C APTER 1

H INTRODUCTION
From ancient times Women especially in India were the real managers of environment,
their closeness and connection with nature makes them more nurturing and aware of
environment .This chapter discuss the journey of women as an promoter and preserver of
the environment they were the trailblazers, Even without a formal education, they
managed to make a positive contribution to society.
The preservation of nature and promotion of sustainable development are greatly
influenced by their efforts. The historical connection between women and the
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environment can be traced back to ancient times, with archaeological evidence indicating
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that women played a significant role in the beginnings of agriculture around 11,000 years
ago. The relationship that women have with the environment remains vital in
contemporary society. Women are acting as a vibrant agent in conservation and
preservation of mother earth. Several pieces of evidence indicate that women are now
actively engaged in promoting sustainable eco-friendly practices. This highlights the
significant impact women are making through simple environmentally conscious actions
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to enhance their quality of life. The increased participation of women in environmental
conservation and preservation is becoming more prominent. The chapter seeks to
elucidate the rise of environmental ecofeminism and sustainable development,
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emphasizing a dedication to the environment and an understanding of the connections
between women and environment and their contribution in sustainable development.
This chapter provides a brief overview of R.K. Narayan and Munshi Premchand literary
contributions, chapter also disucss the ecofeminist perspectives of R. K. Narayan and
Munshi Premchand, analyzing their contributions to women's sustainable development in
relation to the environment.
In literature the interconnected themes of women, the environment and sustainable
development have attracted considerable attention in recent years. These themes reflect
the emerging story of social progress, pressing the necessity to confront the challenges
posed by climate change, environmental degradation., and gender inequality. R.K.

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 7
Narayan, born on October 10, 1906, in Madras (now Chennai) India, and passed away on May
13, 2001, in the same city. He is regarded as one of the most distinguished Indian authors of his
era, writing in English. A prolific contributor to Indo-English literature, Narayan authored
eleven novels, over two hundred short stories, and several non-fiction works. His literary
prowess earned him international recognition, and he received numerous prestigious awards,
including the National Prize from the Indian Itinerary Academy, the Sahitya
Academy Award, the Padma Bhushan, and the Padma Vibhushan. Additionally, he was
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honored with the AC Benson Medal from the Royal Society of Literature .
. Narayan is famous for his acute and detailed observations, which were evident in his
character portrayals and depictions of settings. He adeptly illustrated the complexities of
human relationships and the ironies inherent in Indian daily life, particularly the tension
between modern urban living and traditional values. His writing style is characterized by
grace, humor, elegance, and simplicity. Despite his significant achievements, he
remained modest and preferred not to discuss his own works, believing that art should
communicate its message independently. A devout individual, Narayan's contributions
greatly enriched Indo-English fiction, as he explored a variety of themes in his narratives.
His vivid imagination was a hallmark of his writing. Growing up in a conservative,
orthodox Hindu environment, Narayan was acutely aware of the challenges faced by
women constrained by traditional societal norms, where their existence often offered little
beyond material security. In such a context, a woman possessed little autonomy beyond
her physical being.

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.R. K. Narayan significantly contributed to the development of Indo-English fiction
through his diverse thematic explorations. His vivid imagination is evident throughout his
works. Born in 1906 and raised in a traditional Hindu environment, Narayan observed the
struggles of women confined by societal norms that offer them little beyond material
security. In such a context, a woman possesses nothing of her own apart from her
physical being. The statement, “what possession can a woman call her own except her
body? Everything that she has is her father’s, her husband's or her son's (Malgudi p. 88),”
underscores the true status of women within this society. In addition to his personal
experience his stories serves as a poignant reflection of the conditions faced by women
in both pre- and post-Independence India. This setting provides Narayan with a rich
social backdrop to depict a variety of characters with authenticity. Frequently likened to
Hardy’s Wessex, the landscape of this imaginary town creates a space for portraying female
characters who navigate the constraints of conservative Hindu society in their quest for
dignity and freedom.
RK NARYAN’S LITERARY CONTRIBUTION
Narayan is known for his creation of an imaginary place called 'Malgudi', which serves as
the setting for many of his novels and stories. One of his earliest major works, The
English Teacher, was published in 1945 and tells the story of a teacher coping with the
loss of his wife. This was followed by Mr. Sampath (1949), The Financial Expert (1952),
Waiting for Mahatma (1955), The Guide (1958), The Man Eater of Malgudi (1982), and
The Vendor of Sweets (1967), which won the Sahitya Academy [Link] Painter of
Signs (1976), A Tiger for Malgudi (1983), Talkative Man (1986), and The World of
Nagraj (1990) are his major fictional [Link] from these novels, R. K. Narayan has
written short stories memoir, essays and travelogue like "A Horse and Two Goats"
(1970), "Malgudi Days" (1982), "Swami and friends in 1935” Apart from nonfiction
works, particularly memoirs, he also released condensed contemporary prose adaptations
of two Indian epics, The Ramayana (1972) and The Mahabharata (1978).
Times of India has compared his writings to literary giants of the world like Anton
Chekov, O Henry, Guy Dey Muapassant and others.
Rhys Hughes, a sociologist, claims that R.K. Narayan instills a feeling of coziness within
him that surpasses that of any other writer. Even though Narayan's literature delves into

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the struggles of existence, there is a deep sense of compassion in his writing that strikes a
chord with Hughes' inner self, and he takes great pleasure in delving into Narayan's
literary realm. (2023-14).
In 1990, Michel Pousse released an article in Literary Criterion titled "R.K. Narayan as a
Gandhian Novelist," where he examines several of Narayan's novels. Pousse sees the
spiritual, anti-materialist perspective in works like The Vendor of Sweets and Mr.
Sampath as proof of Narayan's fundamental Gandhian beliefs. While not entirely
unfounded, Pousse could have just as easily named his essay "R.K. Narayan as a Spiritual
Novelist," as many of Narayan's early novels also reflect this theme.
Critic W.W. Walsh, praised Narayan's style- “This complicated cargo is carried on in an
English style which is limpid, simple, calm and unaffected, natural in its run and tone,
and beautifully measured to its purposes.”
In his book RK Naryan a critical appreciation -. William Walsh asserts that Narayan, a
prolific author with over twelve novels and numerous short stories to his name, is a writer
of global renown. Walsh skillfully incorporates quotes from Narayan's writings to
illustrate his artistic growth, highlighting the gentle irony, humor, and acceptance of
human imperfections.
1.2.3 MUNSI PREMCHAND
Munsi Premchand is considered as finest writer in modern Hindi and Urdu literature. Born
as Dhanpat Rai Srivastava on July 31, 1880, in Lamhi, a small village near Varanasi, India,
he is renowned for his impactful and socially relevant writings in Hindi and Urdu.
Known as the "Emperor of Novels," Premchand has made a lasting impression on Hindi-
Urdu literature. Despite facing significant challenges, his passion for learning led him to
explore literature in various languages, drawing inspiration from Western authors like
Tolstoy, Dickens, and Gorky. His diverse literary influences shaped his storytelling style.
Educated in Urdu and Persian, he attended a Christian mission high school and worked as a
teacher before leaving his secure government job in 1921, following the Gandhian
principles embraced by many nationalists of that era. Premchand's works have played a
crucial role in the development of Hindi and Urdu literature, particularly in the
progressive writing movement of the early 20th century. His portrayals of peasants,
Dalits, women, and village life have been

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subjects of scholarly analysis in various disciplines. Translations of Premchand's writings
in multiple languages have contributed to his global recognition and influence in the
literary world.
Literary Contributions in Urdu:
While predominantly celebrated for his Hindi literature, Premchand made significant
contributions to Urdu literature as well. His Urdu novels and short stories exhibit a
profound understanding of the language and a nuanced portrayal of the cultural and
societal landscape.
Editorial Ventures:
Munshi Premchand was actively involved in editing literary magazines and journals. He
served as the editor of the Urdu magazine “Zamana” and later launched his own Hindi
magazine, “Hans,” which became a platform for promoting socially relevant literature.
1.1.5. Major Works:
1. “Godaan” (The Gift of a Cow): Published in 1936, this masterpiece explores the
socio-economic struggles of farmers and the stark realities of rural India. It is hailed as a
classic, delving into the complexities of rural life, agrarian struggles, and the social and
economic challenges faced by farmers.
2. “Seva Sadan” (The House of Service): Published in 1919, this novel addresses
issues of society,.
3. “Karmabhoomi” (The Land of Karma): Published in 1932, these novel critiques
the prevailing social and economic inequalities of the time.
4. “Nirmala”: Published in 1925, this poignant tale deals with issues of child
marriage, dowry, and the mistreatment of women.
5. Thakur ka kuan (The thakur's well) published in 1932
6. Idgah translator Kushwant Singh published in 1927.
Social Activism:
Premchand was not merely a literary figure; he actively engaged in social and political
issues. His writings reflected a deep concern for the marginalized and a commitment to
social justice. He used his pen as a powerful tool to critique societal norms and advocate
for positive change.

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Premchand’s literary output was remarkably prolific, encompassing not only novels but
also numerous short stories, essays, and plays. His short stories, in particular, showcased
his writing abilities to capture the essence of human emotions and societal issues in a
concise yet powerful manner.
Literary Style and Realism:
Munshi Premchand is often credited with introducing a new era of realism in Indian
literature. His writing style everyday life, the struggles of the common man, and a
commitment to social realism, set him apart from his contemporaries.
Impact on Indian Cinema:
Many of Premchand’s works have been adapted into films, both in Bollywood and
regional cinema. His stories, rich in human drama and social commentary, have provided
filmmakers with compelling narratives that resonate with audiences.
Films and TV series based on Premchand's work:
Satyajit Ray directed two of Premchand's works – Sadgati and Shatranj Ke Khiladi.
Sadgati (Salvation) is a short story about poor Dukhi, who dies of exhaustion while he is
chopping wood for almost nothing. Shatranj ke Khiladi (The Chess Players) narrates the
story of chess players who are so engrossed in a game that they neglect their duties
during a crisis. Sadgati (1981) (TV) , Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977) , Godhuli (1977) , Oka
Oori Katha (1977) , Gaban (1966) , Godaan (1963) ,Seva Sadan (1938) (based on the
novel Bazaar-e-Husn) Thakur ka kaun (1934) Nirmala (TV Series, 1980s) Idgaah
(1982)etc.

