Planetary Ecology and Postcolonial Ecocritical Narrative in Global History

Abstract

This article argues that South Asian literature viewed through a postcolonial lens offers crucial alternatives to Western Ecocriticism by reinterpreting environmental degradation via culturally rooted stories that emphasize dispossession, spiritual ecology, and economic marginalization. It questions the Western separation between nature and culture, advocating for a more pluralistic and decentralized perspective informed by indigenous worldviews. Through a comparative examination of the writings of Amitav Ghosh, Kiran Desai, Raja Rao, Kamala Markandaya, and Rohinton Mistry, the analysis illustrates how these authors reshape ecological awareness by depicting nature as a vibrant historical force rather than simply a backdrop. Drawing on third-wave Ecocriticism (Buell, 2005) and postcolonial critiques of the Anthropocene (Chakrabarty, 2009; Moore, 2016), this paper promotes a planetary and decolonial Ecocriticism—one that prioritizes subaltern knowledge systems and highlights the gradual violence (Nixon, 2011) that connects colonial histories with present-day climate injustices.