Mukt Shabd Journal ISSN NO : 2347-3150
The Culture & Critical Ethos are reshaping Pre-‘World War-III’ Indian Literature Eco-System! (Ecocritical exploration of Assamese & Odia Modern Poetry)
Rudranarayan Mohapatra1 P.G. Department of Odia, Utkal University, Vanivihar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
Ambeswar Gogoi2 Department of Assamese, Cotton University, Guwahati, Assam, India
B. D. Nisha3 Department of Assamese, Cotton University, Guwahati, Assam
ABSTRACT
Traditionally the poetry of pre world-war Indian literatures abound in translations from folk and religious, vernacular and ethnic literatures but the themes covers the whole of the earth and human race. Deviating from this, the paper explores how the culture and critical ethos are reshaping pre-third world-war Indian Literature Eco-criticism. To establish the theory, we analyzed here the post World-war-II literature from Assamese and Odia literature as the primary catalyst considering three multiethnic poets from each of the language group. And as analysis the paper is trying to establish that, the 21st century pre - world war-III literature further reshaping its eco-sphere from GLP (Globalization, Liberalization & Privatization) economy centric to Technolization, Localization and Vocalization (TLV).
Keywords: Ecology, Culture, Ecocriticism, Climate, Pre-‘World War-III, Assamese language, Odia Language
I. INTRODUCTION
In our way, the coined term, ‘Technolization’ or ‘the spontaneous reshaping of lifestyle with technology’, has gradually reshaping an eco-sphere for human life in 21st century. The present technology knows the exact time of awaking, tracks the body parameters such as fluid level, sugar level, BP level and heart beats, rememberize only in my history class is when we talk about Santa, predict when exactly rain is going to be happened, explores the followers discourse to my Creative poetry and many more. I.e. the contemporary technology forced the natural life of human for a socially interconnected virtual eco-system. In contrast, the Indian literature after 1980 were influenced by economy centric globalization and slowly trying to uproot the ethnic cultural value and are demanding to redefine the definition of culture in terms of developed Class and developing class and intermingle the cultural components such as believe, tradition, leaving style, language in globalization prospective and limiting or dominating the scope of ethnic culture by science, business and technology. However, the ethnicity has the deep root and ethos towards it has presently opened the eye of many community and inelegancies thinking prospective to become ‘locale and vocal’. And an undoubted these two terms along with technology is going to reshape the pre ‘third world-war’ global eco- sphere, hence the literature and Indian literature.
II. OBJECTIVES & METHODOLOGY
The post world war ecosystem brutality led to an outpouring of literature and reappeared periodically throughout the twentieth century. For this paper, we have analyzed the work of six poets taking three poets from Assamese and of Odia based on their literary contribution, chronological range, and their impact upon the next generation writers. In addition, we also relied on secondary sources. The objectives of this analysis are:
to unveil the true nature of modern Assamese and Odia poetry in the light of Ecocriticism theory; is to assess the geopolitical factors going to influence the post Corona literature; to visualize the factors to influence the literary environment of the 21st century world literature.
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III. THE CONTEMPORARY ECO-CULTURE SPHERE
Here points to be noted that the discussed literary eco-system has already been a topsy-turvy start from the COVID-19 disruptions and significantly transferred our contours of professional and cultural life. These days, individual home is now the new office, the internet is the new meeting points and office breaks with colleagues and organizing poetry clubs as gathered are now history. So as our literary survey is to just to write down the history of a history and to assess the present eco-cultural sphere to establish the theory of TLV (i.e. Technolization, Localization and Vocalization).
The whole world waits with a bated breath as to when the human race will overcome this deadly situation. And simultaneously, the eco-literary sphere is committed to achieve a transformational shift with technology and local-vocal triangle. And the post-Corona literary ecosphere will going to be involves with concepts of right living, right thinking and with right literature. To strengthen the point, here we can quote the Present Indian Prime-minister statement while addressing the nation on the Programme of ‘Mann-Ki-Baat’, that “You would have seen in the past few days, that India has taken some decisions while keeping true to its culture and ethos - and upholding our cultural heritage”.(2)
From the beginning of internet age, the term 'virus' used as a metaphor and were often used as a subject of digital. However, the present 'COVID-19' virus ironically has suddenly given the digital society a substantial push. It is no surprise for us that the increase in video-based communication is now going to shrink the traditional emailing communication. The collective wine drinking and workout sessions are now a dream. In contrast, the buzz words “wasting time on the internet” (Goldsmiths, 2016) has suddenly become a socially accepted, even desirable social practice. The place of sell is now replaced by share. In literary sphere, People aren’t selling their readings, knowledge, watch- and playlists whatever so it may be, but sharing to other and compensating each other’s social and cultural needs.
