The Ganga features prominently in the retelling of the history of the Indian subcontinent. However, what its present state tells us about the future of the great river and the country is another matter altogether. Victor Mallet’s River of Life, River of Death is an ambitious attempt to do just that. The river has inspired myriad mythological tales. So it is impossible to shed the religious lens that adds colour to the beliefs of millions of Indians. This is where Mallet’s work gains value. Mallet details his journey along the length of the river, and further across the Indo-Gangetic plains, in a free-flowing chronicle of the contradictions, convictions and disappointments that punctuate the length and breadth of India’s most extensive riverine system.
Mallet harbours no doubts about the significance of the river, but instead of a mere recounting of its importance, the book delves deeper into the maladies that currently afflict it. It is well-known the Ganga is under enormous duress. Not only does it support the agricultural and industrial economies of its vast plains, but it is also tasked to carry the souls of the ever-growing population of god-fearing Hindus to heaven.
The convergence of culture, economics, science and modernity has culminated in a toxic swirl of hope and despair which Mallet has explored with a refreshing keenness. As a result, the book offers a crisp assessment of the health of the river while also providing a near-360 degree view of the numerous problems and aspirations that surround it. Mallet’s account starts at Gaumukh, the source of the Ganga, and takes an even-paced and elaborate journey, ending only at the river’s mouth in the enchanting Sunderban forests.