THE FLOOD by Shyam Sundar Chitrakar

 

Now hear me, listen all, pay attention to what I say.

The year was 1385 B.S., it was the 14th of the month Bhadra when the calamity

befell the district of Medinipur. The water flows with great speed. Livestock and
cattle come flowing down the stream. The respected elders say it is Mother
Ganga's game to destroy the wicked. We had never seen a flood in our life,
that is why we had no raft or boat. Riding on a raft of banana leaves we went to

seek relief. It was on just such a raft that a woman gave birth to a child. Seeing

such scenes, tears came to my eyes. Men and other things were rushing down the

stream, people were shouting and screaming, "the flood is coming." Early in the

morning I hear cries of distress and there is water everywhere.

 

Seeing the flood, government

officials come forward to do relief work. Everyone, rich and poor, had to seek help.

 

Old and young say, "what can we

eat to survive?" Some fish was sold for Rs 2/ and the people who ate them went to

the nether world. Doctors were then sent out by the government to go house to house and
inoculate and vaccinate the people.

 

The leaders came in helicopters to help us.

 

Where are you Chief Minister, our second god?

Where are you Prime Minister Morarji Desai? To you we tell our need, give us loans,

give us fertilizer, give us seeds. By tilling the soil we can save our lives. Twelve districts

were flooded. A centenarian says, "I have never seen this in my whole life. We were

given chira and molasses and rice and wheat. If we had not gotten this food, we would

have died. We were given leaves for thatching and canvas and clothing. The leaders

came and saw the destruction and said, "This is like Lanka castle."

 

Many came to Medinipur to help. They

came to vaccinate people and give medicine. They went house to house on boats to

rescue people. Some gave cooked food, others gave clothing.

 

A fisherman saw a lady in the middle of the river.

She was Mother Ganga. She said, " I have devoured the past, the present and the future."

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