Most Indian writings on Ganga end at Bhagirathi-Hooghly, ignore: the main river flows into Bangladesh

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat 

For the past month, I have been traveling to complete the task I set for myself. I went to the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu and then to Kerala for a couple of days, but the bigger trip was to Bangladesh, which has now concluded. This completes my Ganga Yatra, spanning from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, with the unique feature of covering almost the entire stretch of both West Bengal and Bangladesh.

My Bangladesh journey was extremely productive, as I covered the Ganges from the Godagari entry point to Bhola Island, the largest island in Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal or the Sundarbans region. In between, I witnessed the historic confluence of the Ganga and Jamuna at Daulatdiar and the massive Triveni of Dakatiya, where the Padma and Meghna rivers meet at Chandpur.

It was a great opportunity, although I exercised extreme caution at every step. I am immensely grateful to my friends in Bangladesh who have supported me throughout this lengthy journey. It was challenging, as I had to travel to various remote areas, and it would not have been possible without local support. I also explored the "Himalayan" region of Bangladesh in the north, but due to bad weather, I couldn't see the Kanchenjunga peaks from Dinajpur.

During the journey, I met numerous activists and community members and endeavored to understand the environmental and climatic issues and their impact on communities, particularly indigenous people. I also cherished the interactions with Dalit activists and community members there. I will share my thoughts on various issues in the coming days.

This journey was crucial for me because when we discuss the Ganga, most Indian writings end at Bhagirathi-Hooghly, ignoring the vital fact that the main Ganga actually flows into Bangladesh. For me, it was equally important to understand the fascinating journey of rivers in Bangladesh, as without traversing through all these extraordinary rivers, we cannot fully comprehend the Ganges and its immense significance in our socio-economic and cultural lives. I hope my work will comprehensively reflect this entire issue. I hope to not only exhibit the photographs but also create a documentary on the journey of the Ganga in Bangladesh soon.

I must express my sincere gratitude to my dear friends Shah Mobin Jinnah in Dinajpur and Mr. Mohammad Kamaluddin in Dhaka for making my journey comfortable and providing the necessary support. I would not have undertaken this journey without their support. It was simply not feasible, as even my family was apprehensive about the trip. We are aware of the politically hostile climate, but there are friends on both sides of the border who have weathered ups and downs and understand me well. I am also thankful to other friends such as Rowshan Jahan Moni ji, Shri Shamsul Huda ji, Zakir Bhai, and Pallav ji for generously sharing their time and insights.

I cannot conclude this journey without acknowledging two wonderful individuals who made my journey comfortable and ensured that I could accomplish my objectives. Young Asif Chowdhury accompanied me to different places and ensured that there were no issues whatsoever. His presence made my journey much smoother. The other person was Swapan De, a Dalit Rights activist in Bhola, who took us to witness Ilisha and Tetulia, the mouth of the Meghna River before it flows into the Bay of Bengal. I also enjoyed a conversation with Shipon Kumar Ravidasi, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Dalits and Excluded Rights Movement.