Cry Of A Dying River...92

Rajendra Kshetri

I am no longer the river I was once
The river that has been rendered incapable
Of nurturing planktons and water-weeds
The staple food and nourishment of small fishes
The river known for plentiful varieties of small fishes
The 'khajings' the 'Meetei ngamus ' the 'ngakhas' the 'ngakijous ' the 'ngamhais ' the 'ngamu-sangums ' the 'nganaps' the 'ngakras'
The 'ngapemmas' the 'ngarils ' the 'ngarois ' the 'ngaseps '
The 'ngatens ' the 'ngatons ' the 'phaboungas ' the 'pengba-tharaaks ' the 'sarengs ' the 'sareng-khoibis '
The river of small fishes
The river that is God of Small Fishes.

I am no longer the river I was once
The river that occupies so small a space
Yet so large-hearted providing all the space
To the valley-dwellers for a 'life fully sustained '
The river that compresses so much in so little a space
Composing the music of environment
Humming along the song of 'sustainable development '
Penning in between lines of poetry of ecology
The river that can survive without man
The river without which man cannot survive.