Reading Nature in the Select Poems of Jacinta Kerketta

Abstract

Nature cannot be separated from tribal life, as they keep moving about the periphery of nature and nature remains the life and blood of their whole existence. Due to the deteriorating condition of the environment the focus of many writers has shifted towards its preservation and protection, to create a balance between human life and nature. The nature has been harmed the most in the process of development and many writers including the tribal writers have acknowledged this issue in their writings. In this paper Jacinta Kerketta’s work, will be examined based on the portrayal of nature in her poems. Kerketta is a prominent Adivasi poet and activist, who weave her poems around the themes of ecology, culture and social injustice; providing a poignant commentary on the consequences of development on tribal communities. She critiques the adverse effects of development on the tribes, by showcasing the displacement, cultural erosion and environmental degradation. The aim of this paper is to showcase these elements through Ecocritical perspective.