Geopolitical Transition during Post-colonial
Era: An Eco-critical Study of Amitav
Ghosh's Works
Vishakha
Kumari Yadav
Independent Researcher
Abstract:
The geo-political transition during the
post-colonial era explores the aftermath of British colonialism and the
emergence of a new Indian nation-state. My work highlights the growing
awareness of environmental issues particularly conservation and sustainability,
in the Sundarbans. How Ghosh explores the struggles of the indigenous people
and the struggles of original inhabitants of Sundarbans. The work portrays the
tensions between indigenous inhabitants and the government. It is a study and
the analysis of politics and cultural resistance mentioned in the colonialism
history. The ideas of social justice, democracy and emancipation against the
oppressive rule, discrimination and racism emerged from such criticism. Amitav
Ghosh's novels The Hungry Tide and The River of Smoke depicted the significant
changes in the global political condition and environment degradation during
that time.
Keynotes: Eco-criticism, Racism, Oppressive
democracy, Post-colonial, Social justice
Introduction:
Literary fiction can help us to imagine new ways of being in the world,
and to see the world from different perspectives. It can help us understand the
interconnectedness of all living things, and to see the ways in which our
actions impact the planet. It is believed that both literary fiction and
non-fiction can help us to develop the empathy and understanding that we need
to address the ecological crisis.
Post colonial literature shows the reaction
of colonized countries, their culture and economic exploitation by the natives
and their lands. Eco-criticism on the other hand shows the portrayal of ecology
in literature. Since post-colonial industries was increasing tremendously and
Eco-criticism has been defined as the critical response to 'environmental
crisis' in the works of Amitav Ghosh's The
Hungry Tide and Ibis Trilogy.
“How writing the Ibis Trilogy was a
process of discovery, the coming multipolar world and the change it will bring,
and how literary fiction and non-fiction can help us understand the ecological
crisis that we are facing” (Amitav Ghosh).
Human being and environment are two sides of
a one coin. Since Apes evolved to man, there is a common bond between human and
nature. It has been witnessed in our Vedas and scriptures as well as science
that human life totally depends upon Flora and Fauna. It is hard to be alive
without agriculture. "A relationship between human and nature is termed as
ecology". Ecocriticism or green studies denotes the critical approach of
environment in Literature. The main purpose of ecocriticism is to show how our
author is concern towards environment.
The Hungry Tide
The Hungry Tide (2004) is one of the renowned books related
to ecological and Eco-criticism during post-colonial era written by Amitav
Ghosh. It shows how in postcolonial era there is a complex relationship between
human and the environment in the Sundarbans, a delta that spans southern
Bangladesh and Eastern India. The novel depicts how the impacts of human
activity has slowly imbalanced the biodiversity of Sundarbans. The novel also
deals with how human need to conserve the ecology or prolong their existence.
Ghosh in these works showed how the people
after post-colonialization are destroying nature because of lack of knowledge
and poverty and creating imbalance in nature. The Hungry Tide deals with massacre like "Marichjhaphi Massacre" in 1979
eviction of post partition Bengali refugees who had moved out of the
Dandakaranya camps in Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and settled in
protected forest lands on Marichjhapi Island in the Sundarbans, West Bengal.
There was a confrontation between the police and the settled population, that
led to an economic blockade and later police action was taken to forcibly evict
settlers which all led to several deaths on Marichjhanpi, Island in the
Mangrove forests of the Sundarbans in West Bengal, India.
According to the government, the refugees
violated the Forest Act by illegally occupying protected forest land, which is
a part of the project to save tigers. Kusum, Fokir's mother, who was a part of
the Marichjhaphi community, raised a pertinent question to Nirmal: "Who
are these people, I wondered, who love animals so much that they are willing to
kill us for them? ..." (Ghosh-216-217).
In the wake of the police attack on the
refugees Kusum articulates the crucial conflict between conservation and
humanity in the novel. As Kusum points out, though the goals of conservation
are understandable, the elevation of animal rights above human rights harms
many people, especially the impoverished. Notably, Kusum groups herself with
the refugees by saying 'us' and 'we', though she is not technically one of
them, showing how much she has come to care for their struggle.
There are few incidents in the novel
documenting that the man-eating tigers claim dozens of residents’ life every
year. This neglect towards the needs of the marginalized in the name of
conserving natural resources, injustice towards downtrodden less educated
peoples has been portrayed in this novel very beautifully by him.
Ghosh’s novel also depicts the lifestyle of
indigenous people and how superstitious people harm environment. "Living
migrants" not only stress on the plight of the people of Sundarbans, but
also hints at larger issue that plagues numerous regions and communities across
the world.
