I worked with Mr. Jo Johnson, the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Financial Times, as a local assistant and translator. He was accompanied by a photographer named Tom Pietrasik. They were in search of 24-year-olds, particularly from the Musahar community. The age of 24 was significant because it is the typical age when Indians enter professional life. The Mushahars were of particular interest due to their status as untouchables in rural India. They survive by collecting long pepper leaves (Pipal), making bowls from them, and selling them in the market.

The Musahar community near the Coke plant had also been affected by the issues caused by the plant, making them ideal subjects for their interviews. Joseph and Tom were scheduled to arrive at Taj Hotel, Varanasi, at 11 a.m., but their flight was delayed, so I had to wait for over two hours. I finally met them at 1 p.m., and we decided to head to Mehndiganj, as we were already running late. Mr. Nandlal Master, who leads the movement against Coca-Cola in Varanasi, was supposed to meet us but had to travel to Ballia for urgent work.

He arranged for Urmila Didi to accompany us to the Mushahar village and assist with the interviews. Our first stop was a village near Mehndiganj where we interviewed a 24-year-old man. We initially met him at his farm but decided to move the interview to his home for a better understanding of his livelihood. After the interview, Tom wanted to take photographs of him. He took several pictures at the home but also wanted to capture images at his workplace. Tom meticulously adjusted angles and backgrounds, which, though professional, made the interviewee feel uncomfortable.

He confided in me that he felt like he was being treated as a spectacle, but I managed to persuade him to cooperate with Tom and Joseph’s requests. Next, we visited a Mushahar community. Although we were looking for 24-year-olds, most people didn’t know their exact birthdates. Eventually, a family pointed us to a 24-year-old woman, whom we interviewed. Tom repeated his approach of taking numerous photos, which, once again, upset both the woman and the community. Despite this, we completed our interviews for the day and returned home.

The following day, I met Tom at Assi Ghat, and we did a boat ride from Assi Ghat to Manikarnika and back. Tom took many photos and asked me about the funeral process. After the boat ride, Tom went back to his hotel, and I returned home. Later, I met them again at Taj Hotel, but they decided not to conduct any more interviews, as they were satisfied with the previous day’s work. Instead, they chose to explore the city. Tom wanted to stay an extra day in Varanasi to do more photography at the Ghats. Mr. Joseph wanted to visit the Ghats as well, so I accompanied him to Assi Ghat, where he chose to explore alone.

I left him there and went in search of a hotel for Tom. Due to the tourist season, most hotels were fully booked. After visiting more than 15 hotels, I finally found an available room near Shivala with air conditioning, and I booked it for Tom. The next day, I met Tom at his hotel at 4 a.m., and we spent over seven hours at Dashashwamedh Ghat. Tom took numerous photographs throughout the day. By the end of the day, Tom departed for Delhi, and my work with the Financial Times concluded.