Nature, Ecology, and Conservation in Aranyor Chha-Pohor: An Ecocritical Analysis of Soumyadwip Datta’s Travel Narrative

Abstract

The present study examines ecological consciousness in Soumyadwip Datta's nature travel work Aranyor Chha-Pohor ('Shadows and Light of the Forest') through the theoretical lens of ecocriticism. Ecocriticism, an earth-centred approach to literary studies, investigates the relationship between literature and the physical environment. As a rapidly expanding interdisciplinary field, it has gained increasing relevance in the context of twenty-first century environmental crises driven by globalisation and industrial expansion. Despite the growing tradition of nature literature in Assamese, the systematic application of ecocritical methodology to Assamese literary texts remains limited. This study addresses that gap by undertaking a close qualitative analysis of Datta's twelve-essay volume, structured around four analytical dimensions: scientific, social, cultural, and aesthetic. The findings demonstrate that the work exhibits a comprehensive range of ecocritical concerns — including the interconnection of human beings and nature, anthropocentrism, environmental sustainability, deep ecology, eco-psychology, social ecology, cultural constructionism, and ecotourism. The study further identifies the author's explicit commitment to environmental advocacy, manifest in his critique of habitat destruction, his documentation of biodiversity loss, and his call for conservation action. The work represents a distinctive contribution to Assamese environmental literature and constitutes a significant site for ecocritical inquiry. This study aims to contribute to the growing body of ecocritical scholarship in Indian regional literature and to underscore the relevance of literary analysis to contemporary environmental discourse.