The poem ‘Water’ attempts to depict the struggle, the anguish, the suffering and the humiliation suffered by the Dalits to get their rightful share of water. The speaker, having recollected all the incidents related to their humiliations and their suffering, talks about how water can be a source of retributive justice. The speaker declares that water is not a simple thing; it can give life but can also devour lives. She then declares in a vengeful tone that the water that could not serve to quench the thirst of the parched throats (of Dalits) became the ** tsunami wave and swallowed the whole village after village.
The speaker declares that ‘water’ is so powerful that it treats the ‘poor’ as its playthings. Sometimes, many villages suffer from drought and become dry deserts *** poor people. It may also come in the form of floods and drown them. Thus, the poet depicts the destructive nature of water.
