Postcolonialism is integrated with ecocriticism as the aftereffects of colonialism. Which one can see firstly on colonized people's minds , and through them ongoing struggles, trying to come out from the clutches of colonialism. Amidst all these struggles, where striving to come out, one can see how ecology is badly affected by the colonizers and the colonized people( in striving for their survival) how some activists have played their parts to restore ecology, but criticizing in both manner; destructively and constructively.
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| What is Postcolonialism Generally Postcolonialism is considered as "aftermath of colonialism". While it isn't so..It is something which has connection with Affect and influence of some process and that is why neoliberalism as connected with capitalism, is considered to be a constant process rather than an event and similarly it is connected with colonialism and imperialism. When aftermath of colonialism many third world country people; living in South Asia, Latin America, Africa, Middle East etc, were forced to abandon their lands by the capitalists, they had to do so and their dispossession invited theft of their lands by colonial settlers. For example-Mosop movement: Where Ogoni indeginious people, a group in Southeast Nigeria, were forced to abandon their lands. As their lands were oil-riched, multinational companies collaborated with indeginious military dictator and there was wide-scale destruction and on large-scale displacement. Similar to this we also have an example from Narmada Bachao Aandolan, where also the similar kind of things happened. As these commons are always targeted by capitalists, there emerging many questions of how to resist and accelerate their lives, as landless proletariat. For which Marxism is focusing on 'primitive accumulation' while Rosa Luxemberg is augmenting that Marx is presenting 'primitive accumulation' as a closed system, sufficient in itself that seems to be the early stage of capitalism. Later on her argument is proven true due to two reasons. It provides deep historical connections between colonialism and capitalism. It is ongoing/constant process rather than past event and it can't happen outside the area of capitalism but anywhere, where the areas are somewhat in development stage or somewhere where remnants of commons can be found. As it is said that 'colonialism is a constant process' for which noone can deny. Salman Rushdie's: Mignights Children is a good example of Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi(1774-77). A new way to colonize the country and it's people and inflicting them with cruel and brutal atrocities. Which we can see through Sameel Sinai's lens in this very novel. One another example: When India got independence on 15th August, 1947. There was temporary happiness among people, there may be a few people, who may be sensing that colonialism, still going to prevail in one or the another form; like the country India was totally ruled by Right Wing people, where left wing people had no room. It is showing now after much struggle that somewhere such left wingers are given importance, which wasn't happening previously and we have many traces of history and may be from history some may have taken lessons that rigidity won't suffice with present time, if it is still practised it will lead you nowhere rather than to your own dugged gorge. Considering it the constant process, can we take postcolonialism as temporal state of situation. Which fades in and fades out, like light without any orientation. If one wants to give this proper orientation then one has to work for. Thus there are many things to be discussed but here as only concerned with postcolonial criticism, this seems to be sufficient. Where only one can get an idea of how eco-criticism can be viewed in postcolonialism. What is Ecocriticism Ecocriticism is something that happens aftermath of an event in form of its repercussions as in postcolonial context, we are seeing. How encroachment of land and collaboration of multinationals and concerned indeginiety authority, had caused wide-scale environmental destruction and large-scale displacement of poeple. As the human resources, common property resources are utilized for industrial purposes, how it will harm the environment badly. If we interpret this in another way then ecocriticism is what which is criticized to reestablish spoiled ecology, by writers and shapers of the society. If seeing through ecofeminism perspective then what culture is to man, nature is to woman. While it is said that both the genders are pacing consciously in their lives and both are mortal but as man is considered to be artificial in respects of culture, woman by psychology, societally and physically is acutely adjusting herself into nature. For Example: The bondage between a child and the mother. The nursing and care, he/she gets from his/her mother, father can't provide or it can be seen mere as a social construction. In many Hindi movies repeatedly such things are shown. Somewhere the heroine has premarraige relations with her boyfriend, conceiving the baby but denied acceptance by the responsible person. Though abused but staunchly following her duties as mother(Kya Kehna, a movie example can be given/The Scarlett Letter). Somewhere we see the opposite of ecofeminism also. As in one of the news I have read how the 10years old girl, having some amount from government for her midday meal, but it is also spent by her father, who is already married for second time and the girl child had to abandon her home. After calculating her father's intentions, she is able to lodge complaint against her father that what money she is to given, is taken by her father as the money is reflected in her father's bank account. Her father tried to ecofeminism her, but coming to realization, she reacted promptly and reasonably as she was able to understand her own situation. Thus there is ecocritism on ecofeminism also that as nowadays though women are associated with nature, rather than denoting weakness, the nature is symbolizing strength and power from women's side. How Postcolonialism is connected with Ecocriticism As Postcolonialism suggests aftereffects of colonialism, it is deeply connected with ecocriticism. Which we're seeing in conclusion part of Ania Loomba's book on Colonialism and Postcolonialism. How encroachment of lands had invited mass destruction of people as well as of their native lands. The theory of capitalism is defined through feminist, ecological, patriarchal, historical perspectives. Ecological Expressions Sithanshu Yashaschandra's Poem: Tree Once Again  So the poem reads that how the tree was once a tree, but now it had transformed into writing table, dining table, radio stand etc. Which we're utilizing for our own benefits and facility. It seems as giving the feeling of interdependancy(Concerning Rosseau's point of view on self-repugnancy and the human must be natural/primitive like as with development in many human phases, a human has developed himself/herself and so the concept of inequality is there, which according to Victor Hugo was an idea mere to mock). On another side, while refering the second last line of the same poem, it gives an idea of further development as development in any area is a constant process rather than one time's. |
This animation by Steve Cutts also denotes the process of colonialism done by a colonizer.