Munsi Premchand said:

“Calling language, a means and not an end, and while conceding that a writer is born, not
made, Premchand stressed that a writer’s natural gifts could be enhanced with education
and curiosity about the world around him. “Literature,” he said, “is no longer limited to
individualism or egotism, but tends to turn more and more towards the psychological and
social. Now literature does not view the individual as separate from society; on the
contrary it sees the individual as an indissoluble part of society, In India, Premchand
maintained, we conversely shy away from such matters and thus the need for far more

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 socially-engaged literature had become more urgent than ever: “We will have to raise the
standard of our literature, so that it can serve the society more usefully. our literature will
discuss and assess every aspect of life and we will no longer be satisfied with eating the
leftovers of other languages and literatures. We will ourselves increase the capital of our
literature.” (2017 wire India)
Through his works, Munshi Premchand demonstrated a profound understanding of the human
condition and a deep empathy for the struggles of the common man. He used literature for the
purpose of arousing public awareness about national and social issues and often wrote about
topics related to corruption, child widowhood, prostitution, feudal the Indian independence
movementsystem, poverty, colonialism and on.
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Premchand is recognized for his realistic understanding oppression in the countryside and his
soul-stirring portrayal oof the lower castes and the 'untouchables', now known as Dalits .Premchand
wrote about the lives of common people, about “real human beings of bones and flesh.” Shining a
light on the murkier aspects of human life – corruption, exploitation and poverty – he introduced
‘realism’ into Hindustani literature, which was before him, for a great part, telling stories “Only
for entertainment, or to satisfy our sense of wonder.”
.
Environment Definition -. It refers to everything remaining around human beings. The
word environment is derived from the French word Environner meaning encircle or
surround. Ecology or Environmental Science or Environmental education. Environment
is the sum total of water, air and land,

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interrelationships organisms.
Ecofeminism explores the relationship between and environment - The origins of
feminism Discuss about different cultures around the world their connections with
environment, the feminine and the earth. From earth goddesses to creation theories, there
are countless metaphors and symbolisms about women and their deep ties to the earth.
Women were considered as a weaker sex from ancient times. She was considered as a
machine for producing children. She was kept locked in the house and kitchen. She was
not independent. There was gender inequality. She was denied rights from the very
beginning of birth. If the baby happens to be a female, she is met with female infanticide.
A man can select a woman among many as his wife. But a woman is not given the chance
for selection of her husband. After marriage, she becomes a toy in the bedroom and
kitchen. Now, women get liberation from slavery through a series of movements,
awareness programs and laws. Thus, it becomes a base for human liberation. At present,
she has equal rights in education. And women are given 33% reservations.
2
Women play an essential role in the management of natural resources, including soil, water,
forests and energy and often have a profound traditional and contemporary knowledge of the
natural world around them
4
Past knowledge -There is a vast literature which tries to focus on the significance of the
relationship of women and the environment, though literature in this area is

8
inadequate. Earth resources (discussion on women’s commission on the
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status of women 46th session 6th meeting, 2008). Chandra et al., (2009) deals with
gender relationships and gendersensitive strategies in promoting village ecosystem
management.
We are living today in a world where it is increasingly being recognized that the survival of
the human species is dependent upon a balanced relationship between society and the
environment. This balance of life can only be possible when a consciousness arises about
the intersection between nature and culture. The intersection of women, environment, and
sustainable development in English literature offers a rich and diverse tapestry of
narratives that interrogate the ways in which gender, environment, and societal progress
intersect. Through exploring these themes, literature provides insights into the urgent
need for gender equality, environmental conservation, and sustainable development to
create a more just and equitable world. It is only in the last few decades that the idea of
sustainable development has attracted substantial attention. Its original source is the 1987
study "Our Common Future" by the World Commission on Environment and
Development. Sustainable development, according to the study, is "development that meets
present needs without jeopardizing the ability of later generations to meet their own
necessities."
1.2.2. DEFINITION OF ECOFEMISM
Ecofeminism, the prefix ‘eco’ refers to something that aims to preserve the environment.
Meanwhile, ‘feminism’ refers to the advocacy of women’s rights. Ecofeminism or
ecological feminism is a discourse that has also been called a branch of feminism. The term
―ecofeminism was coined in 1974 by Françoise d ‘Eaubonne ..

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Ecofeminist theory asserts a feminist perspective of Green politics that calls for an
egalitarian, collaborative society in which there is no one dominant group.
Ecofeminist analysis explores nature in culture, economy, religion, politics, literature and
iconography.
Vandana Shiva (environmental activist says "that The marginalization of women and the
destruction of biodiversity go hand in hand" she is describing the commonality of
gendered and environmental oppression, as well the specific location of women as
vulnerable to monoculture capitalism, but also particularly placed to conserve
biodiversity (Shiva 2014, 164).
Ynestra King- (feminist theorist)-Ecofeminism is about connectedness and wholeness of
practice. (King 1983)
Ecofemism definition in literature -Ecofeminism is a movement that sees a connection
between the exploitation and degradation of the natural world and the subordination and
oppression of women.

Bina Agrawal Agarval stresses that women's position in environment varies according to

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environment degradation. Thus it is women’s context that determines their role in
environment protection which is socially and historically determined (Agarwal, 2000).

Ecofeminists believe that we cannot end the exploitation of nature without ending human
oppression, and vice versa. To do both, they reason, we must expose the assumptions that
support Patriarchy and disconnect our concept of masculinity from that of "power over"
others .Ecofeminism women and nature are dominated and thus stresses interdependent
worldview. Ecofeminists believe that all living things are essential to the well-being of the
planet and that humans are not
1.2.3 HISTORY OF ECOFEMINISM
Ecofeminism was coined in 1974 by French feminist Francoise d'Eaubonne (1974)
towards women's latent ability and contributions to revolution .An important ecofeminist
Rosemary Ruether, insisted that if women wanted to be liberated and free they would have to
think of the need.
This would only happen when women and environmentalists worked together and
questioned patriarchal structures and ideas. By the late 1980s, Ecofeminism had become a
popular movement largely due to the work of the feminist theorist Ynestra King who
wrote an article titled What Is Ecofeminism? King raised questions about how belief
systems allow and linked this to exploitation of women..

Through work such as King’s article, Ecofeminism came to propose an alternate world view where the
earth is valued as sacred, an ecological consciousness is invoked and nature should be understood
(150-159
 Ecofeminist movement in India- Eco-feminism is not a new concept in India, Indian
culture and tradition are totally dependent on women. Women are the pillars of saving
nature and heritage. In India, several thinkers and movements started by women for
protecting nature and the environment. Vandana Shiva, Bina Agarwal, and Vrinda Karart
are famous ecofeminism thinkers of India. They accept that in patriarchy women and the
environment, both are subordinated by men.

.
Appiko Movement is another environmental protest . where women were at the forefront to
save the forest trees. Also, through this movement women gave a very strong message that
humans need to be mindful and sensitive while utilizing forest wealth. Women created awareness
about how commercial and industrial interest if not handle with concern for the nature can pose
as a harmful ecological danger for the mankind. This movement was revolutionary by Startups and
working towards making a difference by changing habits of people which are encouraging more
eco-friendly solutions.

Women as Prakriti and Shakti in India women are known as Prakriti and Shakti, in Sankhya
Philosophy, Prakriti is the ultimate cause of this world. Prakriti and Purusha are two ultimate
realities accepted in Sankhya Philosophy. Vandana Shiva says that “nature, both animate and
inanimate, is thus an expression of Shakti, the feminine and creative principle of the cosmos, in
conjunction with the masculine principle (Purusha), Prakriti creates the world (Shiva, 1988, P.
38).”
Indigenous groups such as the Bishnois in India have always been close to nature, respecting it
for what it provides and spearheading movements to restore it.
“Vandana Shiva encapsulates the beauty and power of women s a v i n g n a t u r e i n
her quote: “We are either going to have a future where women lead the way to make peace with
the Earth or we are not going to have a human future at all.””

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The famous “Chipko movement” led by rural women with the support of local environmentalist,
Sunderlal Bahuguna, was known for its unique form of protest — clinging to trees.
Bachni and Gaura Devi led the 1970s movement that revolved around hugging trees in
Uttarakhand, India. They prevented trees from being cut down by hugging them until loggers
left. This sparked a lot of awareness and protest in local regions too. It was one of the most
prolific ecofeminist movements in rural India.
The Khejarli movement in Rajasthan had a similar goal. Villagers took away wood-cutting
equipment from the government that was building commercial systems in the state. In 1987, seed
collector and farmer Vandana Shiva established the revolutionary Navdanya, or “nine crop”
movement for food sovereignty. This particular movement signalled the importance of food
security and cultural biodiversity in India.
“No one can understand the sacrifices, longings and struggles of a mother better than women
themselves. One way to do this is by putting women in positions where they can uphold
women’s rights and implement environmental protections.” (Rao, 2012:129)
Shyam Sunder Paliwal is a social activist from Piplantri village in Rajsamand district in the
Indian state of Rajasthan. He was awarded Padma Shri by President of India for social service in
2021. He is known as the "Father of Eco-Feminism
Aim of Ecofeminism –
a) women and nature are deeply entwined and connected in multiple ways and they
should be treated similarly by patriarchal structures and institutions across cultures and
societies
b) Women are embedded in nature and thus the exploitation of nature could be or
should be seen as an exploitation of women as well .
c) Patriarchal forces dominate, exploit and Ecofeminism is therefore the point at
which concerns for the environment coincide with the drive for gender equality.
This can involve the work of women to preserve the environment, but it also refers to
similarities between women’s struggles and those of the environment.
Ecofeminist Ethics “An ecofeminist ethic is both a critique of male

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domination of both women and nature and an attempt to frame an ethic free of male-
gender bias about women and nature. It not only recognizes the multiple voices of
women, located differently by race, class, age, [and] ethnic considerations, it centralizes
those voices. Ecofeminism builds on the multiple perspectives of those whose
perspectives are typically omitted or undervalued in dominant discourses, for example
Chipko women, in developing a global perspective on the role of male domination in and
the exploitation of women and nature. An ecofeminist perspective is thereby . . .
structurally, emphasizing through concrete example the crucial role context plays in
understanding sexist and naturist practice.”

Gender, Environment and Patriarchy

As said, Ecofeminism aims to look at how women and the environment are related in
multiple ways. It is important to remember that this relationship is Environmental
Sociology ,almost all cultures, women and nature are recognised as having an intrinsic
bond. This bond is found and is represented historically, culturally and mythologically.
For instance, in India, women are represented often as nature or Prakriti‖ in both
imagination and practise.
1.2.4 Importance of Ecofeminism
Ecofeminism and its offshoots are shaping how we think about both the environment and
women’s rights.
Promoting women’s rights is a key to solving the climate crisis. There’s plenty of
evidence indicating that equal opportunities between genders naturally lead to better
outcomes for the environment.
1.2.5 Sustainable Development meaning and its four pillars
Definition – Sustainable development is an approach to growth and human
development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs. The aim is to have a society where living
conditions and resources meet human needs without undermining planetary
integrity. Sustainable development aims to balance the needs of the economy,

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environment, and social well-being. The Brundtland Report in 1987 helped sustainable
development better known.
Sustainable development has gained prominence in the literature as a means of
addressing the serious environmental and social challenges of our time. The literature
explores how sustainable development can help reduce poverty, promote gender equality
and protect the the complexities and conflicts that arise in the pursuit of sustainable
development, often raising questions about the trade-off between economic growth and
environmental protection. The four pillars of sustainability; Human, Social, Economic
and Environmental. These are the 4 distinct areas where sustainability needs to be achieved
to have sustainable development.
Social sustainability concerns people and human capital. Businesses that act towards
supporting this seek to provide people with access to universal human rights. In other
words, they work to support healthier and fairer communities. An example of this would
be Fairtrade. This is a system that aims to ensure a set of standards are met in the
production and supply of a product. For farmers and workers, Fairtrade means workers’
rights, safer working conditions and fairer pay.
Environmental sustainability, which ensures environmental resources are preserved,
maintained and not overexploited., 51% of consumers say environmental sustainability is
more important. Brands seeking environmental sustainability should be making conscious
decisions to avoid the degradation and depletion of environmental resources, to ensure
ecosystems can recover. In essence, businesses aiming for environmental sustainability
strive consumers while not causing harm to the environment today and for future
generations.

