Try GOLD - Free

Paper trail

Hindustan Times Patna

|

October 05, 2025

A Dutch photographer spent five years capturing life in government offices, across eight countries on five continents. There are glimpses from Siberia, Patna, parts of the US. In Liberia, there was such poverty, employees had to bring in their own desks. There's a lot hidden in each frame, Jan Banning says

- Madhusree Ghosh

an Banning, 71, has a new photobook out, his 16th, titled Bureaucratics Revisited.

The Dutch photographer's previous works have ranged, in theme, from war crimes, sex crimes and the aftermaths of genocide to effects of World War 2. This one picks up where his sixth book, Bureaucratics (2008; co-authored with journalist and writer Will Tinnemans), left off, capturing stirring portraits of bureaucracy in eight countries across five continents: Bolivia, China, France, India, Liberia, Russia, the US and Yemen.

The book and its sequel offer a dramatic take on how governments present themselves to citizens. Shot over five years, from 2003 to 2007, his subjects range from chief secretaries in ornate offices to lowly clerks with just a makeshift desk to their names.

“My experience in India is something I will never forget,” he says.

Excerpts from an interview.

Why revisit Bureaucratics?

Civil service offices are places where the government presents itself to its citizens, using symbols and paraphernalia to showcase their power. At the same time, these offices are a kind of communal living space for those who spend a significant portion of their time there —whether working or not. This reflects in some of the personalised backdrops.

MORE STORIES FROM Hindustan Times Patna

Hindustan Times Patna

A Man Once Lost A Single Sock. And That's Where It All Began.

Every big change starts with something small, and a good sale really helps.

time to read

3 mins

October 11, 2025

Hindustan Times Patna

Unbelonging and the idea of home

Meticulous and elegantly written, Aatish Taseer’s A Return to Self: Excursions in Exile searches for traces of past civilisations and empires, to make sense of the present

time to read

4 mins

October 11, 2025

Hindustan Times Patna

Hindustan Times Patna

Japan in political crisis as key partner in ruling coalition exits

Japan's ruling coalition collapsed on Friday as junior partner Komeito quit the alliance, putting in peril Sanae Takaichi’s bid to become the country’s first woman prime minister.

time to read

1 mins

October 11, 2025

Hindustan Times Patna

Get off the carpet

You don’t need an invite to the Met Gala to rock fur coats or sheer gowns. Here are three red carpet looks you can wear IRL

time to read

3 mins

October 11, 2025

Hindustan Times Patna

Hindustan Times Patna

Bharti Telecom to launch $1.7 bn mega bond issue next week

India’s Bharti Telecom, the holding company of Bharti Airtel, will launch the largest bond sale of the current fiscal year next week, aiming to raise funds at significantly lower rates than last year, according to three merchant bankers.

time to read

1 min

October 11, 2025

Hindustan Times Patna

Hindustan Times Patna

Relief for Vedanta: SC refuses to hear PIL on Viceroy’s allegations

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a court-monitored probe into allegations made by US-based short-seller Viceroy Research LLC against Vedanta Ltd, Hindustan Zinc Ltd, Vedanta Resources Ltd, and related entities.

time to read

2 mins

October 11, 2025

Hindustan Times Patna

Judge blocks deployment of troops in Illinois for 2 weeks

A judge on Thursday blocked the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago area for at least two weeks, finding no substantial evidence that a “danger of rebellion” is brewing in Illinois during Trump's immigration crackdown.

time to read

2 mins

October 11, 2025

Hindustan Times Patna

Hindustan Times Patna

Ex-British PM takes up advisory roles at Microsoft, Anthropic

Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Thursday he has joined US tech giant Microsoft and AI startup ‘Anthropic as a senior adviser.

time to read

1 min

October 11, 2025

Hindustan Times Patna

Clothes and culture: Legal status of dressing choices

In a recent incident, members of a fringe Right-wing outfit stormed into the rehearsal for the Miss Rishikesh pageant and objected to women contestants wearing “western clothes”, claiming it “polluted the culture of Uttarakhand”.

time to read

2 mins

October 11, 2025

Hindustan Times Patna

NITI Aayog moots decriminalisation of several tax offences

Government think tank NITI Aayog on Friday proposed the decriminalisation of several tax-related administrative, technical or procedural offences and recommended civil and monetary penalties for the same.

time to read

2 mins

October 11, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size