Conclusion: The Future of Post Colonial Studies

 Thinking Activity: Conclusion: The Future of Post Colonial Studies 

Hello Readers! This blog is written in response to the task assigned by Dr.Dilip Barad sir. In this blog, I will Summarize another Ania Loomba's article - " Conclusion : The Future of Post Colonial Studies." I have made seperate blogs for both the articles of Ania Loomba. Click here to Visit my blog on :- Conclusion: Globalization and the Future of Post Colonial Studies

Some of the most prominent figures in Postcolonial Studies, including Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, assert that they no longer adopt a Postcolonial perspective. According to them, the term "Postcolonial" belongs to the recent past. For certain Postcolonial scholars, both within and outside literary studies, this reassessment is driven by their involvement with new challenges, such as those emerging in environmental studies. Dipesh Chakrabarty, for instance, acknowledges that despite his extensive readings in theories of globalization, Marxist analysis of capital, Subaltern Studies, and Postcolonial Criticism over the last twenty-five years, he feels unprepared to analyze the planetary crisis of climate change. Ania Loomba, in this article, aims to briefly reflect on these challenges and their implications for a Postcolonial critique.

Here is the video based on how man destroyed environment. 

Ecology:-

Ecology has emerged as a fresh concern for numerous intellectuals and activists engaged in examining the ongoing impacts of colonialism. The looming threat of climate change is a significant factor in this new focus.  It is important to see that;

    " How all Constructions destroy the Ecology. In that reference, Post Colonial argument and insights become important ."

Vandana Shiva, an environmental activist, has played a crucial role in unveiling the links between colonialism and the degradation of environmental diversity. She contends that the expansion of capitalism, and more recently, transnational corporations, has intensified the trends initiated during colonial times, resulting in the erosion of sustainable local cultures. These cultures, which were inherently more women-friendly, owed this characteristic in part to the vital role of women's work in the production of food and fodder.

 " Ecology and human culture are intricately linked with each other." 

Ramachandra Guha and Juan Martinez Alier (article) have been critical of what they perceive as evident in American environmentalism—its fixation on the wilderness. Rob Nixon expands on this critique, highlighting that the celebration of this wilderness obsession is not only present in American literature but also in natural history. Nixon introduces the term 'spatial amnesia' to describe this tendency, suggesting that it contributes to the wariness of postcolonial criticism toward Earth-first green criticism. As a result, questions related to the environment have not been actively engaged with in postcolonial discourse.

Ken Saro-Wiwa, an environmental activist from Nigeria, played a prominent role in leading MOSOP (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People). The Ogoni People, an indigenous group in southeast Nigeria, faced significant challenges as their oil-rich homelands became targets for drilling by multinational corporations. This led to large-scale displacement and extensive environmental destruction in the region. Tragically, Ken Saro-Wiwa was executed for boldly criticizing the activities of multinational oil companies operating in Nigeria. 

Indeed, the struggles faced by indigenous communities in postcolonial regions like South Asia and Africa often involve issues of displacement and land theft due to various economic activities, including multinational projects. Ken Saro-Wiwa's resistance against multinational drilling in Nigeria highlights the adverse consequences of such activities, leading to the displacement of local communities and significant environmental damage.

Narmada Bachao Andolan:-

Narmada Bachao Andolan(NBA) in India serves as a poignant example of resistance against the adverse effects of globalization, particularly in the context of large dam projects. These projects not only posed ecological threats but also led to the displacement of tribal communities. Chittaroopa Palit, a leader of the NBA, acknowledges the persistent challenges posed by globalization structures. However, the NBA creatively resisted these issues by drawing inspiration from local knowledge and community practices. In addition, the movement incorporated lessons from the Gandhian anti-colonial struggle and garnered support from various sectors, including women's groups, trade unions, left parties, and connected with similar movements globally. The NBA's multifaceted approach showcases the complexities of resisting globalization's impact on local communities and ecosystems.

Chittaroopa Palit , One of the leaders of the NBA says that , 

   " She and her Comrades learnt a lot about the structures and Process of Globalization through these Struggles. NBA developed new forms of resistance by drawing on the rich experience of the local people and their knowledge of the land." 

A striking contrast to nonviolent resistance movements is the opposition against the exploitation of forests in central India, particularly concerning iron and bauxite mining activities. In this scenario, Maoist guerrillas have assumed leadership, seizing control over extensive territories. However, their resistance has triggered a response from law enforcement agencies, including the police and the army, leading to confrontations and hunts.  

