In Memorium: Pictures never age

Zeeshan Nasir

A captivating video captures the attention of social media, showcasing a mysterious figure adorned in a sand-colored cap and a finely crafted Marri-style stitched waistcoat. In this video, the enigmatic individual stands  reverently and gazes at the grave of Hani ( from the Hani and Shay Mureed Balochi folklore) for a while in Daddar, within the district of Sibi in southwestern Balochistan. With a solemn gesture, he drapes a traditional Balochi shawl over the grave as a heartfelt tribute, all the while capturing this moment with his trusted companion: a Canon camera. 

He neither has money to buy a drone nor the necessary kits in photography.

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Driven by a deep desire to traverse the entire of Balochistan, from the awe-inspiring Koh-e-Suleiman to the coastal towns of Gwadar and Kech, and further on to Shaal (Quetta), Ziarat, and Kalat, this passionate explorer wants to showcase the beauty of Balochistan through his lenses. He doesn’t have the money to travel the entire districts of Balochistan. Undeterred, he embarks on his journeys, sometimes hitchhiking and even riding a donkey, determined to unveil the breath-taking beauty of  the province.

Kamanchar Baloch standing on a boulder in Koh-e-Suleiman and gazing at the vast landscape below

“When I tell people that I am a photographer, I see their eyes grow wide, and I know what will happen when I add that I have travelled several kilometers to only take a photo.” He puts up with his fellow.

Ghulam Sarwar Baloch, commonly known as Kamanchar Baloch departed from us on April 16, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of passion and resilience. Kamanchar Baloch was born in 1998 in the home of Anwar Jeehand in Meeran Goth, Malir, Karachi. His ancestors hailed from the remote town of Mand in the Kech District of Balochistan. From a young age, he displayed a deep affinity for his homeland and its people. He received his primary education in Mand and later enrolled in the Department of English Literature at Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University, Lyari, Karachi in 2020. However, his passion for traveling and showcasing Balochistan’s beauty was so intense that he left his studies incomplete.

With an impassioned spirit, Kamanchar believed that through capturing the beauty and grandeur of Balochistan, he could vividly convey the essence of life in the region through his camera lens.

AR Dad, the renowned Baloch poet and professor of the Balochi Department in the University of Balochistan gives him the title of “Naji Al-Ali of Balochistan”. Just as Naji Al-Ali revealed the oppression and brutality faced by Palestinian Muslims to the world by Israel through his cartoon character Handala, Kamanchar Baloch exposed the deprivation and inhuman subjugation of the Baloch to the global audience.

Kamanchar’s collection 

“Unlike the vocal activists, Kamanchar’s camera was his weapon, silently capturing the struggles of the Baloch people. He was a quiet force, channelling the power of his art into meaningful endeavors. Despite facing financial hardships, he never wavered from his path, always asking himself, “What is my purpose?”. AR Dad adds. “He found solace in his work, capturing the untold stories of Balochistan. His photographs encapsulated the struggles of the Baloch people, preserving their heritage and history for generations to come.”

To take an example, Kamanchar documented the people of Pir Koh, a sub tehsil in Dera Bugti that gained headlines due to a cholera outbreak resulting in 6,000 reported cases and 26 confirmed deaths. He visited the village, interviewing residents about how they coped with severe water shortages.

His initial photograph, surprisingly taken with a Nokia 6720 mobile phone, depicted his hometown of Mand. Kamanchar traversed the extensive landscapes of Balochistan, including rugged mountains, bridges, hills, valleys, and enchanting coastal shores, highlighting their unparalleled beauty. His heart echoed with ancient grandeur and the spirit of exploration.

An old man playing Suroz

His first photograph, posted on Facebook, garnered admiration from poets, singers, intellectuals, writers, and people from all walks of life, literate and illiterate alike.

 

“A picture can speak all languages, even the language of the illiterate. A picture neither ages nor wraps,” he used to say.

Between 2008 and 2015, Kamanchar captured and kept around 8,000 photographs from across Balochistan. 

A picture of renowned Balochi poet Mubarak Qazi by Kamanchar Baloch 

His photographs found their way into magazines, book publishers, broadcasting agencies, and news agencies. He showcased his photo exhibitions in various locations, including Karachi, Quetta, Gwadar, and Turbat. Kamanchar Baloch not only explored every corner alone but also worked tirelessly to encourage others to appreciate the richness of Baloch heritage and land.

Kamanchar Baloch's photograph exhibition at the Turbat Museum and Cultural Complex

His photographs were not just colorful displays; they were stories written in vibrant hues, capturing the struggles and achievements of the people. With open hearts and minds, Kamanchar wrote extensively about the struggles of the Baloch people, portraying their tales with such eloquence and passion that words alone could not convey. Just as the dawn reveals the darkness, Kamanchar’s lens illuminated the hidden aspects of life, documenting every aspect of existence, revealing the very heartbeat of Balochistan. He traversed the forests and jungles, each step resonating with the echoes of every leaf and branch. Kamanchar’s spirit wandered through the lush landscapes of his homeland.

A Baloch Boy Shepherd 

“Many discouraged me from selling framed pictures,” he recalled in an exhibition. “I used to sell them to buy medication for my diabetes and stomach issues, which I couldn’t afford due to my disadvantaged background.”

“Kamanchar Baloch was a trailblazer because few dare to venture into the territories considered taboo in Balochistan. We scarcely have individuals who pursue photography as a career and he was the first famous photographer of Makran and probably Balochistan,” remarks Kareem Jan, a student in the political science department at Quaid-e-Azam University.”The Balochistan government should preserve his photographs in museums like the Quetta Museum at the Noori Naseer Khan Cultural Complex, the Kech Museum, Sibi Museum, Gwadar Museum, and others. Kamanchar’s legacy deserves to be showcased and celebrated in these cultural institutions across the region.”

A large crowd of people at Baloch's exhibition in Turbat Museum and Cultural Complex 

To preserve his legacy and foster a thriving photography culture in Balochistan, several initiatives can be undertaken. First and foremost, establishing a Photography Institute or Centre  for Visual Arts would provide aspiring photographers with the necessary training, resources, and mentorship and coming up with exhibitions featuring his photographs in the museums of the country would surely garner attention to a wider audience. Improving the infrastructures and greater access to remote areas would enable the emerging photographers of Balochistan to capture the untold stories and explore the hidden gem of the province.

Kamanchar’s travels and adventures were not characterized by modern gadgets or drones; instead, he relied on his trusted Canon camera and a thirst for discovery. Baloch’s photographs captured the raw beauty of Balochistan – its rugged landscapes, diverse cultures, and the resilient spirit of its inhabitants.

Kamanchar was a pioneer, a visionary, and a true enthusiast of Baloch culture and art. With every click of his camera, he captured not just images but the very essence of Balochistan’s richness, traditions, customs, and the untold stories that it holds.

 

Ultimately, Kamanchar passed away, but his legacy lives on through his photographs and as he said a picture never ages, verily, he would never age in his pictures.