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| Sunday, 22 September 2002 |
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Swasthi Shree! Thus says his sacred Majesty, the gracious Great King, glorious Chakravarthi, King of the Kings of Maya, Pihiti and Ruhuna, Mahoora of the Vanniala-aeththo and ruler of all lands from Yapapatuna to Sampanthota: It has come to the notice of the Maha Vasala that Senkadagala Siriwardhanapura Mahanuwara, the Four Kadawaras and the Gangawata Korale are affected by a water shortage. The residents of some of the villages have not received pipe-borne water for days, while the greenery is dying. Mahanuwara is not the only area suffering from drought. Many are the korales in this realm in which the rivers have dried up and the farmers are in despair. It is said that the gods themselves are wrathful at the cutting down of the trees; the tree spirits, the ruk-devatas have been deprived of their homes, and Mahikaanthaawa, the Earth Mother, will not retain in her soil such waters as may have fallen. It is said that Rukman manthri, the mortal in charge of the livelihood of the ruk devatas, is trying his level best to keep the trees and forests in their present state. However, he must do battle with the tree-devouring yakkos, the gas-horu who are denuding our jungles. Meanwhile, the people must suffer in silence. It has been stated before in these Sel Lipi that, the war apart, the people of this realm are patient, placid and long-suffering. They will not turn in anger at the yakkos who have committed such sacrilege, but will continue to bear with stoicism their suffering. Not so our neighbours to the North, the denizens of Dambadiva, who are also badly affected by drought. For it has come to the notice of the Maha Vasala that the people of Karnataka have been protesting against the release of the holy waters of the Cauvery (whence came Pattini and Devol to this island) to the neighbouring realm of the Dhamilas. Tomtom beating members of the Adi Dravida Pourakarmika Yuvakara Abhivrudhi Samithi have walked through the mighty city of Mysore in a ritualistic "funeral procession'' of Jayalalithaa, Chakravartini of Tamil Nadu. Others have marched silently, bearing empty water pots as symbols of the dried-up waters of the Cauvery. Still others, ascetics, are fasting unto death to prevent the Dhamilas from getting a single drop of their water. As is usual in Dambadiva, the protesters have been charged by murakaara hewayas wielding muguras, and farmers and others have loped through the streets of Mysore, hurling pashanas at the emporia and rathas of that metropolis. Feelings are running so high that fanatics of the Mysore paapandhu or 'football' sect have collected their blood to donate to Tamil Nadu. In a ghastly paraphrase of Parakramabahu's immortal words, they say that they will give their blood to the Dhamilas, but will not let a single drop of water run out of Karnataka. Are we to see peoples squabbling with one another over life-giving water? Is the blood relationship of humans to be destroyed because we anger the Devas, who deprive us of our waters? Perhaps, if we do not act now, the words will come to pass of the prophet of the Parangi, the Yudhew poet Robert Zimmerman (otherwise known as Dylan): I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest, Swasthi Shree! This rock edict is made on this day of Ravi of the month of Binara of the Year of the Saka Era 1929. |
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