Ecological Atrocity in Indian Blue: Reimagining Blue Humanities through an Indian Ecocritical Perspective

Abstract: Water has always been an essential element in the structure of universal existence that interweaves human lives, emotions, philosophy, culture, and countless other dimensions of experience. The exploration of these dimensions has brought the field of Blue Humanities into the light, offering a perspective, though recently formalised, that draws upon concepts and connections that have existed since time immemorial. This article employs the lens of blue humanities to promote a relational understanding of the Indian rivers and ecological degradation. Indian rivers are not merely scenic or functional landscapes, but they are dynamic, living forces that have shaped cultural identity, social structures, spiritual traditions, and ecological systems for thousands of years. This article accentuates a dystopian narrative that anchors political satire and ecological absurdism to critique India’s contemporary environmental collapse and neoliberal complexities of water as a resource through an analysis of Sarnath Banerjee’s “All Quiet in Vikaspuri”. The central motif of the novel revolves around the plumber’s surreal quest to retrieve the mythical Saraswati River. This quest questions the myth, consumerism, scarcity, and hydro-political inequalities that act as a significant intervention in the contemporary ecoliterary discourse. Keywords - Blue Humanities, Ecocriticism, Graphic Novel, Indian Rivers