Let Waters Roll Down in Justice

On 22nd March 2011, World Water Day (WWD) is being observed all across the world, to bring awareness on water, the rich natural resource, which over the years has been facing great threat for its existence. In the context of the recent deluge caused by tsunami in Japan, there are many who cursed waters for being deathful and dreadful. There are others who are vengeful about the increasing water related natural disasters. Are waters against humanity? If waters are against humanity, why do you observe WWD?

These questions rightly bring us to construe waters in the necessary perspective. Are waters against humanity? This question succinctly allows us to answer that no, waters are not against humanity and on the contrary humanity is against waters. From times immemorial, human beings have always thought that the creation is for human domination, and waters are the slaves of men destined to cater their own needs. With that mindset, the human beings embarked on them to destroy the waters by hiking the water pollutants, privatization of water, reckless usage of underground water resources, mismanagement of water resources, irresponsible governance on water management etc. have all added fuel to the fire of water crisis on the earth today. With all these stains of blood on human hands, human beings have been the primary cause in creating ecological imbalances on the earth and thereby leading to strong seismic currents under the crust of the earth and for the depletion of water resources. World Water Day therefore is a day that calls us for repentance for our complicity in the water crisis today.

UN Water, for this year 2011, has chosen the theme, "Water & Urbanization" with a slogan, "Water for cities: Responding to the urban challenges," calling on the responsible agencies to contemplate and work for the urban water crisis. Most of the world's population for the first time in history lives today in cities, with an approximate 3.3 billion people, and subsequently the water crisis in the cities has drastically increased. With the onset of globalization, there has been a huge exodus of people from villages to cities in search of livelihood resulting in the expansion of urban slums. The mantra of globalization, 'the rich becoming richer and poor becoming poorer' has a direct relevance on the water divide. The rich who can afford safe and purified waters are being able to afford, and the poor in the cities are dying to access safe drinking water. The demands of the rich for water are being met at the expense of driving many poor thirsty. This results in the privatization of water, water resources and water management Therefore the challenge at hand is to address the cries of thirst of those urban poor in our cities today, who are deprived of the safe drinking water, who are discriminated in terms of access to the water resources, and who are kept in the dark from the idiocy public policies on water.

In such a scenario,we, as communities abiding the values of Jesus Christ, the living water, are called with out any further delay to address the water crisis in general and particularly the cries of the urban poor for water. Our centenary theme is centered around eco-justice, with an emphasis on liberating the groaning creation. As a response to the call for campaign for water justice given by World Student Christian Federation (WSCF), this year's Universal Day of Prayer for Students (UDPS) was on the theme "Water Justice" and we have been able to observe the day in most of our units and regions. Our Human Rights desk is organizing an essay competition, poster making competition for students and re-reading scriptures from water perspectives for WWD. Thanks to the local YWCA for their collaboration in these events. Our call for way forward is to make our commitment for water justice, when justice is being watered away in many contexts. Let us organize public awareness on the plights of the urban poor, who are denied water. Let us raise our voice against all moves of the government on privatization of water, for water is our right and our life. Let us imbibe a water discipline, where we do not waste the precious water we have, and conserve the water resources in our localities. Let us collect the water testimonies from our contexts, stories of struggle, stories of victories and how the communities organize the water audits. Let us be water sensitive, and try to reflect the outlook of life from the perspectives of water. Let us join hands in solidarity with other civil society movements striving for water justice in our areas.

May God bless our initiatives for water justice and let justice roll down like waters, let righteousness flow like a never ending stream!

Rev. Raj Bharat Patta is the general secretary of the Student Christian Movement of India