Meeting up with the river

MRITYUNJAY BOSE writes about his rendezvous with the Sindhu river in Pakistan and the sense of bonding he felt

This is the river that we all read about in the history books. The one that nourished the great Indus Valley civilisation. You got it right, I am talking about the Sindhu river, or the Indus or the Darya-e-Sindh which flows from the Tibetan plateau, Ladakh and then through the entire length of Pakistan. No matter by which name you call it, the appeal and importance of this ancient river remain the same for us in India and also for people in Pakistan. As a child, I always harboured a dream to visit Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and the Sindhu river. Recently, the dream came true.

I was in Pakistan last month as part of a group of 22 journalists and media professionals from The Press Club, Mumbai. We were based at Karachi and visited Hyderabad for a day. Our visa was restricted to these two places, as was our schedule --- a round-table meeting at the Hyderabad Press Club, deliberations with Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and visit to the some historical places. But deep inside, I wanted to have some time for the Sindhu.

The day came on November 16, when we visited Hyderabad. We started early in the morning from Karachi. As we crossed the toll naka to Hyderabad, the driver of our mini bus told us that we are going over the bridge built on the Sindhu river. Our excitement rose as the bus crossed the river. Almost every one in the team clicked as many photos as they could. But no one was content with just photographs. Most of us were ready to be dropped from one of the engagements to visit the river.

Perhaps, our hosts, the Hyderabad Press Club, knew about our wishes. Or maybe they read our minds. So, they surprised us by taking us to the Sindhu, following our meetings and other visits. A cool breeze welcomed us all, as we lined up near the railings on the river bank; the sun-kissed water of the river too seemed to be happy to see us. It seemed that Sindhu and I know each other for years; the bonding is eternal, the border notwithstanding. We tried our best to soak in the moment and capture as much as we could. Our cameras got busy, with everyone focussing on the river, the fishermen on the boat and the river bank. The fishermen happily posed for us. So did we, for our albums.

Amid the exhilaration and awe of coming face to face with the river, our hosts surprised us again. We were told that we will go for a 15-minute boating on the river. Our team was split into three groups. Local journalists took us to the middle of the river and we listened to them earnestly as they explained the relevance of the river for them, their economy and what it does to maintain the local food basket. Besides the endangered Indus dolphin, it was interesting to know about the Palla fish found in the lower Indus region. This fish is similar to the Hilsa, loved by people in eastern India and Bangladesh. Suddenly, the similarities across the man-made borders became prominent. The divide faded away.

With the sun getting ready to call it a day, we had to move on and say goodbye to Sindhu. But not before we wanted to take a bit of the river with us. One of the prized possessions that I now have is a bottle of water from the Sindhu. It is a treasure that my friends are now coming to see at my home.

(Mrityunjay Bose works as an Assistant Editor (Mumbai) with Sakal Times, a Pune based daily of the Sakal Media Group.)