Economic/financial sustainability aim for profitability, by efficiently using their
assets.

Social sustainability focuses on improving social equality, economic
sustainability aims to improve the standard of living.

Cultural sustaiblity The last, and newest, pillar is cultural sustainability.
Approved in 2010 by The Executive Bureau UCLG, “cultural sustainability” only
happens when the beliefs, processes and practices of a given community are protected

15
and nurtured. It’s about maintaining culture as its own entity and perpetuating its intrinsic
knowledge and characteristics from generation to generation.
1.2.6 History of sustainable development
. The summit marked the first international attempt to draw up action plans and strategies
for moving towards a more sustainable pattern of development. The concept of sustainable
development received its first major international recognition in 1972 at the UN
Conference in Stockholm. Sustainable development growing concerns about the impacts of
economic developmentt social well-being.
1. Origins: Sustainable development can be traced back to the 1960s when
awareness about the environmental consequences of industrialization and resource
exploitation began to grow. Books like Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" and the United
Nations Conference in Stockholm in 1972 highlighted the need for a more sustainable
approach to development.
2. Brundtland Report: The report titled as "Our Common Future" was published in
1987. This was chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland. In this report the term "sustainable
development" was defined as a development that meets the present without compromising
the ability of future generations .
3. Earth Summit: Earth Summit, held in year of 1992. In this summit the
attending countries agrees to a comprehensive action plan called Agenda 2. It outlined
strategies for achieving sustainable development globally, regionally, and nationally.
4. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): In 2000, at the Millennium Summit,
world leaders adopted the Millennium Declaration and established eight Millennium
Development Goals. These goals aimed to address poverty, education, health, gender
equality, and environmental sustainability by the target year of 2015.

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 5. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): In 2015, the United Nations adopted a
new framework called the Sustainable Development Goals. Building upon the MDGs, the
SDGs consist of 17 goals and 169 targets that cover a wide range of development issues,
including poverty eradication, climate action, sustainable cities, and gender equality. The
SDGs provide a roadmap for global sustainability efforts until 2030.
Throughout the years, sustainable development has gained recognition as a crucial
concept for balancing economic growth, social well-being, and environmental protection.
Its evolution continues as countries, organizations, and individuals work together to
address the pressing global challenges faced by our planet.
The history sustainable development is deeply intertwined with the broader feminist and
environmental movements. Here's a brief overview:
1. Early Environmentalism: Women have long played a role in environmental and
conservation movements. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women such as Rachel
Carson (author of "Silent Spring") and Marjory Stoneman Douglas (advocate for the
Florida Everglades) have played a major role in influencing the people and making them
aware about environmental issues and advocating for conservation.
2. Women and Development: In the 1970s, the United Nations and other
international organizations began focusing on gender development. (WID) emerged,
which recognized women's contributions to economic progress ,their specific needs.
3. Environment: In the 1990s ,It emphasized the different ways in which women
and men are affected by environmental degradation and how women can contribute to
sustainable development. The Earth Summit in 1992, which called for the inclusion of
women in environmental decision-making and the integration of a gender perspective in
sustainable development.
1.2.7 Sustainable Development Goals in India
From India's point of view, Sustainable Development Goals need to bring together
development and environment into a single set of targets. The fault line, as ever in global
conferences, is the inappropriate balance between environment and development

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Need of Sustainable Development in India -Natural ecosystems are under stress and
Declined.
Threatened with extinction; agricultural biodiversity has declined by over 90 per cent in many regions;
well over half the available water bodies are polluted beyond drinking and often beyond even
agricultural use; two-thirds of the land is degraded to various levels of sub-optimal productivity; air
pollution in several cities is amongst the world’s Sustainablе dеvеlopmеnt is vitally important,
as it sеrvеs as a roadmap to balancеd growth, addrеssing economic, social, and еnvironmеntal
aspects simultanеously. Sustainable Development focused on poverty eradication, education, health,
and gender equality.
1.2.8 Ecofeminism,Environment and Sustainable development connection:

Ecofeminism is a philosophical and social movement that examines the intersection of women's
oppression and environmental destruction. This shows that both issues stem from the same root
cause capitalist society that prioritizes domination and exploitation. In the context of sustainable
development, ecofeminism emphasizes holistic approach that considers social justice, equality,
and environmental sustainability.
55

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Men dominate women and humans. Most fundamental to ecofeminism is the insight that the
culture/nature dualism of western culture is gendered: that is, men and masculinity attachment with
culture and culture is valued, whereas women and femaleness with nature, and both are devalued.
These linked valuations lead to hierarchy, which is then used to justify oppression of women,
nature, and all those so associated (Gaard, 2010 pg.48).
5
It recognizes the interconnections between various forms of oppression. The pursuit of sustainable
development recognize and address these interrelated issues to ensure equity and inclusivity.
a) Care for Nature: Ecofeminism highlights aspects of care traditionally associated with women
and links them to nutrition and environmental protection. Sustainable and the protection of nature,
reflecting this caring [Link] order for a more equal relationship between genders and nature to
be established, ecofeminist scholars believe in the creation of a new paradigm constituting the
interdependent differences between genders and between humans and the non-human environment.

b) Systems Thinking: Both ecofeminism and sustainable development advocate for a system
thinking approach. They encourage considering the interconnectedness of social, economic, and
environmental factors to ensure long-term sustainability.

c) Participation and Empowerment: Ecofeminism emphasizes the importance of women's

participation and empowerment in decision-making processes related to the environment and

19
 sustainable development. Inclusivity and gender equality are vital aspects within sustainable
development frameworks.

By applying the principles of ecofeminism for the attainment of sustainable development goals it
becomes possible to pursue justice goals in inclusive manner.
1.2.9 Writers who have explored themes of environment, ecofemisim and sustainable
development in their work-

Traditionally, women have been portrayed as passive and confined to domestic roles with little
agencyor voice. However, contemporary literature has attempted to challenge and destroy these
stereotypes by portraying women as strong, and resilient also appeared in the literature ,
determinant of individual and collective well-being. From idyllic landscapes to desolate wastelands,
depictions of the natural world reflect humanity's complex relationship with nature. More and more
authors emphasize the interdependence between the environment, social justice, and sustainable
development.
While the idea of sustainable development is not directly found in literature, there are several
literary works that touch on environmental themes and the human impact on nature. These works
often highlight humanity . William Wordsworth's poetry collection is one of the good examples of it
and especially his famous poem "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey" (1798) is
remarkable work on this. Wordsworth reflects upon the beauty and power of nature,
emphasizing its ability to uplift
the human spirit.
Another example of this, that is indirectly addressing sustainable development is Thomas
Hardy's novel "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" (1891). Although the novel primarily focuses on social
issues, it also explores the destruction of the rural landscape caused by industrialization. Hardy's
portrayal of the agrarian life being threatened by urbanization and industrial progress raises
questions about the sustainability of such developments.
Margaret Atwood a Canadian author known for her exploration of ecofeminist themes in her
speculative [Link] novels such as "Oryx and Crake, where he depicts a dystopian future in

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which environmental destruction and patriarchal oppression are intertwined another British
writer Doris Lessing addressed ecofeminist themes in her novel "The Cleft." In this work,
Lessing imagines a society of women who live in harmony with nature, contrasting it with a
more patriarchal and environmentally destructive society.(136pg)
Arundhati Roy an Indian author who has written extensively on ecofeminist and environmental
themes. In her novel "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness" and essays such as "The Greater
Common Good," Roy explores the intersection of gender, power, and environmental justice in
the context of contemporary Indian society; Amitav Ghosh has also integrated environmental
themes into several of his works. In his novel "The Hungry Tide," Ghosh explores the impact of
climate change and human intervention on the Sundarbans. While these works might not
explicitly discuss sustainable development, they contribute to the broader discussion of
humanity's relationship with the environment and the need for responsible stewardship of natural
resources.
Mary Wollstonecraft was the first English author to address the place of women in sustainable
development. The 1792 publication of "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" by Mary
Wollstonecraft emphasized the ability of women to further the nation by promoting women's
education and active involvement in society. Although she did not concentrate on sustainable
development specifically, her theories set the stage for the acceptance of women's agency and
their part in creating a more just and equitable society, which included efforts towards
sustainable development.
Mahatma Gandhi was the first Indian author of English-language literature to write extensively
about environmental issues and sustainable development. Though he has not used the phrase
“sustainable development”, but a peaceful coexistence of humans and nature was his main idea
for environmental protection and sustainable living. Gandhi promoted sustainable lifestyle
choices including rural development, self-sufficiency, and the preservation of natural resources
His books, "Hind Swaraj," and other works and speeches present his ideas for an ecologically
conscious and sustainable society.
Contribution of R.K. Narayan and Munsi Premchand -Renowned Indian writers R.K. Narayan
and Munshi Premchand researched a wide range of topics, including social and environmental
challenges, and made important contributions to literature. Their works touched on relevant

21
subjects and emphasized the connection between people and nature, even if they may not have
been specifically focused on environmental preservation and sustainable development.
Famous for creating the made-up town of Malgudi, R.K. Narayan frequently included natural
and environmental themes into his works. His stories frequently showed the hardships and
victories of common people going about their daily lives, offering nuanced insights into the
significance of harmony between humans and the natural world. Despite not having a strong
focus on sustainable development, Narayan's writings encapsulated the core of the human
experience in connection to their surroundings.
R.K. Narayan’s The Man-Eater of Malgudi draws a polyphonic picture about woman, life, and
the nature of Malgudi from an ecofeminist perspective. It attempts to explore how the theory of
ecofeminism that was originally hypothesized in the West is echoed in Narayan’s novel The
ManEater of Malgudi (1961) based on an Indian setting. This work is an attempt to evaluate and
analyze the roles and positions of women and nature that philosophically and phenomenally
resembles each other in The ManEater of Malgudi with an ecofeminist approach.
There is no direct mention of sustainable development and ecofeminism in R.K. Narayan’s work,
but we can find the traces of the same in his work. “The Tiger of Malgudi” “The Man eater of
Malgudi” etc. are few examples of his work where Narayan has focused on the environmental
issues by portraying a fictional town which is very close to the nature.
“The Guide”: While R.K. Narayan's novels often focus on the humorous and everyday
aspects of life, "The Guide" touches on the theme of personal transformation and
empowerment. The female protagonist, Rosie, is a talented dancer who strives for
independence, and her journey can be seen as a reflection of women's aspirations for self-
realization and contributing to their communities.
“The Man-Eater of Malgudi”: In this novel, R.K. Narayan explores the life of a tribal
woman named Nambi. While the story doesn't directly address environmental
sustainability, it provides insights into the lives of marginalized communities and their
relationships with the natural environment.
Munshi Premchand often delved into social and political issues in his stories. While he
did not explicitly write about sustainable development, his works frequently examined
the social conditions of his time and painted a vivid picture of the challenges faced by
ordinary people. In doing so, he indirectly shed light on the importance of preserving the

