He hails from the Gonda district of India’s Northern State of Utter Pradesh. He is 4th among six including five brothers and a younger sister. He says when he was born, his father shifted to Trilokpuri, Delhi from his hometown along with him and his family.
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| Shrikant Singh doing the normal day work of his bus conductor job. (PS- Video grab from IHC) |
His father was a private employee in a printing press company and he had lost his job in an unusual circumstances that led the child Shrikant to work for the livelihood of his family. He worked in the daylight and shared all what he observed during the work to his mother who was a housewife and, in 2022, she, unfortunately, left for the heavenly abode.
When he was enrolled for primary education in a government school, he joined an NGO named Mobile Crechese that works for the growth of the children aged 0-6. This NGO’s working style was different and provided facilities to the employees’ children at its construction site.
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| Shrikant Singh at work during Muharram procession in 2018. Then he was in Punjab Kesari. (Photo provided by him) |
He graduated from Delhi University (school of open Learning) in B.A. Programme. But, his journey was not so simple as many children owe to. His father was unemployed when he was growing up and his family was struggling to get nutritious food. In 2010-12, he used to sell ice creams during school holidays. After 2012, he worked for the catering services for part time. He had a hope that a better day will come, but when? He had no idea. He sat on the conductor seat of DTC bus too just after completing his 12th and his brother helped him to get that seat.
Fortunately, with the support of that NGO in which he had been working from his childhood, he started learning ‘Advance Computer Course’ from India Habitat Centre and then he also learned ‘Basics of Visual Documentation’ that includes the skills of photography, videography, story telling, movie making and other required skills.
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| Shrikant Singh learning required skills at IHLC, that draw first blood in his life. (PS- Video grab from IHC) |
During the course, he attended ‘Delhi Photo Festival’ that helped him to develop his photo skills, to enhance the artistic approach of photography and multi-dimensional facets of the photojournalism.
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| Shrikant Singh started getting recognised and was published with his byline. (Photo provided by him) |
In 2014, his courses have been completed and he was looking for a job. This was the year when then-Gujarat-CM Narendra Modi had played his ace card to claim the throne of Delhi, and he had also bid for the jack card of his life. Selling ice creams, working for catering services and doing the job of bus conductor had no longer been part of his journey. And, he got his first job in Live India Magazine as Intern.
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| Photos for the feature snapped by Shrikant Singh. (Provided by him) |
An Internship usually ends in the period of 40-45 days, but he worked there for 10 months in the hope of a good day that will come and change his fate. During this internship, he did photography on one day and worked as conductor on an another day. He had been experiencing these alternatively.
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| Shrikant Singh collecting fares from the passengers travelling in a DTC bus. (PS- Video grab from IHC) |
But, the magazine discontinued its operation, he lost his job and he was compelled by the rudely behaviour of his life to sit again on the conductor seat. Following these struggles, he never got demotivated and always snapped pictures in the evening in his spare time and posted these on social media platforms.
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| Shrikant Singh snapping photographs in his spare time when he was struggling. (PS- Video grab from IHC) |
His boss in the now-closed magazine ‘Live India’ helped him to get a job at Navodaya Times, Jalandhar. It was the last months of 2016 and the year became lucky for him. He started getting a stipend of Rs 13,000 per month. He worked here for almost one year and switched to Punjab Kesari, Delhi. His salary increased to Rs. 17,500 per month.
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| Photos clicked by Shrikant Singh. (Clip provided by him) |
He has been working for the newspaper and developing the real time insight of photography. One day, he found the jack card of his life when he was shuffling the deck of his life journey. Before COVID-19 lockdown, he got an golden opportunity to join ANI News Photo Division that was still in its infancy.
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| Shrikant Singh clicking photographs for ANI Photo Services during migration of people forced by the precautionary covid lockdown in 2020. (Photo provided by him) |
Former Head of Department of PTI Photo Division, Mr. Subhash Chandra Malhotra, was leading the ANI photo division and still doing so. He keeps the department from rags to riches with the minimal resources. In Shrikant Singh’s words, he recognised his work and motivated him to grow up in the field of photo journalism. He adds that Mr Subhash ji appreciates every tiny good work and also applauds the efforts even after it is not up to the mark, with minor scold.
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| On the way of his life journey. ( Photo provided by him) |
His English is average but the skills of photography is appreciable. Like as every Indian photo journalist, he also desires to work for the international photo agency. It is in the grave of the future that a child, who hails from the Gonda district, sold ice creams and collected fares for selling tickets in the bus for livelihood, where he would go professionally and how his prowess ends.
