LangLit

IMPACT FACTOR – 5.61 ISSN 2349-5189

An International Peer-Reviewed Open Access Journal

ECO CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE WORKS OF MANOJ DAS

ITISHREE PADHI
Lecturer in Maruti collage

ABSTRACT
The reason for the immediate crisis is due to the lack of unawareness regarding
the protection of ecology. Eco criticism as a postmodern literary approach posit
high stress on eco-consciousness. It is inescapable to human for the harmonious
relationship with the non-human world. My aim of research is based on the study
of the manner in which Manoj Das, who is a prolific English writer, reveals
environmental and social sensitivity by exposing tropes that reflects the
multifarious aspects of interaction between nature and culture. My research paper
ll analyze the selected works of Manoj Das like Bulldozer, Cyclone, The tree, and
Quest of Sundar Das. Researcher will examine the term ecocriticism in detail.
Researcher will explore the manner in which ecological and environmental
concerns are reflected in Das’s select works when a man learns to see the
beauties of his environment, he will be conscious to protect it.

Keywords : Ecocriticism, Ecoconsciousness, Anthropocentric, Biocentric

Introduction:
Down through ages, nature is a subject which has fascinated to many writers. Many writers
have become eco-conscious or environment conscious. Literature has become a mode of
expression about environment and its importance in human life and universe environment
protection is a hot issue of present time. Due to the eco-imbalance and the environment
pollution, the whole world is under the curse of global warming. Human nature is essentially
anthropocentric. We try to dominate nature as the only literary beings in the earth.
Ecocriticism tries to rectify our anthropocentric vision which assumes the primacy of
humans, so we may save our earth from catastrophic end. Eco-criticism strives hard to keep
the earth in a good order, so that the earths basic life system remains fresh for a sustainable
future.

Researcher seeks to outline eco-consciousness in Manoj Das’s selected works. He has

focused his attention on the value of eco-balance and environment balance. The world is
facing eco-disasters and our environment is now at stake. Only science and technology are
not enough to combat the global ecological crisis. We should make change in our attitude
towards the nature.

Ecocriticism Theory:
“Ecocriticism ‘might succulently be defined as study of the relation between literature
and environment conducted in a spirit of commitment to environmental praxis”
(Buell).

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IMPACT FACTOR – 5.61 ISSN 2349-5189

An International Peer-Reviewed Open Access Journal

Ecocriticism, a concept first arose in the late 1970’s at the meeting of Western Literature
Association (WLA). It began developing in 1990’s which focuses on the relationship human
and nature, which tells us man belongs to the earth in much the same way as animals and
plants do. The term eco-criticism was first coined by William Rueckert in his critical writing
“Literature and ecology, An experiment in ecocriticism”. The word ‘Eco’ comes from the
Geek word ‘Oikos’, which etymologically means household or earth and ‘critics’ means
judge. Cheryll Gloytfelty is considered as the pioneer ecocriticism. In 1990’secocriticism had
become a recognized field of literature. In 19996 it was officially announced by the
publication of two seminal works: The ecocriticism Reader which was edited by Cheryll
Gloytfelty. Another works the environmental Imagination by Lawrence Buell. Later in 20th
century people realized the significance of nature and to save the planet earth from
environmental crisis caused by industries and other sources created pollution

Ecology has two shades, they are the shallow ecology and deep ecology. Shallow ecology is
essentially anthropocentric, which believes that the whole purity of nature is to serve
mankind and humans are the masters of nature. Man being is the only literary creature thinks
himself superior over the others. It also advocates systematic uses of natural resources like
coal, gas, oil etc. for a sustainable future. But deep ecology changes this conservation mode
and advocates preservation of nature to keep its original form without interference of man, as
nature has its own right to survive. All organism on this earth have their own intrinsic value
and no one is the master of anybody. This realization will give equal rights to every organism
maintaining a balance in the eco-system. Eco-criticism gives emphasis on this eco-
consciousness removing the ego consciousness man. The present environmental crisis is a bi-
product of human culture. It is not caused by how the ecosystem functions, but how our
ethical system functions, how we behave with mother nature etc. ecocriticism builds this
awareness among man.

