Crawling in a ‘polio-free’ country

By Lyric Lewin, CNN
Updated 5:05 PM EDT, Wed April 22, 2015
Bipin Kumar was infected by polio when he was 5 years old. For the last 10 years, he has earned money by begging in a New Delhi bazaar. Photographer Elena del Estal befriended him last year. "I want to go to his village to meet his mother and keep taking pictures about his life because he is such a beautiful person," she said.
Bipin Kumar was infected by polio when he was 5 years old. For the last 10 years, he has earned money by begging in a New Delhi bazaar. Photographer Elena del Estal befriended him last year. "I want to go to his village to meet his mother and keep taking pictures about his life because he is such a beautiful person," she said.
Elena del Estal
An empty bed in the polio ward of St. Stephen's Hospital in New Delhi. The ward used to be filled with patients, but it was announced last year that the disease had been eradicated in the country.
An empty bed in the polio ward of St. Stephen's Hospital in New Delhi. The ward used to be filled with patients, but it was announced last year that the disease had been eradicated in the country.
Elena del Estal
Emtiach lies on a street in New Delhi, begging for money in November. His left leg is thin and powerless because of polio. He came to the city from Bihar, one of the states that used to be most affected by polio. His wife is also affected by the disease.
Emtiach lies on a street in New Delhi, begging for money in November. His left leg is thin and powerless because of polio. He came to the city from Bihar, one of the states that used to be most affected by polio. His wife is also affected by the disease.
Elena del Estal
Dharmender has been affected by polio since he was 6 months old. In February 2014, he had surgery on his right knee and hip.
Dharmender has been affected by polio since he was 6 months old. In February 2014, he had surgery on his right knee and hip.
Elena del Estal
Dharmender's father, Mahaveer, helps him to move on the bed a few days after his operation.
Dharmender's father, Mahaveer, helps him to move on the bed a few days after his operation.
Elena del Estal
A child is vaccinated at a train station in Kolkata, India, in January 2014. Transit stations have been key points for the Pulse Polio immunization program.
A child is vaccinated at a train station in Kolkata, India, in January 2014. Transit stations have been key points for the Pulse Polio immunization program.
Elena del Estal
A friend holds a cell phone to Kumar's ear as he talks to his mother in November.
A friend holds a cell phone to Kumar's ear as he talks to his mother in November.
Elena del Estal
Dharmender lies on a bed in St. Stephen's Hospital a few days before his surgery. Even though his village was poor, his family took good care of him, del Estal said.
Dharmender lies on a bed in St. Stephen's Hospital a few days before his surgery. Even though his village was poor, his family took good care of him, del Estal said.
Elena del Estal
Someone gives money to Kumar in November. "Indian people only give one or two rupees," he told del Estal. "I prefer foreign people; they give 10 rupees or more."
Someone gives money to Kumar in November. "Indian people only give one or two rupees," he told del Estal. "I prefer foreign people; they give 10 rupees or more."
Elena del Estal
Crawling in a 'polio-free' country

Story highlights

In March of last year, it was announced that polio had been eradicated in India

Photographer Elena del Estal couldn't help but wonder about those already living with the disease

CNN  — 

Imagine sitting on a dusty, busy street in New Delhi, crowded with vendors and people running quickly about the market. A woman’s lapis-colored sari swishes past you in the golden-colored dusk. You’ve been here since morning.

A tourist extends a hand with a crumpled paper bill. You try to lift your hand to accept, but you can’t. The muscles are paralyzed, and your mind can’t command them to move. You use your knee to balance your arm and grasp the rupee. Then you use your foot to pick up your bag and head home for the day.

This is everyday life for Bipin Kumar. Kumar, known as BK, contracted polio as a child, and he has learned to adapt to how he moves and lives. Kumar has no brothers or father to provide for him, so he moved to New Delhi 10 years ago to pursue the only means of income he could – begging on the streets.

Photographer Elena del Estal was in India last year when the World Health Organization announced that polio had officially been eradicated from the country. It had been exactly three years since the last contracted case. Del Estal was fascinated by this. She couldn’t help but wonder about those already living with the crippling effects of this horrible disease.

Photographer Elena del Estal
Photographer Elena del Estal
Elena del Estal

She traveled to a small village near Kolkata to meet a little girl who was India’s last case of polio. This gave her the inspiration to begin a long-term project on those suffering in a country that’s now “polio-free.”

First she met a boy named Dharmender who lived in Uttar Pradesh, a state in northern India. Even though his village was poor, his family took good care of him. Del Estal spent time with him and accompanied him during a surgical procedure in New Delhi. She said that while Dharmender is very fortunate to have the opportunity for surgery, he will still never have a “normal” life.

“His daily life is hard. … Everybody around him was working and having a family, and he cannot have this,” Del Estal said. “So on one hand, it’s (a) hard situation, and on the other hand, it’s easier than the other boy I met.”

She’s speaking of Kumar, the young man who moved to New Delhi to support himself and his elderly mother back home in a village up north. Del Estal first met Kumar when she was wrapping up the first segment of her project. From the beginning, she said, he was very trusting, allowing her into his daily life.

Del Estal was intent on capturing an authentic portrayal of Kumar’s life – the everyday logistics of moving through a city without one’s limbs at command. She said she was amazed at how adept he was at maneuvering his world. He could carry notebooks with his neck, grasp a pencil in between his clutched fingers, smoke a cigarette using his feet and prop his arms on his knees to move them forward.

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    Between the two of them – Del Estal speaking a little Hindi and Kumar speaking a little English – they wove a patchwork language of friendship and understanding. Kumar told her of his love interest – a girl who had feelings for him as well – but her parents would never allow their union.

    Del Estal said that while Kumar wants a job, employment is next to impossible for someone in his condition. But his spirit is tenacious. He knows how to read and write and he is skilled at taking care of himself. Before heading to the main bazaar in New Delhi every day, he washes and dresses himself. There are no days off for him. As shops open and tourists fumble through a foreign world in flip-flops and Bermuda shorts, Kumar positions himself in a visible location and smiles and greets everyone who passes with, “Namaste.”

    Del Estal has been so impacted by his friendship that she said her next plans are to do a project on his life.

    “I want to go to his village to meet his mother and keep taking pictures about his life because he is such a beautiful person,” she said. “It’s such a sad (circumstance) yet amazing life. I want to keep documenting his (story).”

    Elena del Estal is a Spanish photographer based in India.

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