IV. POST ‘SECOND WORLD-WAR’ ECO-SPHERE AND INDIAN LITERATURE
From the Vedic period and starting from the verse, ‘Om Dyauh Shaantir-Antarikssam Shaantih (Peace is in Sky, Peace is in Space and so on)’ to the date of coining of word ‘ecocriticism’ in 1978 by William Rueckert, the concept of entire Universe redefined to ecology and then by confines itself to the level of ‘environment’ in literary criticism. Though the area of eco-critical analysis formally started to the end of 1980, however the ecological literature and/or the ecological sphere for literature always influence the human literature from the beginning of the time. And the theory of ecocriticism is trying to reinvent the literary ecology from its inception. In 1992 Association for the Study of Literature and Environment was founded at the annual convention of Western Literature and Environment and in 1993 a research journal named ‘ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environmental’ (Goltfelty, 1966(b)) was first published as an annual mouthpiece of ASLE. Now the discussion and deliberation regarding Ecocriticism has been expanded in various part of this world under the aegis of ASLE and ISLE. Ecocriticism is not now only a study about role of nature, but how this world considers nature, how this world enchanted by nature, how the nature is evaluated in the social context and expanded to Deep Ecology, Eco-feminism, and Place based ecocriticism, Ecosphere, Oikopoetics, Ecocide etc (Kerridge, 1998). Further this area actively supplemented by Timothy Morton’s 'Ecology without Nature: Rethinking Environmental Aesthetics' (2007) and 'The Ecological Thought (2010)', Stacy Alaimo’s 'Bodily Natures (2010)', Axel Goodbody and Kate Rigby’s 'Ecocritical Theory: New European Approaches (2011)'.
A sustainable but dynamic ecology always inspires literature to be outspoken. In post second world war period, the ecological sphere for human race was multifaceted. As the one of cataclysmic event, the Second World War brought about a change in the perception of people and thinkers. Pierre Schoent in his book, 'World War Fantasies' (2009) quoted the text expressing the post world ecology as 'Absurdity will replace logic and reasoning when war is over'. (3) The word "absurdity “replace logic and reasoning on public opinions. However, not confined only to thought, the writers are also creates their literature taking themes from their personal experience, an emotion towards the mother land and a call that of return to the nature. And the same ecosphere influence Assamese legendary writers namely NavakantaBarua, Ram Gogoi, HarekrishnaDeka and equally Odia prominent poets Sachidananda Routray, Guruprasad Mohanty and Ramakant Ratha. And the post world war ecosphere in environmental or nature context, reflect in their poems.
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V. ECO-LOGICAL SPHERE IN ASSAMESE & ODIA POETRY:
Out of the Assamese prominent writers poem especially Navakanta Baruah, Ram Gogoi and Harekrishna Deka's poetry, the discussion of environmental consciousness is noticeable. In the poem KramaxaEtiXathukotha and EyatNadiAsil, Navakanta Baruah describe about a gradually died river and destroyed environment. In Pothar, Ram Gogoi described the sorrowful description of after flood. Another poet Harekrishna Deka, describe nature as subject for the base of the reflection of psychological corner in his poem Bhoi, Guwahati-1 etc. However, another prominent writer Hiren Bhattacharyya’s poem named ‘Paniye Mora Mon Mati, Xoisar Xudixyab arnamala’ are wider in eco- centric spirit and attempts to keep evergreen the World.
Navakanta Barua’s two environmentally aware poetries are ‘KramashaEti Xadhukatha’ (A Continued Story) and ‘Eyat Nodi Asil’ (There Was a River over Here). Here the writer depicted the destruction of the nature around us in his poem ‘Iyat Nodi Asil’. Here he depicted that a river is being drying up so the environment —“ Eya noir paar / Xamukor khola rodot jiliki sokut piyah lukai / Pani kot pani?/Kot xeujia paror dhanoni? / Kagojor puke khai gol neki kobitar xei rong? / Luit xukan- luitot pani nai (i.e. this is the bank of the river. A shell of snail glitters in the sun and hide its thirst. It is looking for the green pasture. Did the bookworm swallow the color of poem? River is dried up, there is no water.)”. Here the writer’s metaphor, ‘Where is water? Where is water?” etc. are expressing that the water bodies or the natural eco-sphere is shrinking gradually. Therefore the writer has a great lament that, “Sakina, tumar jibhar roxere kimen jiyai rakhiba/Itihax jora Karbala moru prantor.” (Sakina, how long you could keep the Karbala desert hale and hearty with your succulent tongue?). Since the beginning of civilization, irrespective of all the odds, the human reared on the blossom of nature and it becomes friend, philosopher and guide to the human. Therefore, another environmentally aware poem of Navakanta Baruah is ‘Iyat Nodi Asil’, where nature in a symbolic way expressed thought as how a river could become dangerous and destruct the simple and humble life of farmers with a line, ‘Dekhiso nodir dhole bolatkar kora potharok/Palaxe kabar diya garbhaboti Xosyar Xontan’ i.e. Have you seen how the flow of river raped the green pasture, within a blink it put the offspring of matured crops in the grave.’ Temperature of this world has been rising owing to the destruction of nature, thus the land becomes desert. Poet also depicted this dangerous transformation of nature also: kintu morubhumi ahe / Lahe-lahe, mahe-mahe, bosore-bosore (But there is desert, it comes into exist gradually month after month and year after year.). Here the poet depicted the destroyed nature with symbolic phrases such as “Tamrongi Akax” (Copper colored sky) and “Futsai boronor prithibi” (Ash colored world).
