Yamuna Katha – Life and times of a river and its people
11-15 October, 2011
Background
Delhi’s urban form, since antiquity has been written in water. The mythical Indraprastha was situated on the banks of river Yamuna, which continues to dominate memories of Delhi wallas (people of Delhi). Names of localities and roads with a fluvial connection are common; Hauz Khas, Dhaula Kuan (Kuan in English means well), Lal Kuan, Yamuna Bazaar, Khari Baoli (Baoli in English means step wells), Rajghat and many others are clear indicators of the integral role that water played in shaping the city. In the recent times political contestations have dominated the landscape much more than ever before. Riparian disputes between Delhi and its neighbouring states, use and abuse of the riverbanks for commercial purposes, the Common Wealth Games and the demolition of the slums are the newsmakers. Buried somewhere under this are the various socio-cultural traditions – the swimming festivals and competitions in Yamuna Bazaar and Jamia, the outings near Okhla, the training of wrestlers, the daily visits of the city dwellers to ghats and so on. With the spatial spread of Delhi towards the western side Yamuna may be fading away from memories of certain Delhi wallas but it still features strongly in their beliefs and cultural orientations.
Since the last two decades the concerns about cleaning Yamuna are well articulated in the government of India’s policies and programs. The Yamuna Action Plan (YAP), started in the year 1993, has now entered the third phase. Along with the Government of India, large number of civic bodies, Non Governmental Organizations, academicians and concerned individuals are working in scripting a better fate for Yamuna, which is now commonly perceived as an open sewer by most Delhi wallas. Most interventions focus on the apathy that Yamuna receives from its city dwellers not leaving much scope to even reflect on what it once offered. Yamuna is slowly attaining a status of a mythical character that is now only remembered without having any day-to-day relevance.
This year celebrations are being held in India and Germany to mark 60th anniversary of Indo-German diplomatic ties. On September 23, 2011, a 15 months long celebration has begun under the name “Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities”. As part of this celebration Public art events are being held in various cities in India including Delhi. In Delhi, “Yamuna Elbe” – an on going public event will culminate in an artistic expression in November this year. This program is conceptualised focussing on two rivers in two cities i.e. Yamuna in Delhi and Elbe in Hamburg. To compliment this on-going endeavour Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has designed a project titled Yamuna Katha to produce a collaborative expression among various stakeholders of the river Yamuna to be held between 11-15 October, 2011. Yamuna Katha focuses on ecological, cultural, historic and economic implications of the river Yamuna in Delhi.
Concept
The story of Yamuna is a collective imagination of all Delhi wallas, who are obviously and often not so obviously connected with the river. These collective imaginations, many a time are coloured with specific concerns that subdue other aspects of the river. For example if the belief is to immerse large idols painted with toxic paints in the river then how to protect the river? Shall this be banned as it implies tinkering with people’s way of life, their cultures, and their rituals? Can the same logic be applied to industries, who are also discharging in the river indiscriminately and which affects the livelihood of the people employed in the industry? The quest is to explore this common imagination collaboratively without highlighting a single point of view.
Yamuna Katha (Kath in English means story) is a collaborative effort to understand how the river-city-dyad has formed over the years; what has been the relationship between the river, the people, the flora and the fauna. Yamuna Katha brings in representatives of various stakeholders who are directly or indirectly connected with the river to a common zone for a collaborative exchange. A core group of eight people, that consists of a river specialist, two school teachers, a social scientist and historian, a hathi wala (elephant owner), a fisher couple and a farmer will live together in a common zone between 11 and 15 October and undertake various travels to the riverbanks and reflect on the river collectively. The view of a river specialist might be a different one than that of somebody who lives directly from and along the river. So far these different views and perceptions have not been shared among the concerned (and unconcerned) people. It is not yet truly known what the possible disputes are that an environmentalist and a riverbank dweller would possibly have. Nobody knows whether someone who stays on the riverbank is as equally indifferent about the water quality of the Yamuna as someone who stays e.g. in South Delhi. In this “journey” everyday “passengers’ who become their companion for only a particular day bring in their perspective in this collaborative effort. The passenger can be a wayside shop owner, an akhara guru or a university professor. They will together converse and through this exchange build a discourse that will contribute to the imagining Yamuna.
Yamuna Katha is an attempt to bring in various stakeholders to a collaborative zone so as to strike a dialogue to explore a common future for Yamuna. Experience teaches one does not have a common vocabulary to discuss and elaborate on all the aspects of this project. The hope is to merge different codes in order to produce one language that encompasses viewpoints of all the characters in this Katha. Yamuna Katha attempts to create a negotiation zone where collaboration can happen. This will not only happen in the typical mode of workshops or seminars. Panel discussions will be held at exclusive venues and participants will engage in many informal discussions and unique activities along the riverbank itself. Whatever is happening during these events will be documented in writing, filming and photographs. Eventually the collected material will lead into an artistic expression that will complement the “Yamuna Elbe” program.
