Of water scarcity : Beyond class room teaching...

Rajendra Kshetri *

Good morning Manipur,

Student (S): Sir, the Capital City of Manipur is a valley, Manipur Valley aka Imphal Valley, Right ?
Teacher (T): Right. What's cooking in your mind?

S: No cooking Sir. Just thinking if I should go to Spain and stay there for some time
T: Why so? Why Spain of all the places? You wanna see/watch 'Bull Fighting ' ?

S: No Sir. I wanna go and stay in Spain b'coz unlike our Imphal "The Rain in Spain stays mainly in the Plain ". Why is the rain not staying in Imphal ? Forget about staying Sir, the Rain ran away from Imphal. Why so Sir? Why ?
T: You seem to be mesmerized by Audrey Hepburn of "My Fair Lady" . My dear starry-eyed boy! I am no expert on meteorology but I can tell you this much. Nature is playing tricks with us. You know, we Imphalites are a tricky lot, tricky fellas. Nature is giving us a taste of our own medicine.

S: Why is the rain raining in the hill areas then ? Do you mean there are no tricky people in the hills ?
T: There are , my dear, there are. But those tricky fellas of the hills are all stationed and settled in Imphal. Know what I mean ?

S: Oh yes, yes. I got it Sir.
T: Don't you worry, boy. Rain will rain and stay in plain areas of Imphal valley too. Nature doesn't discriminate, is always kind, generous and sympathetic. Unlike we tricky and crooked people.

S: I have an idea Sir !
T: What! A la-eureka? Don't tell me it is an idea whose time has come.

S: No, no Sir, not at all. I was thinking if the State Government may consider declaring a state of emergency over drought in drought prone districts, it will draw the attention of the Union Government and therefore could ask for some financial package to confront/tide over the water crisis.
T: Very good. So you have started using your 'thinking cap ' for social purpose. FYKI, our 'Sanaleibak ' is past master of such policy measures. It may have been already in the pipeline.

S: Sir, the sooner the better. If monsoon arrives... (it has just arrived in fact...).
T: Exactly. If monsoon arrives and rains, good for the people. But disappointment for certain group of 'privileged people '.

S: I don't get it Sir...
T: Put on your 'thinking cap' son.

S: Sir, while on the water scarcity issue, can I ask a stupid-sounding-like question?
T: Of course. You know me... I always encourage you to ask. You see , I am not a politician in the guise of a teacher who hates questions. Now what's it?

S: Sir, which one is more important and vital in life... Love or Water ?
T: Well well, that's a tough one and tricky too. You have just bowled a 'googly'. Let me put this way. Life without love is meaningless. And life without water is no life.

S: Could I infer, Sir, that there's no dearth of love in our 'Sanaleibak' and therefore life is meaningful. And there's acute scarcity of water and therefore no life in our land.
T: You learn fast, my boy. Your sense and level of sarcasm is remarkable. You hit the bull's eye.

S: All thanks to you Sir. I remember a quote you mentioned in your class room lecture... a WH Auden quote, to be precise, "Thousands have lived without love, not one without water ".
T: You flatter me, boy, you flatter me.

S: Sir, is Imphal a 'Smart City' ?
T: Of course, it is. Any doubt ? We all have heard/read how crores had been spent to make the City Smart. Why do you ask.

S: I just wonder why and how is so much of dirt and dust in and around the city. I mean, a Smart City should be neat and clean.
T: You are asking the wrong person. You better ask our city fathers and town planners.

S: And Sir, one more thing...
T: Yes, my dear. Go ahead.

S: Why there is acute shortage of water? Why water crisis? Why water scarcity? A Smart City should not be facing such issue/crisis.
T: That is easy. Because there is no rainfall. No rain. No water. As simple as that. I thought you are smart enough to figure it out. Or maybe our 'Smart City' is scared of water.

S: In other words, 'scarcity of water' means 'City is scared of water '. Thank you Sir for your words of wisdom.