Poetry compilation of Cry of a Dying River released
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 07 2020: For over two years, Cry of a Dying River, a series of poems penned by Prof Rajendra Kshetri, Head of Department of Sociology of Manipur University made it to the Sunday edition of The Sangai Express (English edition) with the first poem making it to the newspaper on September 17, 2017 and winding up on November 10, 2019 .

he series which ran into 100 poems over a period of 730 days finally made it in the form of a book and was released at a simple but impressive function today at the Department of Sociology, Manipur University with another book aptly titled State, Civil Society and Social Movements in North East India, jointly edited by Prof Rajendra Kshetri and Dr Yumlembam Khogen.

Poetry compilation of Cry of a Dying River released

The two books were jointly released at the function with Vice Chancellor of Manipur University Jarnail Singh as the chief guest.

Growing up just on the bank of Nambul Turel (river) just opposite to Manipur College, Prof Rajendra Kshetri recalled how the river fascinated him as a child and how he grew up witnessing with dismay the river decaying in the last many decades, due to the vagaries of mankind and the impact of pollutants.

It is this which prompted him to put his anguish in the form of poems which ran for a little over two years.

To the delight of the many young students who had turned up to attend the book release function, the Professor talked about how Nambul Turel is more than just a waterway but went a long way in shaping the lives of the people who grew up playing by its banks and who made a living out of its water way.

He also talked about how traders of those days, a good three/four decades back, used to paddle all the way up from places as far as Thanga to sell their wares at the hidens (dockyards) as the river meandered its way through the heart of Imphal city.

Other than the VC of MU Jarnail Singh who attended as chief guest, retired IAS officer RK Nimai, Dean of School of Social Sciences Manipur University Prof S Mangi Singh and Editor of the English edition of The Sangai Express Hijam Rajesh attended the function as presidium members.