Shrishtee Bajpai recently published a new short story, entitled “The River Speaks.” Read her intro to it below and the story here.
This short story was inspired by a walk organised alongside the Indus river in order to raise awareness and help the youth of Ladakh reconnect with the river and her ecosystem. The Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust, along with Kalpavriksh, Pune, helped facilitate the walk, which began in Upshi and ended in Phey Village in July 2023. Over the course of six days, 30 Ladakhi students and other river enthusiasts covered around 90 kms together. I participated in the walk and felt called to imagine what the Indus might be thinking, feeling, and wanting to articulate about the humans who inhabited her banks. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Ashish Kothari for seeding the idea for this piece. This story is intended to encourage all of us to transcend our anthropocentrism and find more points of connection with the more-than-human.
