Living in Limbo

"At a time when otherising and exclusion is taking on sharp and strident hues worldwide, efforts like these are crucial as they help raise awareness on sensitivity and empathy," said Professor Sir Timothy O'Shea, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh. He was speaking soon after formally launching a photo-voice exhibition by Dr Dina Sidhva last week. The works are titled 'Living in Limbo' – A photo voice study of 'The lived realities of HIV positive Forced Migrants (Asylum Seekers and Refugees) from Africa living in Scotland'.

'Bombay City Wise' a book by Dorian Wiszniewski, Senior Lecturer at Edinburgh College of Art was also released at the launch of the exhibition.

Dr Dina Sidhva's says she was moved by the trauma of those refugees facing the twin challenges of dealing with staving off deportation and living with HIV. "Many women refugees from Africa are fleeing a routine of sexual brutalisations and rape over years due to ethnic and political strife. During early morning raids, when Scottish immigration officials throw them out of dwellings, they aren't allowed to carry anything, not even their anti retro viral drugs. Left with no money or means, they fall back on the medication. This sets them back in control of the virus' march in debilitating their bodies," laments Sidhva. She says her passion for giving a voice to the marginalised led her to undertake a challenging research with asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland, who also live with HIV.

She has used an innovative, participatory 'PhotoVoice' methodology. "This enabled me to create a collage of photographs taken by asylum seekers. These photographs vividly portray lives of forced migrants in Scotland, as they await a decision from the Home Office. It captures the times when their fates hang in balance; whether they can stay or will be deported."

The poignant photographs gives voice to stories of asylum seekers and refugees, irrespective of which country they flee from or which country they flee to. The idea is that to make sure their stories are heard in the true spirit of dignity and our common humanity. Sidhva wants viewers to explore the powerful connections between forced migrants (in this case HIV positive asylum seekers and refugees from Africa currently living in Scotland) and society. Her interpretation merge photography and advocacy to advance human rights causes. The works illumine complex human stories that lie behind the phenomenon of migration and seeking asylum, while living with HIV. They intend to raise awareness, change perceptions and draw attention to the human aspect of the migration debate circulating in global media; and finally to draw the audience in to the world of optimism and despair of a group of forced migrants living in Scotland, UK.

Explaining her research, Sidhva told DNA: "HIV remains an enormously complex issue that continues to demand a deeper understanding. It has a multifaceted impact on the lives of whom it touches. Equally, the wait for asylum-seekers, who have lived in Scotland, UK, for years, on news from 'The Home Office' (UK Borders Agency) on whether they can continue to stay in the UK has a profound impact on them. Many suffer severe trauma, as live day-after-day in uncertainty, awaiting the outcome of what could be a "life-or-death" decision."

According to her,"The implications of immigration on the daily lives of HIV positive 'forced' migrants remains relatively under-researched. Personal narratives and voices of these persons are particularly limited. Disclosure of an HIV diagnosis for persons undergoing other complex immigration and legal issues remains a decision process fraught with difficulty, albeit encouraging medical advances, It has the potential to create considerable anxiety and distress about one's health, self-identity, and close relationships."

After premièring in Mumbai, the exhibition will also be visiting Delhi and Kolkata next.

When: On till January 28

Where: Nirmala Niketan College of Social Work, New Marine Lines