Irrawaddy: Venus of Myanmar
In these days, my mind is full of thoughts about Irrawaddy. What if there is no Irrawaddy in near future? Let’s put the future aside for a while, just imagine our ancient times. By ice -melting from Himalaya, some small streams amalgamated forming Twin Rivers, May Kha and Malikha. As a result, they merged to a very ideal one with the valued name, Irrawaddy, the most beautiful angel of our history. She is in fact a good mother of Myanmar country. She has been looking after her kids, Myanmar people delivering adequate drinking water, domestic water and the water resource for farming as well. Likewise, she is also a main transporter promoting friendship for those who reside different parts in the country.
She made Myanmar as a barn. I can sense our ancestors were very proud to be living happily due to warmhearted Irrawaddy.
Our native land, Myanmar is a famous country in the world and peoples all over the world regards our country as the Golden Land. In 19th Century, after three colonial wars, Myanmar was colonized by the British. The British ruled more than over hundred years in Myanmar. Why? Reason is very obvious because of our natural resources. There are plenty of green forests filled with teak trees, ironwood trees, and so forth in our country. Even nowadays, our country is a green land yet though numerous numbers of trees were fallen and exported mainly to the big neighboring brother, China. I can surely say those green forests could not have been formed without Irrawaddy.
When the British came to colonize Myanmar patriotic Myanmar people used Irrawaddy to defend them. In a way, Irrawaddy is a home for countless souls of our unsung heroes who sacrificed their lives fighting against colonial colossal army. She is sometimes not only the companion but also the best friend who keeps our history and our secrets. She is our guardian angel.
If there were no Irrawaddy, what would be the water resource for our country? Would there be any green forest, paddy fields, and farms with a lot of corps? What would Myanmar people eat and how would they survive? I do not think our ancestors would remain in such a country and for sure they would have migrated to other places where they are able to survive. Thus, there would not be Myanmar people and how could Myanmar, the golden land exist?
In Roman Mythology, Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty and fertility. Having learnt these three characteristics of Venus, many would concur with me if I resemble Irrawaddy as Venus of Myanmar. She indeed gives us all: love, beauty and fertility. Love among different races and relationship for those who live apart are promoted mainly due to her. Irrawaddy creates and shapes our land as green and gentle lady. Irrawaddy beatifies Myanmar. She nurtures Myanmar civilization to be strong and durable.
Now, so-called big brother from our neighbor with money in hand wants to make Irrawaddy suffered. By building the mega Dams in the upstream, they are trying to choke Irrawaddy from flowing to the south. Dams are damned, in fact. Negative impacts of damming on rivers are well documented the world over. Sooner or later, Irrawaddy will be diminished to a smaller river. Then to a stream. Then… then… then.
I want our Venus to recite a line of the poem called “ The Brook” - “Men may come and men may go but I go on forever”. Let me hear the beautiful melody of our Irrawaddy forever. I am determined to do everything in my capacity to save Irrawaddy. Though oil can’t be produced from a sesame seed, together, we can make the difference. Friends, let’s save Irrawaddy.
Zelena
July 21 2011
