A RIVER is not bound by the titles of men. Instead, it owns its path, its place and its flow. It never abandons what is rightfully its own. Even after centuries, it returns to reclaim its way. Build your homes upon it, raise embankments against it — the river remembers, and, one day, it comes back. When that happens, no human effort, no wall of stones or a home of bricks can deny the river its rightful due. This is what happened in Lahore this year when Ravi roared back into existence.

It was Ravi which had given Lahore the splendour it is known for. Upon its banks, Mughal emperors dreamed. They established a fort and gardens like pieces of paradise. They envisioned grandeur beside its waters.

Once Ravi changed its course, greedy mafias and incompetent administrations joined hands to destroy its path. Tampering with nature is never a good idea because when nature gets back to reclaim its due, no court can issue a stay order. The city may have changed, the people may have forgotten, but Ravi remembered its course and came back to reclaim its rightful land. This is why Lahore suffered. And, we will do well to remember that.

Esha Anmol
Multan

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2025