Ram Gogoi's one of the master peace is ‘Pothar’ (The Paddy Field). Here he described nature as a soothing element. After seeing the field filled with crops in the rainy season farmers started dreaming about their good fortune, but no sooner the farmers started dreaming then all the crops washed by flood. Poet described the dangerous flood, lamentation of farmers thus: Krur sparxahfenil utatl tarangaraxi / Bukur xeujiya xapontoko karhi loi jai/Badha nai Abadhe ahil aru gol. Tetiya/Moi kando, xi aru pothareo inai binai kande” (i.e. Cruel waves are snatching the new dreams, without any obstruction it came and gone. Then I cry, they and the field also cry.) But, Harekrishna Deka has taken the theme of nature in his poem to express the psychological aspect of human (Gogoi, 2017). In his poem named ‘Guwahati-1’, he reminded the natural beauty of Guwahati, when the city was full of greenery. And on the other hand he depicted that Guwahati is slowly losing its greenery by covered up by concrete. He expressed distress over the fact that Guwahati, his love losing its beauty gradually. Excerpts: "Tor gendhela dehator / Hejar bosor molir toropbor / Gusale hoitu dekhim / Diplip/ Xeujia / Pat kapor oronire”. I.e. if I remove thousand years old layer of dirt from your stinking body, then I might see that you are draped with glorious greenery.
As looking the Odia literature eco-system, Sachidananda Routray just like the history of half a century of Oriya literature. His pen starts just the before of World war-I and continued up to the end of 20th century. His poems so witness an ecological transformation with time. One of his masterpieces is ‘Palishree’ (the noble Village). Where his line, ‘Choto Moro GanTi/BhugoLa Pothi-patare pache/Na thaau taara NaanTi/ Matira Sei Saraga Mora/SeiThi Achhi Mo ShaThighara/ JaLiba Puni seiThi sese mohara chita niAmTi’ (i.e. My village is small/ It may not be in any of Geographical manuscript/ But that is my heaven/ There is My Birthgod/ And at last, my last right will be happen there/ Small is my village) creates a heavenly eco system at the birth village of human as equally culturally sound. Therefore, he said in his poem ‘Sigata (Self last)’ that “Mu kabi dharitrira, maaTira O manishara tathaa/Gaibaa mo dharma mane E Pruthibi, e aakaasha katha” (I am a poet of the earth, of the soil, and of man/ Singing is my religion, this is the earth and this is the sky.) I.e. the literary eco-sphere of Routray ends at the horizon where both blue line of sky and red line of earth touch each other. Therefore, the ecosphere is not only conscious only to environment but whole to the eco-logical divinity.
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In contrast, Odia poet, Guruprasad Mahanty’s post independent eco-cultural poems are more sarcastic just as T.S. Eliot. With a voice of existentialism, his poem believes upon ‘to stand outside or beyond one-self.’ He just not likes to move the Invisible imagination but wants to live in a dusty world of dust. In his master peace, ‘Samudrasnahna’ or in ‘KaLapurusha’ he directly confess that he try to express the post world war social life and individual environment (in narrow sence). According to him, there is no fragrance in the post war flowers. And we hope the post-Corona period will confess the parallel voice. His poetic hero express that, “EThare Andhaaara Uthe giLi rekhaa aakaara prakaara/simita mo pruthibira diga haje, hajijaae upara o tala/klana mora dehachapi maadi aase baalichara maadiaase baali O andhaara” (Kalapurusha’, page 23) I.e. Here the darkness rises and swells/ Limited is the direction of my earth, disappearing up and down/ I'm tired, my body is covered in sand and darkness. Therefore the post world war eco-sphere and cultural ethos are more boredom, unfertile and full of darkness. And this voice becomes deeper in the poem of Ramakanta Rath, notably in ‘Lanthan, Saptama Rutu (the seventh season). Therefore, the twentieth century Indian Poets have been depicting environmental awareness with the help of symbol, simile and context, hence these poems were created new trend in Assamese and Odia poetry.
