Skip to main content

Combining art and activism, Tarun Bhartiya sought to expose societal injustices

By Harsh Thakor* 
Versatile artist, documentary filmmaker, poet, and social activist Tarun Bhartiya has passed away in Shillong. He was 54 and succumbed to a heart attack at Woodland Hospital. His contributions to creativity and activism left an indelible mark on Shillong and beyond. A life characterised by service to humanity and exposing societal injustices in diverse realms, Tarun Bhartiya’s voice will always resonate in art and activism. His unwavering dedication to justice and storytelling epitomised a life of purpose and passion.
He is survived by his wife, Angela Rangad, and their three children—a daughter and two sons. His voice embodied liberation and cultural preservation.
Born in Maithil in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, Bhartiya’s work as a documentary filmmaker explored humanity’s interaction with environmental and political challenges. Notable works like The Brief Life of Insects (2015) and The Last Train in Nepal (2015) won prestigious awards, including honors from the Royal Television Society. Bhartiya’s art transcended mere accolades, as his primary objective was to raise moral consciousness.
His dedication to showcasing life in the Northeast, coupled with his efforts to bridge the gap between artist and political activist, has left a lasting legacy.
Bhartiya’s work was a fusion of morality, courage, and artistic brilliance. He captured hearts in 2015 when he returned the National Award for Best Editing as a protest against the rise of fascism he perceived in the nation. This act highlighted how inseparable art and activism were in revolutionising society.
Bhartiya’s unyielding dedication to faith and identity broke through the deepest barriers. For over 14 years, he eloquently addressed the complexities surrounding the Khasi-Jaintia community’s debates on matters of faith, identity, and nation-building.
He was a talented poet who wrote evocative Hindi poetry, a filmmaker whose documentaries explored pressing environmental and human rights issues, and a photographer whose striking black-and-white images captured the essence of Meghalaya’s intricate socio-cultural tapestry.
He wrote extensively in Hindi, producing evocative verses that resonated with audiences across India. His poetry, featured in anthologies such as Dancing Earth: Contemporary Poetry from Northeast India, transcended linguistic and cultural boundaries, reflecting the socio-economic and political realities of the contemporary era.
As a filmmaker, his documentaries tackled critical environmental and human rights issues, earning him widespread recognition. In 2009, Bhartiya received the National Film Award for editing In Camera: Diaries of a Documentary Cameraman. His black-and-white photographs documented Meghalaya’s complex social composition and its relationship with nature. Through his lens, Tarun captured diverse resistance struggles—from the fight of street vendors to protect their livelihoods against eviction to mass movements against corporate tyranny.
His contribution to Sanjay Kak’s film Red Ant Dream remains one of his most admired works, vividly portraying the persecution of Maoists in Bastar. The documentary captured the plundering of mineral resources in Central India, the struggles of indigenous people, and the conflict between the state’s forces and Maoists, interweaving themes of revolutionaries like Paash and Bhagat Singh.
Through his project Niam/Faith/Hynniewtrep, he juxtaposed photographs with archival texts. His work was featured in exhibitions, picture postcards, and texts.
Tarun Bhartiya’s films include The Brief Life of Insects (2015, MIFF, Best Sound Award), The Last Train in Nepal (2015, BBC4, RTS Award for Best Director, Factual), Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (2010, Royal Television Society Award for Best Documentary Series), Tourist Information for Shillong (2007), as well as music videos for several Shillong bands.
As an editor, he collaborated on notable films with filmmakers such as Vasudha Joshi (Girl Song, 2003, and Cancer Katha, Special Jury Award, National Awards 2012), Red Ant Dream (Editor & Co-Writer, Sanjay Kak, 2014), and Jashn-e-Azadi (Sanjay Kak, 2007). He returned his National Award for Best Editing for In Camera (Ranjan Palit, 2010) in protest against state fascism.
His website Raiot served as a mirror reflecting society, culture, and tradition.
More recently, he co-founded Shillong Humanists, a collective aimed at nurturing critical thinking and intellectual dialogue within the community.
Tarun also played an active role in organising street vendors in Shillong, representing the Meghalaya Progressive Street Vendors Association.
---
*Freelance journalist

Comments

TRENDING

Defeat of martial law: Has the decisive moment for change come in South Korea?

By Steven Lee  Late at night on December 3, soldiers stormed into South Korea’s National Assembly in armored vehicles and combat helicopters. Assembly staff desperately blocked their assault with fire extinguishers and barricades. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had just declared martial law to “ eliminate ‘anti-state’ forces .”

70,000 migrants, sold on Canadian dream, face uncertain future: Canada reinvents the xenophobic wheel

By Saurav Sarkar*  Bikram Singh is running out of time on his post-study work visa in Canada. Singh is one of about 70,000 migrants who were sold on the Canadian dream of eventually making the country their home but now face an uncertain future with their work permits set to expire by December 2024. They came from places like India, China, and the Philippines, and sold their land and belongings in their home countries, took out loans, or made other enormous commitments to get themselves to Canada.

