NATURE- CASTE RELATION: A READING OF URMILA PAWAR’S “AAYDAN” (THE WEAVE OF MY LIFE)

Abstract

Human survival is directly tied to our relationship with the natural environment. However, the historic continuum can be seen where the control over resources is wielded by the privileged, relegating the marginalized communities to a perpetual state of subjugation and dispossession. In this context, Dalits in the Indian social context bear the weight of environmental injustices. Urmila Pawar through her autobiography “ Aaydan” dissects the layers of environmental injustice levied upon the Dalit people, the inaccessibility of drinking water, the way they were not allowed to use the roads used by the upper caste, rather rough deadly terrain was left for them for daily work. Morever, the food disparity faced by them projects the patterns of power, privilege and marginalization that shape the relationship with the nature. Having all these, the paper also focused on the spritiual connection of the dalits with the nature. Nature for them remains their place of existence, the state of survival; Pawar present how they are so connected with the natural sphere focusing on their psychological understanding of nature and its various elements.