Sudipto Das lives in Kolkata, India. He is a self-taught photographer, now working as a senior photojournalist for The Times of India. Sudipto’s photographs have been displayed around the world including Washington, DC, Indonesia, Amsterdam, London, Portugal, Germany, Singapore, UAE, Montreal, Vancouver and Switzerland. He has received more than 100 international photography awards from all over the world.
In this image, entitled “Lone Existence”, a little girl stands in front of her demolished home, on the outskirts of an open-pit coal mine. Reportedly, in the Jharia region, hundreds of villagers are being removed from their homes which are being demolished to yield coal from this reserve, which provides large amounts of India’s cooking coal.
The Allard Prize Photography Competition jury selected this photo as it reflects the struggles local communities face in the preservation of their homes and lives against larger global influences.