22
environment and adhering to sustainable practices for the well-being of society as a
whole.
Munshi Premchand's stories can be analyzed through an ecofeminist perspective to
explore the intersection of environmentalism and feminism in his narratives. When
examining Premchand's works through an ecofeminist lens, several themes and elements
emerge that highlight the relationship between women, the environment, and systems of
oppression. We all are well aware with the fact the one of the central aspects of
ecofeminism is the interconnectedness of women and nature, as well as the exploitation
of both. In Premchand's stories, women are often depicted as closely connected to the
natural world, engaging in agricultural labor, tending to livestock, and managing
household affairs in rural settings. The stories portray the symbiotic relationship between
women and the environment, emphasizing their traditional roles as caretakers of the land
and resources. At the same time, these stories also illuminate the exploitation and
degradation of both women and the environment, highlighting the ways in which
patriarchal and capitalist systems exploit and devalue both.
"Godan" (The Gift of a Cow): This classic novel by Munshi Premchand explores the lives
of rural peasants in India and the challenges they face. While the central focus is on
agrarian issues and poverty, it also delves into the lives of women in rural settings,
highlighting their struggles and contributions to family and community life.
"Thakurs well Premchand’s story depicts the depressing state of rural India's women and
poverty. Although it doesn't address the sustainability of the environment explicitly, it
does depict the difficult circumstances that underprivileged populations must deal with.
Furthermore, industrialization and modernization's influence on the natural environment
is a common issue in Premchand's works. As urbanization and contemporary agricultural
methods encroach on rural landscapes, women, who are frequently in charge of managing
household resources and preserving links to the land, feel the environmental effect
acutely. This disturbance to the natural environment has ramifications for women's well-
being since they are typically entrusted with adjusting to changing ecological
circumstances and minimizing the impact of environmental degradation on their families
and communities. For example, in Godaan" the plot digs into the brutal reality of rural
poverty and the battle for existence in an agrarian community. As Jhuniya, the female

23
heroine, struggles with the hardships of agricultural work and paucity of resources, the
interdependence between women, poverty, and the natural environment becomes clear.
The narrative, told through an ecofeminist lens, addresses concerns about the exploitation
of both women's labor and the natural world, while also casting a critical eye on the
repressive institutions that enable such exploitation. Furthermore, Premchand's works
frequently illustrate water shortage ,clean water on rural women. In "Thakur Ka
Kuan," the social boundaries to the communal well become a strong emblem of
environmental injustice and gender inequality. The story illuminates the ways in which
women are highlighting the intersection of gender-based discrimination and ecological
issues. Premchand's stories may also be evaluated from an ecofeminist standpoint in
terms of how they challenge traditional gender roles and patriarchal institutions that
foster environmental exploitation. Premchand's female characters frequently display
tenacity, autonomy, and a strong connection to the natural world, overcoming the limits
imposed by cultural standards and repressive systems. They exemplify the ecofeminist
ideas of empowerment, solidarity, and environmental stewardship via their activities and
experiences.
By examining Premchand's works through an ecofeminist lens, we can gain a deeper
understanding of the ways in which women are impacted by and engaged with
environmental issues within the context of early 20th century India. Premchand's
empathetic portrayal of women navigating the complexities of their environments
provides a rich terrain for exploring the interconnected oppressions faced by women and
the natural world. In the end, his anecdotes highlight the interdependence of women's
rights and environmental sustainability by providing a heartbreaking reflection of the
necessity of an integrative, holistic strategy to resolving gender and environmental
inequities. While neither Narayan nor Premchand specifically focused on sustainable
development and preserving the environment in their works, their writings contributed to
the broader understanding of the intricate relationship between humans and nature. Their
works continue to be cherished for their insightful portrayals .Their writings may not
explicitly focus on women's contributions to environmental sustainability; they do provide
insights into the lives and

24
challenges faced by women in different social and cultural contexts. Their works shed
light on the broader themes of gender, society, and development, which are relevant to
discussions about women's roles in environmental sustainability.
Objectives of the research:
The main objective of this research is to identify the traces of sustainable development
and ecofeminism in the works of two renowned Indian authors. It deals with the question
how ecofeminism has found a way in literature. This research mainly works of the famous
author of English literature, R.K. Narayan and the most renowned author of Hindi literature
Munshi Premchand. The struggle of women and the environment for survival and its
exploitation at the hands of patriarchal society.

This study lies in its attempt to critically analyse the works of R.K. Narayan and
Munshi Premchand from the perspective of ecofeminism and sustainable development.
Literature has played an important in the development of concept of ecofeminism
and in this the women is shown connected to the nature. Ecofeminism shows the
similarity between both woman and environment, and it shows their sufferings and the way
of the society towards it. Women are considered closely related because of, nurture and
giving life. Though the attitude of human society is not that good towards the women as
well as the environment but with the passage of time it is changing, people are getting
education and now women are not only getting aware about their rights and duties but
also working in the front line for the protection of the environment. Literature has
contributed a lot in it.
Research Gap:
While these works by Munshi Premchand and R.K. Narayan may not directly discuss
women's contributions to environmental sustainability, they do offer valuable
perspectives on societal norms, women in different contexts. Readers interested in
exploring the intersection of gender, environment, and sustainable development in Indian
literature may find these novels a valuable starting point for discussions and analysis. There
are research gaps in exploring the specific dimensions of women's contributions to
sustainable development in their writings. Some of these gaps include:

25
a) Explicit Analysis of Sustainable Development: A significant research gap found in
explicit discussions of sustainable development in the works of Premchand
99
and Narayan analyze and interpret these authors' narratives in the
context of sustainable development goals and principles to understand how women's
contributions align with or deviate from sustainable practices.
b) Intersectionality and Marginalized Women: While both authors touch on the
challenges faced by women in traditional societies, further research could explore the
intersectionality of gender with other forms of marginalization, such as caste and
economic status. Understanding how these intersecting identities impact women's
contributions to sustainable development would be valuable.
c) Environmental Sustainability: Research has an opportunity to delve deeper into
how the characters in these literary works engage with environmental sustainability. How
do women in these narratives interact with and influence their natural surroundings.
Research gap exists in examining the agency and empowerment of female characters in
the works of Premchand and Narayan. How do these women negotiate power dynamics
within their families and communities and at what extent are they able to make decisions
that affect their own well-being and that of their communities in a sustainable manner.
d) Comparative Analysis: Comparative studies that examine the portrayal of women
and their contributions to sustainable development in the works of Premchand and
Narayan , these themes across different literary contexts and time periods.
e) Contemporary Relevance: It would be beneficial to investigate the contemporary
relevance of these literary portrayals. How do the roles and contributions of women in
rural settings, as depicted by these authors, relate to modern discussions on gender,
environment, and sustainable development in India?
Premchand and Narayan intend to convey specific messages about women's roles in
ecofeminism and sustainable development, Exploring these research gaps could lead to a
gender, environment, and sustainable development in the literary works of Munshi
Premchand and R.K. Narayan, shedding light on the ways in which their narratives
reflect or challenge societal norms and practices related to sustainability and women's
contributions.

26
 RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
a) Were Women Characters of RK Narayan and Munsi Premchand suffered agony
and oppression similarly like nature?
(b) Is women’s empowerment a key factor for achieving sustainable development?
C) RK Narayan’s and Munshi Premchand’s initiative on sustainable development and
Environment have inspired the new generation to work towards a more sustainable and
equitable future ?

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The Present study is conducted by using the primary and secondary source. The research is
trying to address and present the condition of women and its relatability with the environment.
During the research various feminist movements, feminist literature, and the literature that is
presenting the concept of ecofeminism etc. will be studied critically. The main purpose of
research is to understand the roles played development of concept of ecofeminism by two
eminent personalities i.e. R.K. Narayan and Munshi Premchand, in the English and Hindi
Literature. This research has a volatile scope.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
The issues of environmental degradation and climate change have often been viewed purely as
scientific problems requiring technological solutions. The discourses have been bereft of
ideologies of socio-economic exploitation, domination, and colonialism. However, a feminist
ethical approach to climate justice brings into focus the relations of gender, sexuality, species,
nations, and ecology, thereby, introducing ecofeminism as a theory that views capitalistic
patriarchy as the source of environmental degradation and the exploitation of women and
animals globally (Gaard, 1993; Mies & Shiva, 1993)

(Kundu, Rama Atlantic Publishers & District (2015) Narayan utilizes different narratological
gadgets as memory, flashback, streak on, installed stories, double story, various storytellers and
so on in his novel The Guide. Time is interlinked with memory. Narayan permits the peruser a
brief look into the past through the characters ‘memories. It is the polytemporal time, where

27
novel. In the account the past is characterized as far as Raju's recollections, and future as far as
the protagonists ‘expectations. Raju first and foremost exists inside a clock-bound world while
towards the finish of the novel rises above the breaking point forced by clock time.

In the Indian context, to understand the position of women and their role as conservers of culture
and nature, Shiva examines the relationship between the world of women, environment and the
cosmological world. She argues that the connection between women and nature is an ideological
one and deeply rooted in belief systems, ideas, values and their cultural representation. The
scriptures and other cultural works recognize the interplay between the ideas of creation and
destruction and dynamic energy or Shakti. The manifestation of this energy is called Prakriti, this
exists in conjunction with the masculine principle or Purusha. Together, they create the world
(Shiva, 2007:37).

According to "Role of Women in Environmental Movement in India," women have managed

households in close proximity to environment for a long time, which has helped them
comprehend its suffering and become too protective of it. Numerous environmental movements
have been covered, including the Narmada Bachao Andolan, Aapiko, Bishnoi, and Chipko
movements. These are notable Indian environmental movements that highlight the crucial role
that women serve in leadership. (Upama Saikia (2021)
SDGs. SDG target 6.1 aims to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable
drinking water for all, target 6.2 aims to achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation for
all and end to open defecation, with special attention paid to the needs of women and girls and
those in vulnerable efficiency across all sectors and reduce number of people suffering
from water scarcity.