EVMs: Govt must prove beyond reasonable doubt it's upholding mandate for free, fair polls

By Jerald D’souza  With the growth of India’s population, concerns about electoral fraud associated with ballot papers, also began to escalate. In 1989, the People’s Representation Act was amended to enable EVMs to prevent electoral fraud. In 1998, EVMs made their debut during legislative assembly elections and for the first time for general elections in 2004. However, criticisms against the EVMs and questions about their integrity have been raised by political parties, civil society and the general population. On 2 February 2024, there was a noteworthy demonstration of dissent where numerous individuals, including Ambedkarite advocates, legal professionals, and other members of civil society  convened at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding the prohibition of EVMs. In 2024, the Supreme court had slapped down a petition to return to paper ballots on the basis that machines give “absolutely accurate results” unless human bias maligns them. The court stated that it was open to testi...

This Indian British Marxist blamed USSR's collapse in 1991 on Khrushchev's 'revisionism'

By Harsh Thakor*  Harpal Singh Brar, British Indian Marxist scholar and communist leader, has passed away in Chandigarh. He was 85. He was a lifelong supporter of socialism, Marxism, and the working class. He will be remembered among British Communists.

Chalapathi's death in encounter suggests Maoists' inability to establish broader mass support

By Harsh Thakor* The Maoist movement experienced a significant loss during the Ramagudem encounter on January 21, with the death of Chalapathi (Pratap), a Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist). His death, along with 15 others, marks a major setback for the movement. Reports suggest that his location was revealed to security forces through a selfie with his wife.

A groundbreaking non-violent approach: Maharishi’s invincible defense technology

By MajGen (R) Kulwant Singh, Col (R) SP Bakshi, Col (R) Jitendra Jung Karki, LtCol (R) Gunter Chass├й & Dr David Leffler*  In today’s turbulent world, achieving lasting peace and ensuring national security are more urgent than ever. Traditional defense methods focus on advanced weapons, military strategies, and tactics, but a groundbreaking approach offers a new non-violent and holistic solution: Maharishi’s Invincible Defense Technology (IDT). 

Why do we mostly resist and refrain from communicating on sanitation topic?

By Nikhil Kumar, Mansee Bal Bhargava* According to UN SDG Progress report (2022), at the present moment no targets for SDG 6 are expected to be met by 2030. In 2022, 2.2 billion people had no access to safe drinking water and 3.5 million lacked safe sanitation. Approximately 50% of the world’s population was reported to have been under resourced in enough water for part of the year and a quarter of that population was living under “extremely high” water stress. Add to it, droughts have affected over 1.4 billion people between 2002 and 2021.

CCG raises concerns over Indian State of Forest Report 2023 in open letter to environment minister

By A Representative  The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), a collective of former civil servants, has expressed serious concerns over the Indian State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 in an open letter to the Union Minister for Environment, Forests & Climate Change. The group has criticized the report's delayed release, flawed methodology, and misleading claims regarding the state of India's forests.

Operation Kagar represents Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism: Resistance continues

By Harsh Thakor Operation Kagar represents the Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism, which claims to embody the struggles and aspirations of Adivasis. Criminalized by the state, the Maoists have been portrayed as a threat, with Operation Kagar deploying strategies that jeopardize their activities. This operation weaves together economic, cultural, and political motives, allegedly with drone attacks on Adivasi homes.

рдЕрд▓्рдкрд╕ंрдЦ्рдпрдХ рдХाрд░्рдп рдоंрдд्рд░ाрд▓рдп рдХा рдмрдЬрдЯ рдиिрд░ाрд╢ाрдЬрдирдХ: 19.3% рдЕрд▓्рдкрд╕ंрдЦ्рдпрдХों рдХे рд▓िрдП рдоाрдд्рд░ 0.0661% рдаोрд╕ рдЖрд╡ंрдЯрди

- рдоुрдЬाрд╣िрдж рдиреЮीрд╕*   1-2-2025 рдХो рднाрд░рдд рд╕рд░рдХाрд░ рдж्рд╡ाрд░ा рд╕ंрд╕рдж рдоें рд╡рд░्рд╖ 2025-26 рдХा рдмрдЬрдЯ рд╡िрдд्рдд рдоंрдд्рд░ी рдиिрд░्рдорд▓ा рд╕ीрддाрд░рдордг рдЬी рдиे рдкेрд╢ рдХिрдпा| рдЗрд╕ рд╡рд░्рд╖ рдХा рдмрдЬрдЯ 5065345 рдХрд░ोреЬ рд╣ै рдЬो рдХि рдкिрдЫрд▓े рд╕ाрд▓ рдХे рд╕ंрд╢ोрдзिрдд рдЕрдиुрдоाрди рд╕े рд▓рдЧрднрдЧ 7.39% рдХी рдмреЭोрддрд░ी рд╣ुрдИ рд╣ै| рд╡рд╣ीं рдЕрд▓्рдкрд╕ंрдЦ्рдпрдХ рдХाрд░्рдп рдоंрдд्рд░ाрд▓рдп рдХा рдмрдЬрдЯ рдоाрдд्рд░ 3350.00 рдХрд░ोреЬ рд╣ै рдЬो рдХि рдХुрд▓ рдмрдЬрдЯ рдХा 0.0661% рд▓рдЧрднрдЧ рд╣ै|  рдкिрдЫрд▓े рд╕ाрд▓ 2024-25 рдоें 3183.24 рдХрд░ोреЬ рдеा|