The Politics of Environmentalism: An Ecological Study of Twilight in Delhi

Abstract

In this article, we have explored the nature of relationship between literary narrative and physical environment. Our argument is that the representation of plants, animals and buildings in a literary text not only serves the purpose of providing a natural background to human drama but they also contribute to developing a political statement by the authors. Thus, the mentioning of indigenous plants and animals, serves the purpose of highlighting the features of indigenous identity. In Twilightin Delhi, Mir Nihal feels grieved over the loss of political power in the public sphere. He devises different strategies to counter the existential vacuity created by the colonial intrusion in the public sphere. Amongst the various strategies that he adopts, the love for indigenous fauna and flora is the one that serves the purpose of negotiating with the colonizer in aesthetic terms. The local plants, animals and buildings are dear to him because he feelsspiritually attached to them. Hence, he reacts strongly to the colonial endeavour of building a New Delhi because the cityscape would be changed. The “neem trees” will be cut down. A new boulevard will be built replacing the old which had an oriental appeal for Mir Nihal. Thus, deforestation becomes a metaphor for dehistoricizing. In other words, the neem trees and the precolonial ambience represent indigenous aesthetics and historicalconsciousess. And Mir Nihal is incapable of fighting this ecological intrusion. He finds a release or imaginary escape in holding the pigeon flying competition. Thus, the indigenous fauna and flora becomes a site of imaginative resistance which can provide a temporary release from the colonial cultural and ecological onslaught.

Keywords

• narrative
• environment
• indigenous identity
• colonial intrusion
• imaginative resistance