According to Warren, (1994) all forms of domination including domination over women and
nature, dominations of people of colour, ethnic minorities, children and animals are to be
examined to understand how all of them are interconnected and interrelated domination over

28
nature and women but all forms of oppressive relations that still exist in the human world as well
as the human nature.
(Alonso, 2013). In the due course, Ecofeminism has been influenced by academic and political
movements, postcolonial movements, peace movements and science and technology, though it
started as an intersection between ecology and feminism .
Sen Krishna (2014 )Narayan has arrived at the standing of being one of the best reminiscent
specialists, on account of his straightforwardness, clarity and trendiness. Malgudi is Narayan's
Caster Bridge. His cautious determination and requesting of material and all that is outside his
reach is painstakingly despised. By practicing such aesthetic restraint, Narayan has accomplished
size. His sole point is to include and engage his perusers by introducing before them life’s little
incongruities soundly and brilliantly

Boesky Dale (1975)There is no question that Narayan's vision is basically upright, for the issues,
he sets himself to determine in his novels are generally moral. Plus, it normally rotates around
Hindu conservativism in Narayan's works, and includes a showdown when that conservativism is
characterized by the characters that engage a more present day and all the more guiltlessly
individualistic values. Existentialism is regarding life, is there any point to it, to be acceptable
with the universes around us or should we change ourselves as indicated by the universes' or
change these universes' as per our need and wants. The world anyway isn't the spot alone. It is
indeed the men, women, their activities and responses that make a world, where each character
sees the world according to an individual perspective and settles on his decisions . Narayan's
chronicling of the life at the "rear of past" municipality of Malgudi has been perceived as an
interesting endeavor to make the external system of a local novel, which basically encapsulates
humanity overall and India specifically. Narayan is an entering investigator of human interests
and human intentions, which makes him an extraordinary pundit of human lead.

Som Dev (2012)R.K. Narayan and Premchand played a crucial role for women's independence to
a considerable degree. They have reflected the suffering members of the middle class and the
lower middle class. He possesses fidelity to experience. Premchand selects his characters
outside, analyzes their emotions, offers commentary, and frequently renders authoritative
verdicts. At the same time, he prefers his characters to reveal themselves via word and action. In
order to advance the position of women and advance his women's liberation movement, Narayan
has made a very important decision.

29
From an ecofeminist standpoint and sustainable development, R.K. Narayan's "The Man-Eater of
Malgudi" paints a multidimensional image about woman, life, and the natural beauty of Malgudi.
This novel of 1961 an Indian scenario. He has examined women protection of environment
and also examines the similarity of the nature and the women. In the realm of academia and
literature, ecofeminism and sustainable development are now highly respected concepts.
Despite being the targets of exploitation, dominance, and pollution, women contribute to
ecological harmony. The heroic efforts of Rangi, even after being enslaved by patriarchy, to
save the elephant Kumar depicts the goal of eco-feminism, which is to develop an impartial,
consistent, and cooperative connection with all species in the planet, regardless of gender, class,
or race. (Gaur, K.K 63).

In “The Voice of the Voiceless in Munshi Premchand’s Karmabhumi” the author has stated that
because Premchand has gone through many forms of economic subjugation, Karmabhumi makes
no exceptions in this regard. It depicts the pitiful situation of nearly every character in the book,
from the lowest class to the high class. Premchand does a good job of portraying both the
complexity of voicelessness and the mirror of society. Premchand has a multifaceted appeal, as
the disruption of Indian society is largely the result of subservience, which has denied the
voiceless their true ideals. Vinod Kumar (2018)
Among Premchand's literary works, "Thakur Ka Kuan" features arguably the strongest female
character. An evening is spent by Gangi, a Dalit lady, going to get her sick husband some fresh
water. Gangi and her husband Jokhu, who belong to the lower caste, are not permitted to go
anywhere near the village's upper caste Thakur's well. The narrative highlights the pervasive
caste differences in society, where those who are not born into a particular caste are denied
access to even basic necessities like water. Premchand makes two important points clear: First,
financial resources must be used prudently. The second point is that we must give our loved
one’s unselfish affection. It also depicts the difference between the rich and poor people in the
society. (The Statesman July 31,2018)
In “Feminist and sustainable development in R. K. Narayan’s The Guide” it is stated that
RK Narayan has investigated the human values in his novel "The Guide". Surprisingly
the main characters of Narayan's "The Guide" rebel against the traditional, rigid, and
familial duties and then unintentionally drift toward their predetermined destiny because,
according to Narayan's theory, deviation or chaos caused by disregard for norms
inevitably leads to negative outcomes. Regardless, Narayan's ethical perspective isn't
explicitly or purposefully articulated in his writing. They are surprisingly and inextricably
linked to both the social milieu that serves as the basis for each of his stories and his skill

30
 as a storyteller. Because of this, readers must also gather Narayan's message in "The
Guide" according to their own unique intuition. All things considered, "The Guide" opens
with realistic surroundings and everyday events in the lives of individuals from a cross
section of Indian society. Consistent fate or chance, inadequacy or error transforms
routine events into amazing events, illustrates the approach to life that the writer seems to
support and, in a way, shows his basic worldview. (Rohini Arya Verma 2009)
Gupta (2015) examines the ways in which R.K. Narayan represents women in his novels,
analyzing the complex interplay between gender, caste, and class in Indian society. The
study argues that Narayan's works reflect a deep concern with social justice and equality,
and that his portrayals often of women often challenge and subvert patriarchal norms
and values. Through close readings of Narayan's novels, Gupta demonstrates how female
characters in his works exhibit agency, resilience, and resistance in the face of social
and cultural pressures, and how their experiences reflect broader
social issues in India.
Kumar (2004) explores his novels reflect and critique gender and power dynamics in Indian
society, focusing specifically on the female characters and their experiences of personal and
social change. Through her analysis, challenges and opportunities faced by women in a rapidly
changing cultural context are highlighted, and also how they depict the ways in which gender
intersects with class, caste, and personal identity.
Singh (2016) analyzed the portrayal of women in Narayan's novels and short stories. Female
characters are often portrayed as passive and submissive, and that they are frequently subjected
gender discrimination and subordination. This subordination comes in the form of societal
pressures, family issues discussed in his novels and short stories. Another study by Kumari
(2014) examined the portrayal of women in Narayan's novels and argued that Narayan's female
characters are complex and multifaceted. Kumari also noted that Narayan's portrayal of women
reflects the social and cultural norms of his time.
Vishnupriya (2017) analyzed the portrayal of the female protagonist, Rosie, in Narayan's novel
The Guide. Rosie's character challenges traditional gender roles and expectations, and that
Narayan uses her character to critique the patriarchal society of India. Similarly, his female
characters are often represented as victims of societal norms and expectations, and that they are to
oppression and marginalization .

31
(Sutharsini, 2016).While inspecting The Guide, it is obvious that the novel's representation of
women subverts traditional gender roles and power dynamics. Through close readings of the
novel's female characters, the book offers a critique of patriarchal structures and values, while
also highlighting the potential for female agency and empowerment .
Devi (2007) explores Guide reflects and critiques gender and power dynamics in Indian society,
focusing on the novel's female characters and their experiences of personal and social change.
Through her analysis, she demonstrates how the book offers a complex and nuanced
exploration of the challenges and opportunities faced by women in a rapidly changing cultural
context and highlights the ways in which gender intersects with class, caste, and personal identity.
R. K. Narayan also offers a critique of patriarchal structures and values, while also highlighting
the potential for female agency and empowerment. His works critically engage with broader
social and cultural issues related to gender and power in India, and how his representations of
women challenge and subvert patriarchal norms and values (Dey, 2006).
Getting to the social dimensions of women's discourse in Premchand's writing, it should be noted
that Premchand was a fervent advocate of the underprivileged, especially women. If one wants to
get familiar with the Indian culture, then reading of Premchand's writings is actually a great way.
We see beautiful depictions of women who have been abused throughout history. Premchand
attempted to depict nearly all facets of women's lives. It is stated that a writer is most often
affected by his or her own life experiences when writing. Additionally, this shapes how he or she
views society.
Like Tagore, Premchand also extols woman in her traditional role and thinks that tolerance,
patience, perseverance and self-sacrifice are the essential virtues of a woman and also believes in
the concept of ‘The Angel in the House’ more strictly than even Tagore, as he advocates
vociferously that an ideal woman is one who sacrifices all her personal aspirations to keep her
husband happy and is always ready to forgive him for his sins, described in the poem as she
“Waits by, expecting his remorse, With pardon in her pitying eyes…” (Patmore, 2004, IX: I)
By questioning the expectation of wedding devotion from her and assigning her a station

independent of the husband in the "outer" public sphere, Premchand questions the nationalists'
perception of the Indian lady. In his attempts to reveal how the nationalists' narrative of the
Indian woman as a guardian of the sanctity of the "inner" domestic space and the ensuing gender
dynamics within married relationships reinforced the subservient and oppressed state of women
in Indian society, Premchand represents and resolves the women's question. Premchand
problematizes marital space as the carrier of woman's primary function and identity, in
opposition to the nationalist rhetoric. He has portrayed her as rendering service to the nation
instead of showing her serving her husband and captured in the trap of patriarchy. It is stated that
Premchand's stories succeed because they create the ideal environment for discussing issues
pertaining to women's equality, independence, and dignity within the context of marriage. The
themes of Gift of Cow, Premchand's final finished book, center on socioeconomic hardship and
the exploitation of the villagers, particularly the women.

33
Premchand has thoroughly covered both classes in Thakur's Well. The protagonist Gangi is a
woman from Dalit class and the women from swarn class are shown near the sidewalks of the
well and talking about their inner state and patriarchal obligation. Premchand depicts Gangi, a
brave woman obligated to serve her husband Jokhu out of respect and devotion rather than out of
necessity, in the novel. She is aware of her rights but is afraid of the repercussions of protesting
because she must have witnessed some negative examples in the past. She is afraid of societal
norms but wants to rebel gently. Her perspective is evident in her thoughts: Gangi's bitter heart
screamed against the limitations and barriers imposed by conventions. The society that had been
kind and equitable for everyone, regardless of gender, turned gendered and oppressive against
women. A patriarchal culture emerged, redefining the human race as consisting of males and
females and their rights accordingly. Women's social position, such as whether they belong to
the dalit or swarna classes, provides another angle on how they are exploited. Occasionally,
women from all social classes fall prey to roles that put their class and prestige at risk. (Abhishek
Kumar Jaiswal (2017)
The Maneater of Malgudi sees Rangi as an eco-friendly character in The Man Eater of Malgudi
who a dependent woman on patriarchal society is. She is dependent both economically and
physically. Vasu treats her as a sex-slave and no better way than an animal in cage. However,
Rangi feels an inner connection between her femininity and animal in nature. That is why she
goes to Nataraj to take immediate initiatives to save Kumar, the elephant. Rangi’s passionate
love for an animal reminds the quote of Kafka “Animals are closer to us than human beings. That
is the bars of the cage. We find relations easier with animals than with men.” (Corngold, 1996)
4
It always advocates the oppressi
the respect of
women as well as nature. This theory asserts responsible for the oppression of women,
children, and people of color, the poor and all marginalized groups. It criticizes patriarchal
society for exploiting natural resources such as animals, land, air, water This theory can be used
to discover the in culture, literature and religion, and thus address and find out the matches
between the oppressions of natural resources and the oppressions of female gender in society.
Nature is feminized by men as women are strictly connected nature possess the qualities .
movement of ecofeminism connects the philosophy of feminism with ecological movement (Faysal
and Rahman, 2021)

