“Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies...”, writes Stephen King in what would be adapted to become one of the best films of all times. A similar sentiment echoes in the story of Luni, where the absence of flow has not translated to the absence of hope. The Luni River, once a seasonal yet life-giving artery of western Rajasthan’s drylands, is now mostly a memory with its riverbed choked with sand, its commons fragmented, rampant mining on its banks and its waters disappeared altogether. Yet, amidst the visible degradation of

land, water, the commons and the livelihoods latched to it, a quieter current endures: of hope. It is a hope of what “not-yet” there is, an expanse of opportunity that will one day come to fructify.

For the region’s agrarian and pastoral communities, this hope isn’t incidental, it grows from their memories and the losses and opportunities of the present. Thus, the recent flooding stands as a material memory of what the river was and the potential it could reach. For the people in the pre-independence era, the Luni’s flow was in consonance with the rhythm of life, where their herds moved around freely along the banks of the river and across the surrounding commons: gauchars, orans, nadis; that provided for them seasonally. Their hope for themselves symbolized a continuity- regeneration of the land, fodder for the herd and minimal

agriculture to subsist until the season changed and the cycle repeated itself, helping recover from any disruptions of the past. However, this sensibility took a dramatic turn following the decades after independence, specifically during the 80’s, where the idea of what could be possible was influenced by the intervention of the state-led initiatives and market forces, contributing to both the drying up of the river, disrupting the rhythms of agrarian, and pastoral living, and effectively changing what the people hoped and aspired for. For the current generation of younger men and women, born and brought up in a landscape where the Luni no longer flows, the recent flooding triggers collective memories of past interdependencies. It reminds of what the river once was, but also the loss of faith its absence caused, rendering hope as scattered, disjointed and often uncertain. As a result, in this modern world, their vision for the future doesn’t find itself confined to the limits of sustenance, but to the changing meaning of the riverbed, and aspirations that flow towards new frontiers of education,

employment and promising life in urban spaces.

2. Objectives

The aim of the proposed creative participatory format is to reimagine how we look at the hopes

of people living in and around a changing landscape. Drawing from primary research in Alniywas village, Nagaur district Rajasthan, we aim to drive ourselves through hope that lives in memory, in song, in the act of digging, planting, resisting and remembering, seeking to bring

together the past, present and the future in an intergenerational storytelling of how each one relates to hope, memory and the landscape.

We inquire as to how the circumstances in and around the Luni have refigured the way the members of the agrarian and pastoral community envision their future, with their paths laden with uncertainty, and deeply shaped by one’s place within the social fabric. In doing so, we

attempt to align with the Track 2 of ILDC 2025 by building our focus on the ‘affective’ aspect of the commons governance, and grasping the shifting terrains of socio-ecological discourse in and around Luni. Underlying this inquiry, we do not simply seek a figment of imagination, but also strive to unravel the tension between wanting to aspire, while having to cope with uncertainty.

3. Exhibit Components

3.1 Short film: Through visuals and voiceovers of the community around the Luni, this documentary style film will weave together the narrative of different people living around the river in what will be “stories from the field”.

3.2 Conversation with the Community: Members from the community share their experiences in this interactive session.

3.3 Posters: Showcasing 2-3 posters that captures the river’s history, the interventions in place and its engagement with community people, with pictures curated for each theme.

3.4 Invited discussions: Open forum for questions and discussions headed by Dr. Kavoori and Mr. Aman Singh

Expected Outcomes

A creative session like this attempts to bridge artistic storytelling with grounded research from the field. It creates an accessible and emotive entry point for the audience to understand and break down complex socio-ecological research. The viewers will also be able to connect with

the feelings shared by different people, whose lives are shaped by the river and its possible renewal. Lastly, it is expected that a visual display will leave behind an archival artefact, documenting what a section of people envision their future surrounding and across the river.