Arundhati Roy writes that the Constitution of free India 'ratified Colonial Policy and made the state state custodian of tribal homelands. Over night, it turned the entire tribal Polulation into squatters on their own land. It denied them their traditional rights to forest Produce, it criminalised a whole way of life.' 

Arundhati Roy critiques the Constitution of free India, asserting that it endorsed colonial policies by designating the state as the custodian of tribal homelands. This legal shift overnight transformed the entire tribal population into squatters on their own land. Additionally, it stripped them of their traditional rights to forest produce and criminalized aspects of their way of life. Roy's perspective highlights the lasting impact of colonial legacies on indigenous communities, emphasizing how legal frameworks can perpetuate historical injustices.

Karl Marx explained that ; 

   " The enclosure of the commons was crucial to the birth of capitalism. He describes the Process in England : beginning at the end of the fifteenth century, the forcible usurpation of Communal Poverty occured first by means of individual acts of violence and later through the Parliamentary acts for Enclosures of the commons. Along with Slavery and colonialism, the takeover of the commons and the conversation of various forms of collective Peoperty rights into Private Property involved dispossessing large Sections of the Population, both in the Colonising and Colonized countries, So that wealth would be accumulated by a few. It also turned those dispossessed People into landless labourers and forced them into a cash economy; their work was thus Commodified. In short it give us the idea that ; 

   " How One can Protect Commoners." 

Rosa Luxemburg's work, "The Accumulation of Capital," challenges Karl Marx's views and suggests the necessity of revising his theories. Unlike Marx, Luxemburg envisions capitalism as an open system that continually requires new markets for its goods, markets that cannot be entirely consumed within the existing system. Luxemburg's ideas remain relevant for two key reasons.

1. Firstly, she alerts us to the deep historical Connections between trade and colonialism.  

2. Secondly, she reminds us that accumulation is a Constant Process rather than a Past event.

 In one of the essay ,  Dipesh Chakrabarty  writes that ; 

          " Whereas historians had Previously assumed that the environment changed so slowly as to be a negligible factor in human history, we have now reached a ' tipping Point' where it is clear that human beings have become geological agents' in a much more drastic and immediate Palpable way. They are now the main determinant of the environment of the Planet , ushering in a new geological age that can be called the Anthropocene. " 

Movies Based on environmental crisis and concerns:-

Sherni:-

"Sherni" is a 2021 film that revolves around a female forest officer tasked with capturing and containing a man-eating tigress in a remote village. The movie delves into the theme of wildlife conservation, shedding light on the challenges and efforts involved in managing human-wildlife conflicts.

Don't Look Up:-

"Don't Look Up" is a 2021 film that follows two low-level astronomers who embark on a massive media tour to warn humanity about an approaching comet that poses a threat to the destruction of the planet Earth. The movie explores themes of scientific warnings, media sensationalism, and the challenges of conveying urgent messages to the public.

RRR:-

"RRR" is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language action film directed by S. S. Rajamouli. The film revolves around the themes of water (Jal), land (Jamin), and forest (Jungle), showcasing the interconnectedness of these elements in the storyline.

In last, Ania Loomba Suggested and highlighted four areas about the Future of Post Colonial Studies.  

 1. The Environment 

 2. The history and Present of indigenous Peoples and societies.

 3. Post modern histories and cultures

 4. The Ongoing Colonization of territories labour and Peoples by global capitalism. 

In conclusion, Ania Loomba has outlined four key areas for the future of Postcolonial Studies:

1. The Environment:This refers to the examination of the impact of colonialism on the environment, especially in relation to issues such as climate change, ecological destruction, and the exploitation of natural resources.

2. The History and Present of Indigenous Peoples and Societies: This involves studying the historical and contemporary experiences of indigenous communities, including their struggles, cultures, and the impact of colonization on their way of life.

3. Postmodern Histories and Cultures: This area explores how postcolonial perspectives intersect with postmodern theories, examining how narratives, identities, and cultural expressions are constructed and deconstructed in a postcolonial context.

4. The Ongoing Colonization of Territories, Labor, and Peoples by Global Capitalism: This focuses on analyzing how global capitalism continues to exert colonial-like influences on territories, labor practices, and various populations, emphasizing the persisting power imbalances in the global economic system. (Generated by ChatGPT)

Conclusion:-

In Conclusion , I have tried to analyze Ania Loomba's article on the future of Postcolonial Studies and provided examples of movies that highlight environmental concerns. 

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