There are two waves of ecocriticism as identified by Lawrence Buell. The first wave eco-
critics “focused on nature writing, nature poetry and wilderness fiction” (Buell 138). They
used to uphold the philosophy of organism. Here environment effectively means natural
environment (Buell 21). The aim of the wave was to preserve ‘biotic community’ (coupe 4).
So, ecocriticism initially aimed at earth care. The second wave eco-critics inclined towards
environmental justice issues and a social ecocriticism that takes urban landscape as seriously
as ‘natural landscape’ (Buell122). This wave ecocriticism is also known as revisionist
ecocriticism.

In order to meet with the present environmental crisis, the ecocriticism play an important role
in building up the eco-consciousness among the readers. In my research, I have taken Monoj
Das’s work to show how we represent the world informs how we live in it, either responsive
or not to our ecological place.

Aim of Ecocriticism movement:

Ecocriticism is considered as the youngest movement of recent times. Though the term was
first coined in 1978 by Rueckert but the root of this movement was in Vedas and Upanishads.
Rigveda appeals “Do not cut trees because they remove pollution’. Ayurveda refers “man do
not disturb the sky and do not pollute the atmosphere”. In view of present environmental
scenario, the eco-critics want the earth to be kept in good oder for mankind. According to

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 LangLit
IMPACT FACTOR – 5.61 ISSN 2349-5189

An International Peer-Reviewed Open Access Journal

Scolt Slovic there is no single dominant worldview defending ecocritical practice as it is
being defined and redefined everyday by actual practice of thousands of literary scholars
round the globe to find out the solution to the contemporary environmental crisis through
literary study. So, ecocriticism is a branch of science that creates awareness among readers.

Research problem:

In my research project I will analyze the works of famous eco-critic writer Manoj Das’s
selective works. I will examine the term ecocriticism in detail.

Research question:

The question I will investigate exactly are:

1. What is ecocriticism and what is the value of it?

2. How Das’s writings creates eco-consciousness?
3. It will investigate, how ecological concerns are reflecting upon the relationship
between nature and human being?
4. How Das’s work in the Len’s of ecocriticism will enable the readers to put the natural
world more than just literary viewpoint.

Hypothesis:

I hypothesize that when the environment and ecological issues are brought to gather to
literature. How Das’s writings of eco-consciousness is important to todays world. In testing
my hypothesis, I will compare and contrast selected works of Manoj Das and their deep
impact on the minds of people and on the society.

Manoj Das’s eco consciousness:

Padmasri Manoj Das is an Indian author born in 1934 in Sankhari village, Odisha. Many of
his novel like cyclone begins by showing the transition of Kusumpur from traditional village
to a colony. The novelist portrays traditional rural society and contrast it with the influence of
western culture affecting the young generation in the colonial era. He carefully points out the
transformation that occurs through a complex dynamic negotiates through tradition and
change as Kusumpur the village, which symbolically represents the traditional Indian rustic
set up, affiliate itself to modernity. This novel depicts the environmental degradation of an
ecofriendly village, where both the local government officials and greedy corporate join
hands to devastate the environment like the construction of dam by dislocating poor people,
unmindful feeling of trees and maltreating of people who are closer to nature that leads social
activities.

In another work Bulldozer, impacts a very realistic account of the impact of the changing
environmental background on the personality of hero. In this novel the relationship that Ravi
develops with nature is one of the reciprocities, as Ravi learns that he is just as much a part of
the natural order of things as trees and frogs are. The emotion and assurance that Ravi
develops with nature come through his almost spiritual connection to an organic, collective
unconsciousness with nature frog’s presence signifies biodiversity for preserving ecological

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IMPACT FACTOR – 5.61 ISSN 2349-5189

An International Peer-Reviewed Open Access Journal

balance of nature. The gradual change from a rural setup to urban and industrial setup marks
the transition in the story. In the present society the Cuckoo’s song is replaced by the
cacophonies sound of the loud speaker where sound is coming like volleys. Ravi disapproved
the use of high-pitched sound box which disrupts the normal life of individuals.

