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Warning: This article contains descriptions of distressing imagery related to health impacts linked to pesticide exposure.
Haunting exhibit at Kochi-Muziris Biennale documents endosulfan's legacy
A powerful photographic series at Kerala's Kochi-Muziris Biennale lays bare the devastating health consequences believed to stem from endosulfan, a toxic pesticide once widely used in the state's Kasargod district. The images, captured by photojournalist Madhuraj over 25 years, depict children with severe physical and neurological disabilities attributed to prolonged exposure to the chemical.
The pesticide's dark history in Kerala
From the 1970s through the early 2000s, the Plantation Corporation of Kerala routinely sprayed endosulfan on cashew plantations in Kasargod, with applications occurring two to three times annually. The pesticide later found use on tea, paddy, and mango crops. By the 1990s, residents began reporting alarming trends: birth defects in livestock and children, alongside a surge in conditions such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and hydrocephalus-fluid accumulation in the brain.
Local communities also documented cases of skin rashes, hormonal imbalances, respiratory illnesses, and cancer. While some Indian scientists have questioned the direct link between endosulfan and these ailments, citing insufficient evidence, the Kerala Pollution Control Board halted its use in 2004. Seven years later, the Stockholm Convention imposed a global ban on the pesticide's production and distribution. That same year, India's Supreme Court issued a nationwide prohibition on its manufacture, sale, and export.
Legal battles and unmet promises
In 2017, the Supreme Court ordered the Kerala government to compensate 5,000 victims with 500,000 rupees ($5,400) each. However, Madhuraj notes that many affected families claim they have yet to receive these funds. The BBC has sought comment from the state's health department but has not received a response at the time of publication.
The majority of victims were impoverished laborers from marginalized castes and tribal communities, groups already grappling with limited access to healthcare and nutrition. Madhuraj, who spent decades documenting the crisis, described witnessing the pesticide's ruinous impact on entire families.
"I have seen firsthand how this chemical has devastated lives. In many households, parents care for multiple children with severe physical and mental disabilities, a burden that becomes unbearable. I've also met elderly couples where one spouse suffers from chronic illnesses linked to long-term exposure, leaving the other to shoulder the caregiving alone."
Madhuraj, photojournalist
A fight for justice and remembrance
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, civil society groups, environmental organizations, and local residents staged large-scale protests demanding a ban on endosulfan. Parents of affected children often brought their sons and daughters to demonstrations, calling for medical support and government compensation. For many, the struggle was twofold: battling public indifference while privately fighting to keep their children alive.
Madhuraj expressed frustration at what he perceives as Kerala's failure to adequately address the crisis, despite the state's advancements in public health. "Every visit to the affected areas reinforces my belief that Kerala has not done justice to the victims of this tragedy," he said.
A family's heartbreaking story
The case of Vimala and her daughter Reshma illustrates the human toll of the endosulfan disaster. Reshma, who had intellectual disabilities, was raised by her grandmother while Vimala worked. After her father's death in childhood and her grandmother's passing in 2014, Reshma lost critical support. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of her special school in 2019, her isolation deepened.
In 2022, authorities reported that Vimala allegedly killed her 28-year-old daughter before taking her own life. According to media accounts, Vimala had struggled to care for Reshma alone, a burden that ultimately proved overwhelming.
Why the Biennale exhibit matters
Madhuraj chose to showcase his work at the Kochi Biennale to ensure the endosulfan tragedy remains in the public consciousness. "Such disasters, and their human cost, must not be forgotten," he emphasized. The exhibit serves as both a memorial and a call to action, urging society to confront the long-term consequences of environmental negligence.
