LAHORE: Two organisations from Pakistani and Indian Punjabs came together to raise awareness about the issues related to waters of the land of five rivers, especially the river Ravi.

The members of the Ravi Bachao Tehreek and the Jeevay Sanjha Punjab, collected water from Jhelum, Punjab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas rivers, brought it to the shrine of Madhu Lal Hussain and then took to the river Ravi on Thursday. The event was called “Separated Waters of Five Rivers Meet”.

“We first brought the water to Madhu Lal Hussain. Our initiative is aimed at setting the rivers free. We want to raise awareness about the rivers of Punjab and reconnecting people with the rivers,” said Abuzar Madho, a language activist, theatre actor and founder of Ravi Bachao Tehreek.

Tarunjit Singh Butalia, a professor at the Ohio University, USA, and a representative of the Jeevay Sanjha Punjab, said the initiative was also aimed at bringing together peoples from both parts of Punjab in Pakistan as well as India.

Addressing a ceremony organised by the Auqaf Department, he said he had brought the waters of Beas and Sutlej and Abuzar Madhu brought the waters from Jhelum, Chenab and Ravi.

“We collected all the waters of Punjab for the first time here at the shrine of Madhu Lal Hussain. We will put this water from the five rivers into the Ravi.” He said he was surprised to see a welcome sign at a banner in Gurmukhi at the shrine. He hoped that the friendship between people of Punjab on both sides would be like the love of Shah Hussain and Madhu Lal Hussain.

After the ceremony at the shrine, the procession with the beat of drums walked through the streets of Baghbanpura, raising slogans for saving the river Ravi. The participants marched along, telling the people about the importance of the Ravi for the city of Lahore and the Lahorites. They had carried banners having demands like Ravi Bachao, Lahore Bachao and Jay Ravi Wich Pani Koi Nahi, Tay Saadi Kahani Koi Nahi.

From the Shalamar Gardens, they went the Ravi where the water was put into the river. Singers sang songs and kafis of Shah Hussain.

ISSUES OF PUNJAB RIVERS: “The objective of this programme is to create awareness about the issues of our rivers and the injustice meted out to them (by both the countries),” says Abuzar Madhu while talking to Dawn at the shrine of Madhu Lal Hussain. He takes on the Indus Waters Treaty for dividing the rivers between both the countries.

“Beas never entered Pakistan after the division of Punjab. The Ravi disappeared while the Chenab has also lost its old route. We want freedom for our rivers.”

When asked why they decided to make the river Ravi central to their campaign, Abuzar Madhu says that among all rivers of Punjab, the Ravi is facing the worst conditions, calling it the most polluted and toxic river in the world. There is no water in the Ravi on this side of Punjab. Sometimes water from the Chenab is diverted towards it.

“We chose the Ravi because it’s the river that fed the Harappa (Indus) civilisation thousands of years back and it also fed Punjab but look at the Ravi now. We would gather there to raise our voice and create awareness about rivers.”

RUDA AND POLLUTION: Abuzar Madhu says their project is also aimed at raising awareness about the issues of the Ravi Urban Development Authority (Ruda) also and sewage of the whole Lahore being disposed into the river.

“Ruda project is an attempt at grabbing the land of the river Ravi and reducing its bed to the minimum level. If such a project is completed there, the remnants of the Ravi river would also disappear. They (Ruda & govt) just show the maps of Europe-like cities to deceive the people.”

Madhu thinks the Ravi issue is not related to only Lahore as it enters Pakistan from the Shakargarh area. “After its entry until into Pakistan and then journey till Lahore, we make it so polluted by disposing of sewage and industrial waste into it that the underground water near the river has also turned toxic, which also irrigates the crops and vegetables supplied to the city of Lahore.”

He calls for a new Indus Waters Treaty in Punjab according to the wishes and needs of the people without putting any river to death. “There is no such water treaty in the whole world where you sell the whole river.”

OBJECTIVES & DEMANDS: Madhu says the awareness is not aimed at just the issues of Ravi water, it’s about other rivers too, including Sindh, whose delta is also being badly affected by the water projects.

He bemoans that the Ravi river is not more in the memory of the people of Lahore and one of my main objectives is to bring it back to the memory of the people.

Explaining the demands of the Ravi Bachao Tehreek, he says the demands included the steps to control pollution of the Ravi, stopping so-called development programmes like Ruda and revision of the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan.

Abuzar Madhu has been collecting the stories revolving around the river Ravi to document its oral history. During the research project, he was shocked to learn about the sadness of the people, including the boatmen, about the disappearance of the river. This triggered his search for water of the Ravi after the Partition of Punjab. He says he has visited the areas from the point where the Ravi enters Pakistan until Lahore, collecting stories about it.

At the shrine, Abuzar sang kafis of Shah Hussain. In his comments, he raised his voice against the gender discrimination women face at the shrines of the saints as they are not allowed entry. Just as the visitors were paying their respect a lot of local women devotees of the saint poet were sitting outside the shine.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2023