75 years ago, close to midnight on the eve of the 15th of August, 1947, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru addressed the Constituent Assembly, which was to draft a constitution for the nation of India after the end of British rule. This Constitution guaranteed each citizen “Justice - social, economic and political; Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; Equality of status and of opportunity; and… Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation.”

Sadly, however, in recent years India’s founding ethos of pluralistic fraternity has been under attack. Communal conflicts and violence driven by divisive narratives have fractured religious communities and goes against the vision of a rich tapestry of a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-linguist and multi religious India.

In our continuous efforts to foster peace and advocate for Religious Freedom, and also to commemorate India’s 75th year of Independence, ADF India is launching a nationwide photography contest on the theme: “Faith, Peace & Freedom”. ADF India invites all photographers (amateur and professional) to share, through their photos, the importance of Religious Freedom in fostering peace and in forging a better, stronger nation of India.

Last date for entries to reach us: 18 August 2022

Winners will be announced at ADF India’s online event on August 22, 2022, a day designated by the United Nations as the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief. Details of the event will be available soon.

Participants may refer to the resources linked below for further context and inspiration:

1. Quotes from various religious leaders on Religious Freedom
2. Freedom of Religion or “Anti-conversion” laws
3. Eight short films exploring what the human right to freedom of religion or belief involves
4. Preamble to the Constitution of India
5. Short documentary films featuring real life stories of victims of acts of violence based on Religion or Belief
6. Minority Rights and Freedom of Religion: A webinar featuring Dr. M P Raju and Mr. Romy Chacko
7. Key note speeches on International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief on August 19, 2020 featuring Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Mr. Raju Ramachandran, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India with Adv. Tehmina Arora, Director, ADF India
8. Webinar: No One Should Be Targeted For Their Faith featuring Dr. Ram Puniyani
9. Talks by Dr. Fernand de Varennes, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, and Prof. Faizan Mustafa, Vice-Chancellor, NALSAR University of Law on International Day for Victims of Religious Violence, 2021
10. Why Social Harmony Is Important for a Healthy Economy by Adv. Tehmina Arora

1. The contest is only open to India nationals
2. The contest is open to entrants of all skill levels.
3. Participants represent and warrant that: (a) The photographs are original, taken by the entrant and they own the rights to their photographs; (b) The photographs do not violate the rights of any third party; (c) The photographs do not convey a false or misleading impression; (d) Any additional information they submit about the Photographs is accurate.
4. Participants can send upto 3 entries to be considered for the contest
5. Images that have won or placed in photo contests with winning entries may not be submitted.
6. The photographs should not be altered/edited in any image processing program such as Photoshop or android/IOS apps (except for color correction)
7. The photographs can be taken using any camera medium, including a phone camera
8. The photographs submitted should be at least 300 dpi and minimum size of 1920x1080 pixels
9. The photographs must be submitted in JPEG (JPG) format
10. Limit your images to a maximum file size of 5,000KB (5MB)
11. Watermarks are unacceptable
12. By submitting their photos to ADF India for this Contest, all entrants agree to grant ADF India copyright to the photograph(s) submitted, Photographers retain all copyrights to their images. ADF India retain the right to use the photo in any manner and media, including without limitation, the right to publish, adapt, distribute, copy, display or translate in printed or electronic media, even if they are not the winning entries.
13. The competition will be considered and evaluated by a competent jury. By entering the Contest, entrants fully and unconditionally agree to be bound by these rules and the decisions of ADF India, which will be final and binding in all matters relating to the Contest
14. Entrants should retain high-resolution and RAW files, if applicable, of their submissions. In the event your submission is selected as a finalist or winner, you will be asked to submit a high-resolution image for printing and display, and, if applicable, a RAW image to check if adjustments made to the image comply with the rules.