When just reporting is not enough

IN Media Practice | 28/01/2016
As an expat reporter in Bahrain, Anwar Moideen’s stories uncover the lives of poor Indian workers and touch the conscience of local people.
MOIDEEN’S account

Pictures from Anwar Moideen’s Facebook page of the impact of his stories.

 

I left Mallapuram in Kerala when I was fourteen and a half to find work in Bahrain. After working as a driver, a supermarket helper and then as a salesman for a few years, I stumbled into photo-journalism and began freelancing. My big break came when I was offered a job in 2008 at Al Watan, one of the leading newspapers of Bahrain. I am presently heading the reporting and photography department and am also a regular contributor to DT News, an English daily and 4PM News, a Malayalam evening newspaper.

But in this article I want to explain how, in a place like Bahrain, it is not possible to report a story, take pictures, file the copy and then go home. I had plenty of work, endless human interest stories. Many of my reports were about expatriate Indians working in Bahrain, many from my home state of Kerala, and the immense problems they face, especially poor labourers. Where to begin? They are harassed by the authorities over their papers, paid badly, not paid at all, exploited mercilessly and suffer accidents and injuries (70 per cent of Indians work in the construction industry).The odds are stacked against them. In recent years, a large number have committed suicide.

If you are working as a reporter in your own country, you can walk away from such individual after you have heard their story. But when you are an expatriate yourself and you know that these fellow expatriates have no safety net, no friends, no money, no network of relatives, no contacts, no local NGO to help them  – nothing, in short, to fall back on - it is impossible to walk away.

You feel compelled to take an extra step and give them a helping hand, either by pursuing their case with the relevant authorities, accompanying them to hospital or a government office, by forcing employers to treat them better, or by enlisting the support of the local community.

 

In this situation, with Indians numbering about 400,000 out of a total population of 1.3 million (the largest expatriate group in Bahrain), the journalism I have been practising for the past 15 years has willynilly become a different animal. It is one where I get totally involved, where I follow up to see what has happened to somebody and where I have to arouse the concern of the wider community so that help comes in. 

Here are the stories of some of the people who were helped by my photo-journalism. Read them to see the infinite variety of difficulties that can afflict expat Indian workers:  

If I was able to help these individuals, it was thanks to my readers, social workers and compassionate officials. The stereotype of Gulf employers and residents as being indifferent to Indian expatriates has some basis but my experience has shown me that, when they read these heart-breaking stories, they often respond with compassion, money and practical help.

The very fact that they read my stories shows that they are interested in the human side of expatriate life. Moreover, the fact that I have received numerous awards and appreciation certificates for my work also indicates that Bahraini society is alive to the sufferings of Indian labourers. In 2009 alone, I was recognized seven times through awards and certificates.In 2012I received an Appreciation Certificate from the Bahrain Parliament for my media coverage, the Best Photojournalist award from the Muharraq Hala area for my media support for Bahrain (2011) and I was the first Indian to win the 2010 Photographer Media Person award from the Al Hiddi Council for my media coverage.

It is very difficult to evaluate the impact of journalism. There are too many imponderables. In my work, though, I have seen the end result, and it makes me happy.