34
Women are very closer to the earth and Mother Nature as women go under the process of
biological changes in their bodies like ovulation, pregnancy, giving birth menstruation, breast
feeding and much more just like nature changes with the cycle of seasons. So, an Eco-feminist
writer raises their voice against damage and social injustice against women. Numerous
influential texts have been written on this tradition .(Susan Griffin, 1978), Gyn/Eco-logy (May
Daly, 1978), (Carolyn Merchant, 1980). The
other writers who have raised their voice for ecofeminism are Vandana Shiva, Rosemary
4

evaluate the relationship women and wildlife by aiming the hierarchies created by mind/body,
nature/culture, male/ female and human/non-human binaries.
Gangi, who belongs to dalit community is refused to access the community well that was owned
by the Thakur of higher caste. She risks her life for getting fresh water for her sick husband from
Thakur’s well because the people of dalit community were not allowed to fetch water from the
well of the higher caste. Thakur’s well is a narrative about caste prejudice, segregation, and
gender injustice. For ages, the oppressive caste system has plagued Indian culture. Being a
prominent writer, Premchand has tackled societal themes in his works. Here the author has
critically examined whether Premchand's two stories, Kafan and Sadgati, belong of "Dalit
literature" and investigated caste hierarchy and oppression are portrayed in them. This study
delves deeply into the Dalit psyche and the politics surrounding the Dalit body as a vehicle for the
ideals of untouchability and purity. (Anil kukreja 2022)
In "Plight of Indian Farmers Depicted Through Premchand's 'Godaan,'" she has
emphasized how industrialization affects the environment and natural resources.
Industrialization has made capitalists and industrialists avaricious, with them seeking to
take advantage of the working class. The youth are compelled to relocate from the rural
to the metropolis, where they encounter numerous disputes and strains. Gobar, Hori's
only child, moves to the city as well and gets a taste of Lucknow city life. At first, he
considers himself lucky to be employed by a metropolis since, in his view, peasants are
like machines, have miserable lives, and must endure persecution and pain as part of their
fate. He does, however, acquire worldly and practical skills in the metropolis. His
situation as a municipal worker is very different from what he had anticipated because he
works many menial jobs and does not have a steady employment. Then he came back to

35
the village and make the villagers aware of the reality. As a social leader, he educates the
peasants about the caste system, corruption, and money-lending industry. He despises the
village and would much rather work as a menial laborer in the town, where he can make a
little money that he then lends to the other at an exorbitant interest rate, unintentionally
contributing to the system of money lending that exploits the peasantry. Just like Hori he
also suffers from the harsh reality of the life. . (Meghna Kantharia (2020)
are consistently violated. Achieving sustainable development necessitates the equitable
and collaborative promotion of fundamental women's rights.
Empowered women is essential to the achievement of the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs), sustainable development, poverty eradication, and sound governance.
(India Today Web Desk (Aug 11, 2018)
“Premchand on women's plights and caste hierarchy ahead of its time”- Munshi
Premchand was a pioneer of Hindi and Urdu social fiction. His writings regarding the
caste system and the conditions faced by laborers and women in late 1880s society were
among the first to be published. (India today web desk 2018)
Munsi Premchand and RK Narayana writings-
Godan: Godan is a tale of rural India and is widely regarded as Premchand's masterwork.
It draws attention to the conflict between the peasant and the moneylender, who are both
supported by different forces. It portrays a rural community with its hardships and
straightforward joys, its exploitation and suffering, its disappointments and aspirations.
main characters, especially Hori, who becomes an

36
enduring emblem of the Indian peasants, showcases Premchand's skill and realism to the
fullest.
Idgaah: Premchand has penned some of the most heartfelt pieces. Hamid, who resides
with her grandmother Amina, is the primary character in this tale. He had lately lost his
parents, leaving him an orphan. Hamid attended the Idgah, an Eid fair held in the
community. Hamid spent his money on tongs for his grandmother instead of toys or
candy like the other kids did. When his grandma saw this, she chastised him for not
purchasing toys or chocolates as other kids did. When Hamid mentions that she gets
burns on her hand every time she makes roti and that's why he got those tongs, he wants
her to use them instead. As she heard this, she started crying as she realized how
wonderful he was.
Thakurs Well: The Thakur’s well is a short story by Premchand written in the year
1932. The story talks of caste discrimination through which the people are denied of the
basic need i.e. water. In this story Gangi’s struggle against caste discrimination is
depicted in a beautiful manner. The well that they often use to get their water is tainted.
The well is a long distance away. As they belonged to Dalit community, they were not
allowed to use the other two wells that belonged to Thakur and Sahuji. Due to their caste,
65
Sahuji's well. For this reason, novel, Gangi is unable to obtain water from any source.
Karambhumi: This novel describes the lives of Amarkant and Sukhda who left their
house because of family differences and for giving selfless service to the country. In this
novel the women characters such as Sukhda, Munni etc. are portrayed as strong ones and
empowered who are capable enough to take their dcisions.
Tiger of Malgudi: The 1983 book A Tiger for Malgudi by Indian novelist R.K. Narayan
is told from the viewpoint of Raja, a tiger who lives an uninteresting old age in an exhibit
at the Malgudi zoo. In the novel Raja speaks nostalgically about his recollections of the
wild before he was taken by humans. Through its personification of Raja, the story
recognizes the sensations and emotions of animals that are too frequently disregarded by
their captors, advocating cultures of nonviolence between people and animals.

37
Guide: The renowned R.K. Narayan wrote the English novel "The Guide" in 1958.
Raju's life and development are the main subjects of the book. Raju was the son of a
sweets store owner who was born in Malgudi. After his father dies, Raju takes over his
father's store and carries on the family business. Raju is a very flexible person who can
change to suit the needs of others and his own circumstances. Despite having little to no
professional training, he quickly gains the title of "Railway Raju" as a tour guide at the
Malgudi railway station because to his familiarity with the area's sights and architecture.
The entire narrative centers on self-realization and follows Raju, the main character, as he
changes.
Swami and Friends: novels written by R. K. Narayan (1906– 2001), English language
novelist from India. The novel, the first book Narayan wrote, is set in British India in a
town called Malgudi. The second and third books in the trilogy are The Bachelor of Arts
and The English Teacher. The novel follows a ten-year-old schoolboy, Swaminathan, and
his attempts to court the favour of a much wealthier schoolboy, Rajam.
Malgudi Schooldays is a slightly abridged version of Swami and Friends, and includes
two additional stories featuring Swami from Malgudi Days and Under the Banyan Tree.
Malgudi Days: Indian Thought Publications published R. K. Narayan's collection of
short tales, Malgudi Days, in 1943. The book's thirty-two short stories are all located in
the fictitious South Indian hamlet of Malgudi. who live in the made-up town of Malgudi
Malgudi Days.

38
 CHAPTER 2
ECOFEMINISM PERSPECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT IN MUNSI PREMCHAND
WRITINGS
2.1.1 INTRODUCTION
Munshi Premchand is identified as a standard bearer of realism in Hindi prose literature
because of his beliefs on the socio-political objectives of literature along with his literary
practice, and particularly the representation of women in his writings. Women always
play a pivotal role in every society and constitute a major part of it. Women are also
considered as closely related to environment, whether it was conservation of biodiversity.
4
This chapter throws light on women contribution in sustainable development, their
closeness to nature as they are mostly dependent upon the nature for the management of
household and conserving resources for their family. Chapter will also discuss about
achieving sustainable economic growth, social development, and environmental
sustainability.
Women are considered as a weaker section of society, but Premchand has challenged the
nationalists’ discourse of the Indian woman and replaced the role of women as a devoted
wife who protects the purity of the sanctity of “inner” domestic space with that of the
Indian woman engaged in the project of nation building through her presence in the
“outer” public space.
This suggests that Premchand's solution to the women's question needs to be understood
through his explanation of the inequality between man and woman. Premchand
challenged nationalist narratives by initiating debate on the status of women in marital
relationships and providing a framework for questions about their respect, dignity,
equality and freedom.
In this chapter we analyses Premchand’s Karambhumi or The Arena (1932) and Godaan
or The Gift of Cow (1936) and “Thakur ka kaun” or “Thakur’s Well” ,Idgah from the

39
point of view of ecofeminism and also analyze the role played by the women characters
for protection of environment and protesting against the oppression. It reveals the ways in
which Premchand disrupted the boundaries set by nationalist discourse by problematizing
the marital space as the bearer of women's primary role and identity.
2.1.2 Godan
Translated into English in 1957 by Jai Ratan and Purushottama Lal as The Gift of a Cow
and by Gordon C. Roadarmel in 1968 is considered a classic.
The plot of story primarily revolves around the struggles of Hori, a poor farmer, and his
family. The novel has very well presented the issues of poverty, social inequality, and
exploitation; it indirectly touches upon aspects of rural life and agriculture that relate to
environmental preservation and sustainable development.
[Link] Women Characters
Dhania, from ‘Godan’, wife of the central character Hori, is a woman immersed in
miseries. Despite the difficulties, she refuses to give in and seems to have a strong
personality. She supports women who are ridiculed by her own people and fights against
injustice. The character is courageous in her determination and goes beyond her
husband's wishes as she fights against injustice in society. She made him aware with the
veracity and the reality of facts. Unlike Hori, Dhania does not get into entanglements.
She stood for what she believed to be right and her Dharma, rather than the traditional
tenets of the community. She performs all the agricultural activities, starting from seed
production, sowing, reaping/harvesting, conversion of primary produce to secondary
products, she is Unpaid worker who works on fields with her husband, cook food on fire,
she also used to contribute in collection of firewood and the fetching of water. The whole
agricultural life cycle, thus, can be performed by women, which establishes the fact that
women have a crucial role in the sustainable development they possess the knowledge
and have skills to perform agricultural activities by themselves. Dhania used to perform
not only the household works but also fulfilled the responsibility child care, household
management and agricultural activities, Gobar, Hori's son, represents the younger
generation and their changing attitudes toward farming and rural life. His experiences and
aspirations can be used to discuss the modernization of agriculture and its impact on
sustainable development. While neither "Idgah" nor "Godan" directly addresses

40
environmental preservation and sustainable development, they provide a rich backdrop of
rural life and the challenges faced by characters in agrarian settings. These characters and
their stories can be used as starting points for discussions on how sustainable agricultural
practices and environmental awareness can be integrated into the lives of rural
communities. If we study the women characters, particularly in Godaan chacratres like
Dhania and Malti might convey a sense of ecofeminism by embodying the
interconnectedness of women’s empowerment and environmental stewardship. Their
experiences and roles within the domestic sphere and the community can provide insights
into their relationship with nature and their awareness of sustainable living practices.
Their concerns for the welfare of their families and the local environment may implicitly
reflect ecofeminist ideals of nurturing and preserving the natural world for the well-being
27
From the dialogues of Dhania is a woman with modern mindset and thoughts. She said
“Our parents used to say, Girls are no less than anyone else. Just give