However as we gradually moves towards 21st century eco-cultural sphere of world literature, the first ever incident comes to our front is United Nations 27th annual conference and the evolved concept of Globalization. And with liberalization and privatization world economy policies has created the product affinity between poem and reader and encompass the entire sphere from farming to politics even the area of promotional literature. Eco-cultural literary sphere and the critical ethos both becomes world economy centric with a part of influence of technology. But as compared, the present COVID-19 pandemic and the footprint of probable Third World-war fear tension and groupies diplomacy across the countries has no doubt that is reshaping the eco-cultural sphere again to self sustainability and with localization but blending with technology, and warns the world literature to be vocal for their age old product such as language, literature, knowledge and ethos.
VI. FINDING
The Geopolitical factors along with technology are gradually reshaping the ambient ecosphere of Post- COVID pandemic or pre world-war-III literature. Early literary environment of the 21st century‘s LPG factor soon be replaced with Technolization, Localization and Vocalization (TLV) The literature soon going to be vocal for its localization in virtual globalization and will play the responsibility of its own promotion. Unlike post World war II, poets imagination towards ecocriticism is going to be wider not confined only to worldly affairs butt more wider and ecology circle of literature will touch a new horizon Where first creation of literature followed by criticism is not going to be happen no more, but first the critic will develop an ambient eco-cultural sphere and will cattier the same to a genuine writer. No environmental awareness will be in inborn literature but all the literary stakeholders are soon realized that they are impartial to ecology hence literature not the reflection of ecology but to be itself ecology.
VII. CONCLUSION:
The subject regarding ecological theme in Indian literature is not confined only to any eco-cultural sphere. Again it is said that the history repeats itself. Therefore, as the century back World-war period provided new metaphor, slimily, symbols to express the human inner consciousness and reshape the ambient eco-cultural sphere of World literature, in same the new immerged area of science and technology is gradually reshaping our last believes and dependencies. Where three components, ‘Culture & Critical Ethos’ hands-in-hand together going to be voice of Post Corona literature or the pre ‘World war –III’ literature.
REFERENCE:
1. Nigamananda Das, 'Cultural Ethos in the Poetry in English from Northeast India', Edited by Vijay Kumar ray, 'The Social, Cultural and Spiritual Dimensions of Modern Indian Poetry in English', Cambridge Scholars Publishing, ISBN: 1-1138-7968-1, (2007) 2. YOJONA, May 2020, Page 39, Source Press Information Bureau, (2020) http://yojana.gov.in/YojanaEnglishMay.html 3. Pierre Schoent in his book, 'World War Fantasies' (2009), quoted by Shadi Khalighi & Anahita Ghaemmaghami, 'The Impact Of World War II And Literature On The Concept Of Absurdity In The Works
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Of Boris Vian', international journal of humanities and cultural studies ISSN 2356-5926, Special Issue December (2015) 4. Bhattacharyya, H., Hiren BhattacharjyarKabita , Bhabani books, an imprint of Bhabani Offset Pvt. Ltd., 2nd Edition, Guwahati (2013) 5. Borkataki, A. 2014, HarekrishnaDekarNirbachitaKabita, Assam PrakashanParishad, Guwahati 6. Estock, S. C., 2001, A Report Card on Ecocriticism, AUMLA: The journal of the Australian University Language and Literature Association 96 : 220-38.viewed 27th May 2019 http://www.asle.umn.eduarchiveintroestok 7. Goltfelty, C., (a), ‘Introduction: Literary Studies in an Age of Environmental Crisis’, C. Goltfelty and H. Fromm (eds.), The Ecocriticism Reader : Landmarks in Literary Ecology ,pp. xx, University of Georgeia Press Athens, Georgia. (1996) 8. Goltfelty, C., (b), ‘Introduction: Literary Studies in an Age of Environmental Crisis’, C. Goltfelty and H. Fromm (eds.), The Ecocriticism Reader : Landmarks in Literary Ecology ,pp. xviii, University of Georgeia Press Athens, Georgia (1996) 9. Garrad, G., Ecocriticism : New Critical Idiom’,pp.4, Indian Print(2007) 10. Gogoi, A., 2017 ‘PriparshikXahityaXamalochanarAlokatAxomiyaXahitya’, Gariyashi, January,PP.47 11. Howarth, W., 1996 ‘Some Principle of Ecocriticism’, C. Goltfelty and H. Fromm (eds.), The Ecocriticism Reader: Landmarks in Literary Ecology, pp. 69, University of Georgeia Press Athens, Georgia. 12. Padmashree Sachidananda Routray, 'Pallishree', Publisher: Grantha Mandir, Second Version, (1964) 13. Prafulla K Rath, 'Kabi Sachidananda O Guruprasada', Adhuna Prakashan, Cuttack, First Version (1985).
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