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| The Pavagadh by Mehul Devkala is about how the town Pavagadh came into being. First the volcano exhumed under the Earth, out of caves emerged a man, he went to dwell the plains, settlements formed and so the towns. As a result Chapaner came into being. Then how it was besieged by Badshah Humayun and then after by Muhammad Begda. Then gradually how for industrialization purposes the resources of land were used. For Instance Established were big and gigantic cities(a result of industrialization). Besieged were the foothills of pavagadh by companies and manufacturing thousands of cars(a land, colonization). Despite such happenings the ongoing film in cinema hall was Mohenjo daro and was highlighting the history of before thousand years, where teeny weeny kinds of structures can be visualized in any pavagadh like place. |
Vidroh by Kedarnath Sinh is personified through the nature; cotton, table, papers etc. How these things made from furniture is craving to go to their actual place.
For instance: Idly lying books in shelf say that we remember the substance of our roots, that was coming out from tree trunk and so we want to go there as those are calling us.
Nature is personified as imprisoned in man's world and trying to now get rid of and want to go where there belongings are.
Connection with Present Time
Seeing postcolonial-ecocriticism in present times, then in post covid-19 era, the aftereffects of lockdown due to Corona virus, were fruitful as well as harmful. Without the traces of humanbeings on the road, place, area or any corner, Laura and fauna were saved and preserved in very natural manner. Which wasn't possible, when humanbeings are out.
While on the other side, due to imposed lockdown by the Goverment of India people weren't allowed to go to outside and so they weren't able to carry on their work further. Those who had enough money, would have definitely keep aside some amount as a capital(to run their business or firm forward) and they had to spent those money. Which actually can't be spent in this way. On the other side, we see the middle class people as well as the people belonging to lower class. The former will have to struggle a lot, to make themselves survive, while the latter class will easily get, what they desire for.
If seeing through the point of view of Covid19 disease handling being handled by Indian Government as well as in US by Trump. The former in respect of cases, is on number two, and the death toll of coronavirus is screaming at number-3. In latter case, it is at number-1 position. Concerning the latter issue, it was happened during lockdown period that Trump, the Prime Minister of America had become careless towards this sensitive disease and proclaimed the freedom of people that by placing belief in faith, they can congregate ik church and pray for their well-being, shows his inability to cope up with Covid19.
How it seems when a responsible person, in whose hands there is the responsibility of country as well as the people of the country, reciprocate in this manner..Poeple won't place trust or faith in such kind of persona.
Perhaps as people lost trust in Trump, they chose Joe Biden to be their representative.
It is still remaining to see, what is going to happen in India's case .
Thus in post era, Trump was vehemently criticized by his own as well as other countries to place people in such dilemma and also we see as part of its repercussions, that more or less, people had to struggle a lot though taking prior precautions, due to ecological damage in nature as well as in their lives. In this was Postcolonialism is facilitating Eco-criticism.
| Conclusion Hence in this way we saw how postcolonialism and ecocritocism, both are connected with each other and how through ecocritical point of view one can read the aforementioned poems by various poets. Works Cited Loomba, Ania., "Colonialism/Postcolonialism: Conclusion", 3rd edition. Yashaschandra, Sithanshu., "Tree Once Again". Singh, Kedarnath., "Vidroh". Devkala, Mehul., "Pavagadh". |
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