41
 them an opportunity.” In exchange for giving us opportunities, they instilled in us the
belief that girls are no less. I am also a woman, not less than my husband; I am also his
support. It's not as if he looks for me only when he needs me; I am also needed by him.
Women are the foundation of every household. If they are strong, then the home, society,
and country will also be strong."
Dhania openly speaks the truth in front of everyone without any fear. When Dhaniya
came to know that Hira had poisoned the cow, she called the police and requested him to
7
punish Hira, this shows her love for animals. In Godan itself:
“Dhania saw the speckled cow going away with others of her kind following. Her tail
whisked flies away as she made her way, nodding as she walked free of all care, the very
picture of contentment. Swaying in her measured gait she was, verily, a queen among her
female slaves. What an auspicious thing it will be, Hori thought, if this Kamadhenu were
to be tethered to my hearth. The cow sat herself down in deep gloom. Like a bride that
has just entered her in laws’ home.” She wouldn’t put her mouth trough. Hori and Gobar
brought portions of their own half-eaten rotis for her but she would not even sniff at
them. This of course was not something new or unique. Animals can go into depression
on being moved from what has been, to them, their home.”118

Cow has a unique place in Indian customs and traditions. The cow is a particularly revered
animal and is a symbol of motherhood and fertility. Cow calendars, sculptures and posters are
symbolic representations of health and abundance. Cow is considered as a symbol of Hinduism
and people worship it like God. The ancient Indian Sanskrit grammarian Pāṇini says,
“This country appears to be very prosperous because there are so many cows.” During ancient
times cow was the backbone of the Indian economy because it has become the center of
planning, food, agricultural operations, irrigation, transport, building materials, fuel etc. The
popular saying “who dies if cow lives who lives if cow dies?(Granthika2019)
Gandhi ji called the cow “a poem of pity” and regarded her as a symbol of Indian culture,
expressing the "grand truth" that human beings and non-human beings are fellow creatures. He
said: ‘The cow is the purest type of sub-human life. She pleads before us on behalf of the whole
of the sub-human species for justice to it at the hands of man, the first among all that lives. She

42
seems to speak to us through her eyes: 'you are not appointed over us to kill us and eat our flesh
or otherwise ill-treat us, but to be our friend and guardian'.(3-4)
From the philosophical thoughts of Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Descartes, and Kant to
the present, attitudes and thoughts towards women and animals continue to exist within
the patriarchal structure, while ecofeminism prioritizes eliminating all kinds of dualist
thoughts and ideologies by liberating all oppressed groups
[Link]. Animal Rights: An Ecofeminist Issue
American writer, feminist, and animal rights advocate Carol J. Adams believes that
animal rights is a feminist issue. According to her, there is an inherent link between the
oppression of women and the oppression of nonhuman animals. “We oppress animals by
associating them with women’s lesser status,” she says. Also, the entire animal industry is
based on the exploitation of the female reproductive system. While both male and female
animals are abused and killed in the meat, egg and dairy industries.

Her mind would often rebel against such a state of affairs. When Hori‘s brother Heera
poisons her cow causing its death, she is shocked as she had ―brought him [Heera] up
from childhood like a mother.”(89) She decides to teach him a lesson.
But Hori starts beating her as he does not want the matter to reach the police, Hori wants
to save his brother from punishment but Dhania informs the

43
police that Heera killed the cow.(90pg) Hori bribes the inspector and stops the search of
Heera‘s [Link] again objects; Hori‘s eyes blazes with anger and he catches hold of
her hand to beat [Link] Gobar steps between them and angrily asks his father to stand
back. Dhania boldly says,”He [Hori] feels dishonoured when they want to search his
brother‘s house. But he feels noshame in beating his own wife before the whole village.
Is this the behaviour of an honourable man?‖” (95)
When Hori‘s brother Heera poisons her cow causing its death, she is shocked as she had
―brought him [Heera] up from childhood like a mother.”(89) She decides to teach him a
lesson. But Hori starts beating her as he does not want the matter to reach the police.
Every time Dhania abuses Hori, he hurls a few more blows at her. The villagers come to
patch up the quarrel but stay away to watch the fun. Pandit Datadin, the self-appointed
veterinary of the village rebukes
Hori wants to save his brother from punishment but Dhania informs the police that Heera
killed the cow. Hori bribes the inspector and stops the search of Heera‘s house.
Dhania again objects; Hori‘s eyes blazes with anger and he catches hold of her hand to
beat her.
But Gobar steps between them and angrily asks his father to stand back. Dhania boldly
says, (95pg)―
Dhania stands by what she thinks is correct and her dharma, rather than the traditional
principles of the community. She raises her voice against injustice done to her family,
much against the wishes of her husband Hori. She even gets the beating from him but
7
does not remain silent against injustice. This shows her love for animals and women
3
rights. Though criticized by the villagers for being sharp-tongued, Dhania continues to
for women‘s rights. .

44
Dhania raised voice against dowry system. According to her, “money comes and goes but
prestige lasts” (247)
Women are more nurturing and caring not only towards the people around them but also
toward the environment. Gender-environment relations still have valuable implications
for the understanding of nature between men and women, the management and
distribution of resources and responsibilities, and the everyday lives and well-being of
people.
Dhaniya works as a labour in the Dattadin’s field can support him. Her husband had a
dream of having a cow, she tried as much as she could to achieve it but failed to do so death
she had one rupee and twenty-five paise with her, she gave it to Dattadin and said this is
only what she has as “Godaan”. In the end, we can conclude that her life was full of
sadness, but she fulfilled all her obligations with courage. She was a woman of great
self-respect who loved her self-respect. She was against the discrimination and oppression
they were forced to suffer .Hori’s dance attendance before Rai Sahab. She thinks that they
are not bonded labors but farmers who are using Zamindar’s field and paying rent for
the same, so there is no need for dance attendance before Zamindars. She always
revolts against injustice. Dhaniya fought till the end. They were strong because they
recognized the need to conserve nature, preserve it for succeeding generations.
By portraying a conversation between Dhania and Rukmini, Premchand has gave a strong
message to protect the mother earth and the environment. Here both women are talking
and showing their concern about the nature.
“Dhania: That is a noble job. The forest is our mother. It gives us food, water, air, and
shelter. We should respect and protect it.
Rukmini: I agree with you. The forest is a blessing for us. It is also home to many
animals and birds. They are our friends and brothers.

45
Dhania: Yes, they are. But some people do not understand this. They kill them for their
skin, bones, and meat. They cut down the trees for their wood and fire. They destroy the
forest for their greed and profit.
Rukmini: That is very sad and wrong. They do not realize that they are harming
themselves and the future generations by doing this. They are creating an imbalance in
nature that will lead to disasters and diseases.”(114 pg )
Due to excessive work at home and at field, Dhania grows more her. ―
Her hair had already turned grey and her face was creased with wrinkles. Her youthful
body had declined, the glow of her swarthy complexion had turned sallow and her eye-
sight dim.
When Hori‘s brother Heera poisons her cow causing its death, she is shocked as she had
―brought him [Heera] up from childhood like a mother.”(89) She decides to teach him a
lesson. But Hori starts beating her as he does not want the matter to reach the police.
Every time Dhania abuses Hori, he hurls a few more blows at her. The villagers come to
patch up the quarrel but stay away to watch the fun. Pandit Datadin, the self-appointed
veterinary rebukes Hori, “Beating the Lakshmi like this! Has Heera‟s shadow fallen on you
also”?
Hori angrily replies, “I won’t rest till I set her right. The more I overlook her faults, the
more she gets”. Dhania says with tearful eyes,
“I have ruined my whole life for his sake, and this is how he rewards me now.”(90) Hori
wants to save his brother from punishment but Dhania informs the police that Heera

46
killed the cow. Hori bribes the inspector and stops the search of Heera‘s house. Dhania
again objects; Hori‘s eyes blazes with anger and he catches hold of her hand to beat her ”.
Dhania’s character gives a message that All living beings on this earth have equal rights,
the rights to live The animals should no longer be viewed as property or used for
experiments and killing
She always revolts against injustice, but her husband always calmed by saying that
“one cannot fight with a crocodile while living in water

Dhania stands by what she thinks is correct and her dharma, rather than the traditional
principles of the community. She raises her voice against injustice done to her family,
much against the wishes of her husband Hori. She even gets the beating from him but
does not remain silent against injustice.
. She knowingly accepts Jhunia into her household, as her daughter-in-law. She blame only
Jhunia for placing them in an embarrassing position. She knows that her son, Gobar, is
equally responsible ,kind and loving mother and sacrifices for children.
She is distressed by the asymmetry that underlies the social positions of both sexes. In her
view, ―all men are alike.

Godaan is challenged to share an experience within a distinctively though not

exclusively Indian frame of reference. For example, the awareness of conservative
Hindu views about the responsibilities of married women makes Malti’s choice to
remain unmarried so as to perform social service more credible than it might appear
from a Western point of view. Similarly, Hori’s attitude towards his rebellious brother
reflects a traditional Indian view of family loyalty, honour and responsibility. And a
number of the details-the touching of people’s feet, the shoe beatings, the repeated
references to women as goddesses, the apparent sentimentality about motherhood-need to
be understood as natural for readers and within the Indian context.
Ms. Malati -another character from “Godan”, she emerges as a powerful woman
who, irrespective
of caste or creed, helps those in need. Malati prefers to live-in with her friend Mehta for
the rest of her life. She explores herself. She starts serving the poor and
gets involved in many social activities , Malati together serve the poor and needy. Malati
79
Devi is the only character shown as contended at the end of the novel
commitment to charitable deeds. She is independent woman pursues her passion but also
dares to venture outside of her comfort zone. She understands what she wants and how to
get it, but she is also open to new experiences. She doesn’t mind facing a challenge as
long as it is positive for her.
Malati are symbolic of the transition of the human mind – from rigidity to acceptance,
from pretension to simplicity and from elitism to realism. In fact, Godan can be seen as a
tale of transformation. The dogmatic Matadin, goes on to accept his low-caste wife; the
37
unsophisticated Gobar, learns the ways of the world after his brush with urban life and
earns respect; Malti, who is cut-off from realities becomes a self-conscious woman, free
from bias; Mehta a doctrinaire understands the meaning of life from Malti; and even the
playful Sona and Rupa transform from little girls into ‘women’ as they understand that
life’s not a game played on their father’s lap.

48
“Education is not only a means of getting employment but it is a vehicle for women’s
independence” (Devi 1944).
In Godan, Premchand reorients perceptions of Western education as Malti's training as a
doctor proves crucial, first to his ability to support his family financially after his father's
illness, and she established her own social identity independent of the image of her
husband. Westernized Malati’s success in maintaining her freedom from the traditional
female roles signifies what Sharma identifies as Premchand’s hesitation to assert that
“Western influence is entirely bad and the Indian entirely good” (1978, 134). When we
first meet Malti in Gordan, she is introduced as a woman in high heels, lively, heavily
made-up, witty, fashion-conscious, with a masculine manner, a lover of the finer things in
life, flirtatious - in short In short, very modern. She returned from the UK after studying
medicine and set up a private practice. (2019, 48)
In the nationalists’ vision, Indian women were not only different in their spiritual
endeavor but were also superior to the women of the West. Colonization had made it
imperative that their uniqueness is maintained, and it was demonstrated in everyday
practices like women’s dressing, appearance, social relations, eating habits and religious
practices. Therefore, women’s education was only permissible to the extent that this
distinctiveness could be preserved. (2001, 265) In this context, Malti appears as a threat
to Indian-ness when she is summarized as "modern", exhibiting modernity in her being a
career woman, dressing up in high heels and make-up, conversing freely with men, and
showing a materialistic attitude toward life.
Malti’s interpretation of limiting herself to her matrimonial home as a confinement of
soul is in contrast with the nationalists’ narrative that defined home and belonging to that
space as a woman’s true calling. Malti’s perception of home as a cage renders the
nationalists’ labeling of home as a woman’s tapovan, her ‘ascetic grove’, a mere sham.
This understanding propels her toward wider social participation and she shifts her arena
of action from the city to the rural areas. The change in Malti’s focus from working
toward building her own household to improving the state of common people directs her
agency toward the nation’s project and redefines her as a national subject. Notably,
Malti’s social avatar utilizes her training as a doctor and not her experience as a married
woman while working for rural women.

