15 – Anti-Caste Perspectives in Environmental Humanities of South Asia
The intersection of anti-caste perspectives with environmental humanities in South Asia remains a crucial yet underexplored point of inquiry. This panel seeks to illuminate the intricate connections between caste-based social structures and environmental issues, particularly within the South Asian context. Historically, caste has profoundly shaped access to and management of natural resources, influencing land use patterns, water distribution, human-animal interactions, and ecological practices across the region. Within this caste-based rubric, Dalits have been subjected to systemic discrimination and untouchability (Sharma, 2018). This framework has been sustained by the epistemic silencing of Dalit visions of environmentalism, exemplified by B.R. Ambedkar's leadership in the Mahad Satyagraha. Conceptually, applying the lens of caste to environmentalism unveils the tension between the communal rhetoric of natural resources as ‘global commons’ and caste-based policing of the use and ownership of these resources.
This panel aims to unravel the dominant caste narratives underlying environmental policies and practices in South Asia and show how anti-caste perspectives can provide critical insights into contemporary environmental challenges. Drawing on interdisciplinary research and activism in the field of environmental humanities, this panel looks to explore the mutually constitutive relationship between caste and environmentalism, unpack the contributions of anti-caste social movements to new visions of environmentalism, and find alternative imaginaries of stewardship, sustainability, resilience, and environmental justice.
