Shekhar Kapur, noted film director, is far more than just a film director. He has been taking up various public causes from time to time - most recently, and vocally, on water.
Today he has published an article in Tehelka magazine, raising some extremely pertinent questions. Whose water is it anyway? Who owns the groundwater? Who owns the rivers?
His article can be found here.
Inspired by his article, I have penned a few lines myself on this subject.
Paani, paani re (Water! Water!)
-----------------
Today he has published an article in Tehelka magazine, raising some extremely pertinent questions. Whose water is it anyway? Who owns the groundwater? Who owns the rivers?
His article can be found here.
Inspired by his article, I have penned a few lines myself on this subject.
Paani, paani re (Water! Water!)
-----------------
Kabhi
kudrat ki den thi
Amoolya
aur bharpoor
Humne
hi nahin ki qadr
Hai
hamara hi qasoor
Hamari
ye nadiyaan
Aur
poonji neeche zameen ke
Sabko
hamne hai kiya nasht
Rahenge
na hum kaheen ke
Makaan
banaayen hum zor shor se
Aur
tanker se paani mangwaayen
Jo haq hamesha tha har kisi ka
Usi
par hum ab mol lagwaayen
Abhi to hai shuruvaat kisse ki
Abhi to hona hai bhayankar
Jab
gali gali mein jang chhidegi
Bachaane
na aayega Ram ya Shankar
Translation
Once it was a gift of
nature
Invaluable and
plentiful
It is we who failed to
respect it
It is we who are to
blame
These rivers of ours
And this wealth under
our land
We have destroyed them all
We will end up nowhere
We build buildings
with great enthusiasm
And we order water in
tankers
What was once every
man's right
We now put a price on
it
This is just the beginning
This is going to get
even scarier
When there are battles
on every street
Even your Ram or Shankar
(Shiv) will not come to save you!
Transliteration
पानी पानी रॆ
-----------------
कभी कुदरत की देन थी
अमूल्य और भरपूर
हमने ही नही की कद्र
है हमारा ही कसूर
हमारी सारी नदियाँ
-----------------
कभी कुदरत की देन थी
अमूल्य और भरपूर
हमने ही नही की कद्र
है हमारा ही कसूर
हमारी सारी नदियाँ
और पूंजी नीचे ज़मीन के
सबको हमने है किया नष्ट
रहेंगे ना हम कहीं के
मकान बनाएं हम ज़ोर-शोर से
और टैंकर से पानी मंगवाएं
जो हक़ हमेशा था हर किसी का
उसी पर हम अब मोल लगवाएं
अभी तो है शुरुवात किस्से की
अभी तो होना है भयंकर
जब गली गली मे जंग छिड़ेगी
बचाने ना आएगा राम या शंकर
सबको हमने है किया नष्ट
रहेंगे ना हम कहीं के
मकान बनाएं हम ज़ोर-शोर से
और टैंकर से पानी मंगवाएं
जो हक़ हमेशा था हर किसी का
उसी पर हम अब मोल लगवाएं
अभी तो है शुरुवात किस्से की
अभी तो होना है भयंकर
जब गली गली मे जंग छिड़ेगी
बचाने ना आएगा राम या शंकर
3 comments:
Loved the poem, and the article was very enlightening, had no idea that 85% of people in India lived in water-stressed conditions.
Nice poem dear Raja!
Unfortunately it is not the persons who are destroying this planet or abusing its resources, who are suffering because of it but others. Water belongs to everybody. But there comes a firm bribes officials and politicians, pays a paltry sum for it and says it belongs to us now.
This selling-off of our natural resources should stop. NOW!
@Silverambrosia, thanks for visiting. Glad that you liked the poem. I found the article enlightening too. I knew the problem was bad (and getting worse) but Shekhar Kapur has presented it really well in this piece.
@Harvey, indeed. Looks like even water, air - basics of life - will now be owned by people to be made profit out of. That's how things are moving in this world. Sad.
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