In the story The Tree there was a banian tree in the village, that tree was very huge. The tree
with its branches spready an acre resting on these trunks was the oldest institutes in the
village. The tree was very useful to them whenever flood waters came, they took shelter
under the tree. All the people wanted to save the tree. They had the eco-consciousness. They
could realize how useful nature is for all. They realized their responsibility to save the tree.
The tree brings out powerfully the delicates concern of the villagers for the tree. The tree is
the symbol of protection for generations, standing from the era of truth. The tree being
uprooted, villagers feel as if they too were doomed or uprooted. Though this sounds funny,
but it is natural, and brings consciousness.

In Quest of Sundarbans Das presents an unseen link of an individual with his nativity. Manoj
Das, who left his home for money and material is now a business tycoon in Africa. In spite of
having great wealth he urges to go to a remote village where atmosphere can help him to get
himself off from the loneliness and subjective seclusion. He approaches a travel agency to
facilitate him a house in a village. The lady guide informs him the brief outline of the
scheme. The house that is fascinated to him by the travel agency is no other but his own
home which he abandoned long before to become rich.

Again, Das shows the growth of industrialization and materialism in the submerged valley.
Here the storyteller synthesizes the conflict between traditional modernity suggested through
the construction of the dam across the river. Here the sense of ruthlessness and the loss of
ancestral ethos’s are clearly imprinted. The sentimental villagers can’t accept the
rehabilitation quite easily and leaving their ancestral village submerged is absolute painful.
The way they recount the glory of their ancestral village near the narrator’s engineer father to
forestall the execution of the construction of the dam posits their subconscious likeness for
the village.

“Despite having begotten a worthy son like you are so unlucky that the cruel hand of
the government will so unceremoniously tear us away from our god given lands”.

This is the replica of a desperate effort to present the ancestral ethos intact and to void
rootlessness. In Das’s depiction of the transition era, the predicament can be partly referred to
the social upheavals involved in making new India.

Definition of ecocriticism:
Ecocriticism is a recently developing literary theory in the field of literary criticism. It can be
defined as

“the study of the relation between literature and environment, conducted in a spiritual
of commitment to environmental praxis” (Buell’s).

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IMPACT FACTOR – 5.61 ISSN 2349-5189

An International Peer-Reviewed Open Access Journal

Ecocriticism a concept first arose in the late 1970’s of the meeting of Western Literature
Association (WLA) and it began developing in 1990’s which special focus on the relationship
between human and nature. The word ecocriticism was coined by William Rueckert in his
critical essay “Literature and ecology an experiment in ecocriticism”. Here Rueckert defines
ecocriticism as the application of ecology and ecological principles to the scholarly study of
literary works. Ecology means the scientific study about the relationship between air, land,
water, animal while ecocriticism considers human as a part of environment and studies
interconnection between man and nature. Peter Barry writes

“for the eco-critic, nature really exist out there beyond us, not needing to be ironized
as a concept by enclosure within everted commas, but actually present as an entity
which affects us, and which can affect, perhaps fatally, if we mistreat it”. (Begging
Theory)

Conclusion:
The reading of Das’s works in the Len’s of ecocriticism will enable the reader to put natural
world more then just a literary viewfinder.

REFERENCES

1. Das. Manoj, cyclone, Madras; Chanda mama literature. New Delhi 1995
2. Das. Manoj, Bulldozer and Fables and Fantasies for adults. new Delhi 1990
3. Das. Manoj, The submerged Valley and other stories. Calcutta.
4. Das. Manoj, The Tree, Joster.in.
5. Das. Manoj, Selected fictions. The dusty horizon and other stories
6. Barry. Peter, Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary Criticism and Cultural
Theory.
7. Buell, Lawrence. The Environmental imagination: Thoreau, Nature Writing, and The
Formation of American culture. Harvard publication 1995.
8. Padhi, Itishree. Amitav Ghosh’s ecocritical perspective on The Great Derangement.
Langlit
9. Garrad,Greg.Ecocriticism.London and Newyark: Routledge,2004
10. www.google.co.in
11. www.wikipedia.org.in

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