I am speechless, This is very big honour for me: Anand
Jammu Tawi, May 5: What was till date the exclusive domain of Journalists from Kashmir valley to get conferred with the Pulitzar prizes, Jammu-based ace photographer Channi Anand was conferred with the ‘prestigious' Pulitzer Prize on Monday.
Expressing his happiness, Channi said that he was “speechless” and considered the prize a “big honour”.
“I am speechless, I could not say any word. This is very big honour for me,” said Channi Anand, who along with Mukhtar Khan and Yasin Dar from Kashmir, was conferred the ‘prestigious' award on Monday. The Pulitzer Prizes are considered achievement by the writers, authors, journalists, activists in India for highlighting the critical features of social life with political connotations.
The trio, who work for Associated Press (AP), won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for feature photography for their “striking images of life” in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
The 50-year-old photographer had joined AP as a stringer in 1999 and was made a staff photojournalist only four years back. He has won several awards in the photography at the national and local level.
Channi had started his career with local publications and had contributed to ‘The Week' and ‘India Today', before switching over to AP.
However the acceptance of award has led to strong resentment among many Indians as the statement of announcement for winners read out loud, “This year, the US-based Pulitzer Prize for best feature photography category has been awarded to three Associated Press (AP) photographers — Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin from Kashmir and Channi Anand from Jammu — for their striking images of life in the contested territory of Kashmir as India revoked its independence, executed through a communications blackout”.
One of the captions of the photographs that got selected for Pulitzer captured by a Kashmiri photographer was the one that referred to Kashmir as Indian Controlled Kashmir.
BJP has taken jibe at Rahul Gandhi for congratulating the awardees on said ground and seeks Congress's stand regarding Kashmir.
