Drifting on the Betwa: Moving Upstream | Veditum

From the field, by our walking fellows Prerana and Anup, accompanied by a friend Praver Mourya who filmed this video. Filmed while walking the River Betwa in January 2019 as part of our #MovingUpstream project.
"A river seems like a narrow strip of water but it separates families, villages and sometimes, like in this case, entire districts. And a boatman plays the role of being a stitch, going back and forth, connecting this natural seam.
On the eve of Sankranti, the boatman was particularly busy while we used this opportunity to play an oft heard song from childhood about rocking boats, blue skies and a prayer of not drowning.
One can see the river, the people, the power lines stretching across and the dunes of mined river sand, yet again reminding us that perhaps things would be so different and so difficult without the Betwa here. The song is the title song of a Japanese cartoon translated into Hindi in 90s by Doordarshan - Sinbad the Sailor.
Find more details about our project here: veditum.org/moving-upstream/betwa