awarded 16 honourable mentions across six categories apart from the 19 other cash prizes. The MFI National Press Photo Contest 2011 has instituted cash prizes of Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000, and Rs 20,000 for three winners in six categories.