Ania-Loomba-Imperialism-Colonialism-Environmental-Studies

Introduction
With reference to Ania Loomba's book on colonialism and postcolonialism(3rd edition) we're trying to see what is colonialism, what is postcolonialism(how it can be seen in environmental and psychological context), what is neo-colonialism, modern colonialism and ultimately what is imperialism.

Colonialism slightly differs from other aspects, mentioned above. which we will elaborate further, with the aid of a definition given by (OED). Having considered colonialism as recurring and widely spreaded term, while not if happened in any era, can be differentiated from the other occurence of the same term. How it has captured the history since 2nd Bc and continues to influence until now.

Colonialism and Imperialism are often used interchangeably. The word 'colonialism' according to Oxford English Dictionary comes from Romans, which meant 'farm' or 'settlement' refers to the Romans, who settled in other lands, but still retained their citizenship.

According to OED: "A settlement in a new country...a body of people who settled in a new locality forming a community, subject to or connected with their parent state, the community so formed, consisting of original settlers and their descendants and successors as long as the connection with the parent state is kept up".

The above definition seems to be quite remarkably avoiding the reference to other than colonizers, those who prior than established colonies, were living there. Hence it evacuates the word ' colonialism' from any implication of encounter between peoples, domination and conquest. 

There is no hint of the new locality may not be so new and the process of 'forming a community' is unfair.

A question arises, what it can be considered now? Was the act of colonialism, a fair thing from colonizers side? So what was the intentions that new locality that their way of colonizing was not found unusual or unfair but something beneficial?

The very book says that it was with the intention of 'unforming' or 'reforming' the society and culture. While colonialism wasn't an identical process in different parts of world, but everywhere the original inhabitants and new comers were locked into complex and traumatic realtionships in human history.

For example: THE TEMPEST-Where Shakespeare had done a major edition in the form of allegory of colonialism. Where he had tried to portray a scence in such a way that after incident of shipwreck taking place in Bermudas, Prospero is arriving. Hence there are already inhabitants existing but to see what impact it is making after the colonizers reaching there. 

As it is the process of forming a community, it also involves wide range of practices, including trade, plunder, settlement, negotiation, warfare, genocide and enslavement. Such practices generated and were shaped by a variety of writings; public and private records, trade documents, government 
Papers, letters, fiction and scientific literature.

For example
Frankenstein: A sci-fi novel(In nineteenth century scientific works were much in demand in contradiction with Romanticism as it was there, depicted by Mary Shelley).

Madam'e Bovary: A novel by Flaubert, where also we see elements of Romanticism, depicted through the female protagonist.

And many more are there, which we're not going to discuss here.

Thus Colonialism can be defined as the conquest and control of the other people's land and good. But in this sense colonialism doesn't begin with expansion of Europearn powers into India, Africas and Americas from 16th century, while it is a recurrent and widespread feature of human history; beginning from 2nd BC until 18th and 19th century, yet in present we can see such movements.

A Narrative of Colonialism

Colonialism can take place anywhere, it can be a small house, a small firm/a big firm, an institution or anywhere. The thing is you must have something in more amount than others. It can be knowledge, money, land, mind etc..But what it requires for its usefulness is a musive and wise mind. If this movement can mar something than it can also make something.

A hollow figure, like Salman Rushdie's concept of Commonwealth literature doesn't exist appeared,

Limping, unsupportingly humming with frequent blinking eyes seems as seen the world in straight exacting but narrowed eyes.

But how one can make others to see likewise? 
They may be having their broadened eyes,
From where they can see, visualize far-sightedly and make sense of happenings in and around.

The postcolonialsim/neocolonialism describes the aftermath of colonialism. It can be in two ways.

In temporal manner(aftermath)
In Ideological manner(supplantation)

Which suggests economically and financially dependent world. Where one is required to take appropriate steps to recover all the things that is lost but it happens sometimes things are realised early while sometimes it takes lot of time or sometime forever unrealized.

It focuses on beyond extracting tribute, lands, goods etc. But by colonizing people, adopting their indentured labour to sustain their lives. In thus way as mentioned below it also has some touch of imperialism but not specified as such.

The OED defines imperial as pertaining to 'empire' and imperialism as 'the rule of an emperor' especially when despotic and arbitrary, the principle and spirit of empire, advocacy of what are held to be imperial interests.