Ibis Trilogy
The Ibis Trilogy is divided
into three parts and deals with opium cultivation, opium trade and opium
war. In the first part of Ghosh's Ibis
Trilogy, i.e. “The River of Smoke", environment plays a significant role
in narrative. He weaved out the environment themes throughout the narrative,
emphasizing the intricate relationships between human and the natural world.
Ghosh explored the complex relationship between humans and environment focusing
the impact of colonial trade and industrialization on ecosystems. This part of
trilogy portrays the environment degradation like opium cultivation,
deforestation and population on natural world. How the exploitation of natural
resources by colonial powers, and how economic interests led to environment
destruction. Ghosh wrote about the nest of the swift flying birds which were of
massive valuable for villagers. The incident in the novel clearly shows the
destruction of the endangered birds and spices from the natural environment.
Due to human interference there was continuous devastation of nature for ex-
China was flaming with various medicinal plants and flowers which allure people
from different parts of world. 'Camellia sinensis' also known as tea plant but
now this species of plant is on the margin of extinction and can seldom be seen
anywhere. The polluted water from creek factory degrading the pure water of
Pearl River and unhygienic gases of factory affecting environment. In short,
'River of Smoke’ entails how Britishers not only expanded their colonies but
also created a hazardous atmosphere for the people living in those regions.
"Sea of Poppies", the second part
of Ibis Trilogy deals with opium
trade and opium war. This work also deals with emperor's decision to stop trade
which leads to outbreak of war between Chinese and Britishers and it adversely
affected the inhabitants and environment. 'Sea of Poppies ' begins in the
fertile fields of Bengal which shows greenery. The view of the field is very
beautiful just before the war took place. This section of trilogy deals with
contemporary class domination, exploitation, caste biasness. Ghosh represents
the adverse effect of colonial rule in India during 19th century. The
cultivation of opium degrades the ecological balance of nature. It leads to
hunger, mitigation and destroys environment. The ecological disbalance due to
cultivation of opium and its effect on human being and animals is shown in the
'Sea of Poppies’. The debasing effect of the cultivation of opium is that it
has ended the cultivation of eatable food yields. As the character in the novel
thinks how eatable crops earlier grown not only gave them foods to eat but also
the material for making roof. The dust of opium in the opium factory causes
people to sneeze as even animals cannot escape. The fishermen in the novel use
opium to catch fish. The river banks were filled with raw opium the presence of
opium in the water fishes could be caught very easily. Ghosh depicts the
pollution in the water of the River Ganga through the flow of sewage of the
opium factory in the Ganga. Indian people worshipped River Ganga and its water
gives life to many living creatures but because of sewage it becomes unhealthy
for drinking.
"Fire of Flood" the final installment of Ibis Trilogy was
published in 2015 by Amitav Ghosh. This part depicts the opium war between
Britishers in India and China the destruction happened and China's devastating
defeat. How the ecology is affected because of people greed is witnessed in
this part. Furthermore, Ibis Trilogy
of Ghosh reveals the cancerous effect of the British colonialism on the
environment and the most significant to its final destruction. Human and
Environment are interrelated but how human adversely affecting the nature is
visible through this work. It portrays the destructive impact of war,
colonialism and industrialization on ecosystems, highlighting the
deforestation, pollution and climate change. "Fire of Flood" surveys
the ecological effect of opium cultivation, trade and consumption, indicating
its far-reaching impact on environment and societies. This part of novel
reviews colonial powers' exploitation of natural resources, leading to environmental
degradation and supplant of indigenous communities. Ghosh culminates the
significance of native knowledge and traditional implementation in maintaining
ecological balance and encouraging sustainability of human and the natural
world bring attention to need for reciprocity, respect and harmony. The local
environment changes have radical global consequences. The entangled
relationships between human societies and natural world as well as the urgent
need for sustainable practices and environmental stewardship.
Conclusion
Amitav Ghosh’s novels offer an influential eco-critical outlook on
tangled relationship between human and natural world. To the other side of
works, Ghosh shows the destructive effects of colonialism, imperialism and
globalization on ecosystems and local communities. His novels indicate how
environmental degradation is inseparable linked to social justice, cultural
erasure and economic exploitation. Ghosh uncovers the dark undersurface of
colonialism and imperialism divulging their ecological importance. Progress and
development focus on their environmental costs. Ghosh celebrates indigenous
knowledge, cultural diversity and traditional practices that encourage
sustainability. Ghosh's novel notifies us against the danger of climate change,
environmental degradation and ecological uncertainty. Through his Eco-critical
lens, Ghosh persuades us to reconsider our place within the web of life and to
take combined action to lessen the environmental crisis of our times.
Reference
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