Thousands form human chain along Mhadei river to celebrate #MhadeiAmchiMai festival
Thousands of Mhadei’s ‘children’ formed a human chain along the banks of the river on Saturday (May 20), to raise awareness and express their solidarity in preserving the vital ecosystem of the river, which is critical to Goa’s environment and the livelihood and wellbeing of its people.
The human chain was the centrepiece of the Mhadei Amchi Mai festival, a community engagement event organised by the Earthivist Collective, in association with the Goa Heritage Action Group (GHAG) and the Save Mhadei Save Goa Front in wake of the ongoing attempts to divert water from the inter-state river’s basin by a neighbouring state.
The human chain comprising thousands of concerned residents of Goa, also referred to by the festival organisers as ‘rakhondars’ (protectors), stretched from the banks of the Mandovi river – also referred to as the Mhadei – from the Santa Monica jetty to the Miramar beach covering a distance of seven kms.
“The one -of-a-kind human chain spread over 7 kms, offered people from all over Goa an opportunity to come together and connect with the river, its history and its soul. The Earthivist Collective, GHAG and the Save Mhadei Save Goa Front thanks everyone who joined hands with this festival and showed their support for this vital ecosystem nurtured by the Mhadei river,” said Heta Pandit, historian, author, independent researcher and founding member of GHAG.
The participants included local residents, activists and representatives from various civil society organisations, who had gathered to form the human chain and symbolise their commitment to safeguarding the Mhadei river.
“It’s a beautiful coming together of people, artists and communities to say that we respect the river. This is part of India’s rich tradition. It goes beyond the Mhadei festival. We have so many traditions and festivals where we worship and respect rivers, forests and other aspects of nature. It is a part and parcel of Indian philosophy,” said Richard Dias, a Panaji resident, who participated in the ‘Mhadei Amchi Mai’ festival.
The festival aimed to highlight the intrinsic and critical relationship between the river, the land and its people. Participants were encouraged to wear white and blue attire, representing the shades of the river and carry blue or white scarves as a symbol of unity and support for the cause.
Distinguished personalities, including well known medical practitioner Dr. Oscar Rebello, Fr. Bolmax Pereira, singer Hemaa Sardesai, social activist Patricia Pinto, theatre personality Dr. Isabel Santa Rita Vaz, activist Claude Alvares, advocate Norma Alvares, poet and essayist Pragya Bhagat, poet Salil Chaturvedi and teacher Pournima Kerkar, joined the movement and lent their voices to the cause during the festival on Saturday.
In addition to the human chain, the festival also featured performances by musicians, dancers, creative storytellers and artists along the riverbank. Their artistic expressions in the form of paintings, poems, songs, installations, performances and sand drawings celebrated and prayed for the river, emphasising the importance of its preservation.
Interdisciplinary artist and festival curator Miriam Koshy, founding member of the Earthivist Collective said “We are happy to see that thousands of people and several citizens’ groups from all talukas of Goa have reconnected with the Mhadei river and spoke for it in one voice at the festival. The ‘Mhadei Amchi Mai’ festival has brought together artists, musicians , jazz bands, brass bands , performers, dancers, theatre groups and children to share what they feel for the river and how they experience the river in the form of mandalas, sketches , paintings, poems, music, songs, installations, movement performances, jazz music, theatre, street plays and sand paintings, that celebrate and pray for the river, during the human chain formation along the river”.
The Mhadei river holds immense significance for the people of Goa, nurturing their history and soul within its rippling waters. It sustains a rich biodiversity, providing essential water and nutrients to floodplains, agricultural lands and the potable water supply. The festival aimed to raise awareness about the threats posed by attempts to divert water from the river’s basin, which, combined with climate change, dams, and pollution, could lead to water scarcity, food insecurity and loss of life and livelihood.
The festival received overwhelming support from various community groups, including Act for Goa, UrbanSketchers Goa, Plantwalk Goa, Tree Walk Goa, Goa Bird Conservation Network, the NHOI Project/Bookworm and That Book Store. Environmental architect Elsa Fernandes, who is also the president of Khazan Society of Goa, also mobilised the farming community to participate actively in the festival, emphasising the need for collective responsibility to protect the beloved Mhadei river.
The Earthivist Collective and its associate organisers believe that the festival’s success and the collective efforts of Mhadei’s ‘children’ can work to ensure that the river remains a source of life, history and soul for generations to come.