It has connection with royalty. If in terms of East India company we see trade privileges were given to them through connection of Elizabeth 1 and James 1, otherwise they won't be treated so.  Thus in connection of royalty imperialism can be seen.

Lenin emphasise on Imperialism in context of capital development. In his book "the highest stage of Capitalism"(1947) he has argued that 'the growth of financial capital and industry in western countries had created an enormous "superabundance" of capitalism'. The money couldn't be profitably invested at home, where labour is limited. The colonies lacked capital but abundant in labour and human resources. Therefore it needed to move out and colonize non-industrialized countries to sustain it's own growth. Thus Lenin predicts, in due course the rest of the world would be absorbed by Europian  finance capitalists.

It can be interpreted that they might be doing so because they only found skilled workers in colonized countries rather than in their own countries. They had abundance of money, while the latter had human resources to produce. Therefore as it is considered to be the highest system of colonization, it is a global system and some commentators said to be prevailing prior to colonialism.

It can be defined in terms of temporaenity and spatiality. Considering the latter term, simply it means  a metropolis(metropolitan country) colonize other country and try to penetrate colonies. The only thing makes difference between colonialism and imperialism is; colonialism takes place with formal colonies, while in latter case, it doesn't happen as such.

Hence in this manner, Imperialism can be defined.

With the advent of colonialsim, postcolonial period was started. Due to administrative colonialism, industrialization happened whatever India or any third world country had in the form of resources was looted by the Europeans to made their way but when realized 'now it is over(resources can be used in such a way that those can keep on multiplying rather than getting instant depletion from the Earth, it seems they didn't have this sense) they demanded indentured labour of colonized people of third country.

Considering these all factors how badly the environment was distorted, the trees which are the sources of fresh air and oxygen are barrened, water is badly polluted by manufacturing factories and throwing harmful chemicals and solid wastage in river. Changes on Earth also leads to climate change. What is naturally considered is getting deteriorated gradually and that is what transforming naturality into artificiality, as a result of which we're having today biochemical fruits, crops(created by genetic changes) artificial water(for political purposes{Aro, canned oxygen etc}).

If refering conclusion part by Ania Loomba, there it is written that displacement of indigenous people and theft of the land is a feature of many spaces encroached by colonial settlers. Here we may have an example of: South Asia and Africa.

Mosop(movement for survival of Ogoni people): Where the rich oil-land was encroached by multinationals, which caused large scale displacement of indeginious people and wide-scale environmental destruction.

Narmada Bachao Aandolan: The NBA project,which was funded by multinationals and indigenous capital to develop the score of dams further, but it promoted protests by tribal people as they were forced to abandon their lands. While later on, the case was ruled by supreme court to support the development of dams.

"Chittaroopa Palit says she and her comrades learnt a lot about the structures and processes of globalization through this struggle. Especially the valuable lesson was"..

In above instance it is highlighted that though there was involvement from government and an abled support group, but they can't supplant the mass movement struggle on the ground. Albeit The refusal by SPD government in Berlin to Siemens, the Berlin multinationals, for Building up the dam in Maheshwar, it agreed to underwrite the company's involvement in Tehri Dam in Himalayas and in catastrophe of three gorges Dam in China. Both were as destructive as Narmada Project but in neither instance were there strong mass struggles on the ground.

Concerning this Naramda Project had made its distinctive marks from the rest of the movements.

Politicians discussing about climate change😂

How it is satiric! One can't allege another directly but in one or the another status quo, we sense that worldly matters, don't happen without mediation of politicians and where they themselves in one or the another way, are involved in destruction of climate, how many a times they pretend to be a concern part of the most disturbing area.

Thus are the factors seen in this particular period, there can be more facilitating with this type.

Summing up this entire part in nutshell, definition of colonialism changes concerning its different strategis, prevailing at particular times. While Imperialism has a linear difference from colonialism and environment can be studied in terms of postcolonialism.

Works Cited

Loomba, Ania., "Colonialism/postcolonialism", 3rd edition.

-Colonialism

-Pre-Capitalism

-Neo-Colonialism/Imperialism 

-Imperialism: As Finance Development.

-Post-Colonialism

-Conclusion

{Topics refered from the Cited book}.