A Survey of the Phases of Indian Ecocriticism

In his article "A Survey of the Phases of Indian Ecocriticism" Rayson K. Alex places Indian ecocriticism in its historical context distinguishing it from the Western ecocritical canon by identifying and contextualizing three phases of ecocriticism in India. Looking at the present Indian ecocritical scenario, Alex compares and contrasts it with Western ecocritical studies. He offers a brief analysis of the themes of papers presented in conferences on ecocriticism in India and of the syllabi and teaching strategies adopted in various institutions of higher learning which have introduced ecocriticism as optional/mandatory courses to show the growth of ecocriticism in India. Alex finds that present ecocritical scholarship in India is largely influenced by Western ecocriticism, although it originally began with the use of Indian theories and texts. Alex calls for a commitment to a regional approach in Indian ecocriticism and points to social issues that ecocriticism in India needs to address in the near future: land, ethnicity, sustainability, poverty, terrorism, religious plurality, caste, water policies, and education.