49
When Dulari asks her, ‘where have you learnt all these things, Deviji?
I can see you are not married, the surprise ingrained in the question is also a meditation
over the possibility that women may seek new learnings outside their marital home
ground (2019, 289). The social space she subsequently acquires is in her independent
capacity without the need of a male to fulfill the position of the husband. Significantly, at
this stage, Malti declines to accept the goddess status that Mehta attempts to bestow on
her, linking her actions with her spirit to serve. She rejects the honor that thrives on the
proposition of self-sacrifice and claims that her actions are motivated by self-interest.
“If I sing, I do not sing because it consoles sad hearts, but because I love singing” (2019,
317). She places her self-orientation and personal choices ahead and above any
ideological or essentialist justification for her decisions.
Godaan also depicts other female characters who follow a similar path. The women in
Meenkshi from kamatrbhoomi are shown as educated, working and financially
independent, who did not want to marry (2019, 41). In fact, Premchand goes further and
draws an alternative trajectory for suppressed women in the in this ,her husband was
“debauched and sconsequently, like every Hindu girl, she suffered in silence. She often
read in the papers about women’s rights. She joined the Women’s Club where ladies
discussed about awakening women for their independence and women’s franchise, many
among them had received higher education, and thinking marriage as derogatory to their
prestige and wanted to build their career. (2019, 303)
Theme of environment and sustainble development discussed in Godaan -Premchand
draws our attention to the plight of the poor and illiterate farmer through the portrayal of
the life of an ordinary farmers The depiction of the village in Godan is as follows:
“What was the village, it was Providence, ten to twelve houses, whose roof was half-
tiled, and collapsing further.”
Problems due to Industrialization have been increased, and the agricultural lands are
quickly transformed into non-agricultural lands Due to industrialization, the capitalist or
the industrialist has become greedy and tries to exploit the labour class. They forces the
youngsters to migrate from the villages to cities where they faces many conflicts and
tensions. In Godaan challenges faced by industries have been highlighted, how industry
are harming environment Industrial accidents are damaging environment through air

50
pollution, water pollution, soil pollution and risked human well-being ,it also talk about
money-lending system, the corruption, and the caste system And how the money-lending
system victimizes the peasants..

:The situation of Indian farmers has not been changed as greatly as it had been expected
after 73 years of independence. The path of the farmers is covered with difficulties,
majorly financial and natural and their plight has only worsened over the years.
Every year we come across farmers’ pitiable condition which has become a catchy
subject for both offline and online media. Their condition cannot be changed completely as
they are brutally suppressed by the economic and political system and to overcome the
distressful situations, farmers are committing suicides because they think that it is better
to end their lives rather struggle and fight against the system only to lose. The
marginalization of farmers still continue, and their existential battle even today is the
same.
Education for Sustainable Development is not only about being environmentally-friendly;
it also involves developing life-skills including leadership, communication and
management; all of which are extremely important for personal development. Malati’s
initial impression critiques her Western education, which arguably provides the
foundation for her modernity and renders her incompatible with the nationalists’ image of
the ideal woman. However, the narrative slowly builds an alternative interpretation for
Malti and in the process not only justifies her persona but presents it as the desirable
incarnation of the Indian woman.. However, the response of the female audience voices
the simmering discontent of the women against such idealization and poses resistance
against this convoluted glorification of womanhood.
Malti questions, why are only women picked up on as targets for these sermons?
Why are they only charged with the task of fulfilling ideals, making sacrifices, and
upholding traditions? (2019, 148) The questions raised by Malti strikes at the basic
premise of the nationalists’ ideology that held women in charge of maintaining the
sanctity of the inner domestic realm and guided thoughts around women’s education. She
rejects the essentialism that women are inherently suited to making sacrifices and running

51
a household. If female education aims at leading women “towards nature, towards
creation” and not “adult and universal franchise” or “driving the quill” as Mehta argues,
it disqualifies them from seeking the right to vote or employment in courtrooms and
offices (2019, 145). As a result, it deprives them of their freedom to participate in the
public domain and dilutes their agency in the nation’s building by limiting them to their
domestic, marital role. Premchand’s revisionist attempt to create an alternative identity
for women through education and employment, and outside the ubiquitous idea of
marriage, is voiced in
Malti’s sister Saroj’s declaration that “girls no longer want to adopt marriage as
profession” (2019, 146). At a later stage in the novel, Malti’s aversion to marriage is
assessed by Mrs. Khanna, who is represented as the epitome of the ideal housewife.
She points that out in a conversation with Mehta — By setting up a home of our own, by
confining our souls in cage … how can we both hope to reach what both of us wish really
to reach—the infinite? (2019, 318)
Premchand presented the class struggle and caste discrimination prevalent in pre-
Independence India like no other writer. He can be called the first modern litterateur who
brought out the pain and suffering in society, where religion and caste are still the
parameters by which man measures [Link] he raise din Godaan are still relevant
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, in his tribute posted said, -A fine writer and novelist,
his poignant stories centred on farmers, the poor and the extraordinary emotions of
ordinary people.”
Premchand establishes that women need to overcome the belief that irrespective of the
character of the husband, women must stay in marriage and uphold the charade of its
sanctity. Her awareness about the women’s movement for their own development, and
networking in the public sphere with women whose education provided the possibility of
a career and hence financial independence made it possible for her that she can chart her
future. She separates from her husband, files a suit for alimony, and wins the case.
Meenakshi’s situation is narrative of freedom and dignity gained through the dissolution
of marriage. In books like Karambhumi and Godaan, there is a build-up of the thought
that divorce could be an option for women.

52
 Junia -Another woman character from godaan Jhunia is the widowed daughter of a
cowherd Bhola living in Belari‘s neighbouring village Semari. Hori‘s son Gobar develops
a relationship with Jhunia during his visits to Bhola‘s house to negotiate the sale of the
cow,she is an independent woman who sells milk in the market ,but society never accepts
woman who step out of the house and consider her available and treat her cops without
morality .. Jhunia narrates the incident of Panditji who smeared his forehead with sandal
paste but makes advancements towards her in the absence of his wife. He says, “Jhunia
my queen, Day after day you ran away carving my heart with your beauty. But today I
have you”. (40) He falls at Jhunia‘s feet and whines:
―Have a little pity on the poor too. What will you reply when God asks; I gave you so
much beauty and you didn‘t even look kindly at a Brahmin. Speak up, I am a Brahmin,
thirsting for a word from your lips. I get money in alms every day. It‘s your beauty‘s
alms that I crave for today.‖ (40)
Jhunia hurls the pitcher containing milk at his face. He sits down, drenched in milk, badly
hurt and groaning in pain. The incident proves the hypocrisy, corruption and degradation
of moral (89pg) values prevalent in the society.

. Jhunia outside her home to earn a living give him Gobar ample time to regain his
health and find new employment. She begins to derive the same pleasure in her work that “a
baby gets when he suddenly finds he can stand on his legs” (271).
Her decision to seek employment plays a key role in her realization that her entity
constitutes more than being viewed as woman who is confined to doors. Women
entrepreneurs often prioritise social and environmental goals alongside their business
objectives. By selling milk, growing vegetables and working in fields to support their
family, They are more likely to address social challenges, contribute in community
development, and promote sustainable [Link] is the corner stone of sustainable
development .
"Godaan," female characters may engage in conversations about land rights, agricultural
3
labor, and the welfare of rural communities. Hori represents the peasantry which has been

53
Through their experiences and discussions, the women may implicitly convey a deep
understanding of the intersection between social justice, economic empowerment, and
environmental sustainability. Their involvement in agricultural work and their awareness of the
impact of land ownership, agricultural practices, and rural development highlight their potential
perspectives on sustainable livelihoods and community well-being.
2.1.3. Karambhumi (The Arena)
The story focuses on the right path in the fight for justice. Amarkant, the protagonist, is an
idealist who takes a more violent approach for the sake of farmers and untouchables in the quest
for the kind of recognition his wife, Sukhada, gained in her fight for the downtrodden. Besides
the core theme, the story also touches upon the flaming subject of inter-religious marriage.
Unthinkable in the time when the story was penned, inter-religious marriage is still one of the
most contentious topics capable of thrusting a society into a spiral of frenzied violence.
Woman character of Sukhda is presented as a source of initiative and inspiration. She
participates in the political struggle to end the foreign rule, and she is brave, dedicated and
straightforward. According to Prem Chand, "suppressed manhood is virginity,"3 and he assigns a
leading role to the women of his times in the Indian national freedom struggle, so that she could
inspire the men. This is perhaps why Sukda is shown vigorously protesting against the tortures,
immorality and corruption of the police, and the police conceding victory to the masses. She
defends divorce by questioning,
“what’s the harm in that? At least the man won't continue to enjoy himself while his wife
continues to grieve. Divorce should be legalized to make our lives happier.”
By rejecting marriage and considering divorce as an option, Premchand creates space in the
novel for a symbolic subversion of the nationalist idea of the ideal housewife. Essentially, the

54
success of the marginal narratives of Malti, Meenakshi and Gapru sisters depends on women’s
educational training, which gave them the necessary thrust to occupy positions in the public
sphere, and on the ability to reflect on their positions identity outside the concept of marriage.
This undermines the feminine principles of the “new patriarchy,” in which the goal of women’s
education is to prepare them for committed roles in the family and as husbands. Godan’s stories,
big and small, have stood the test of time. We recognize this life.
The question-of Equality in Karambhumi: By this time, India’s struggle for independence
witnessed the emergence of the non-cooperation movement (1920), and Gandhi’s civil
disobedience movement (1930) and Satyagraha, which saw an unprecedented
participation of Indians of all classes, regions and religions, and specifically of women.
Sukhda, herself born and brought up in luxury, is an intelligent, fierce and wealthy
woman. She labels Amarakant’s idealism as “the hypocrisy of hypocrites” (Premchand
2006, 43) However, during Amarkant’s absence, acting on an impulse, she gets involved
in the agitation of the untouchables demanding access to the local temple. Naravane
informs that “Sukhda is the first among Premchand’s female characters who take up the
leadership of a mass movement” (1980, 154). This action is the harbinger of her eventual
success as an esteemed social and political leader.
Premchand's story raised many questions, it begins with a question about the identity of
women and ends on a very radical note. Eventually, when two women find out who the
protagonist is and that she is a married woman belonging to a well-known upper-caste
family, they ask her for help. They are now worried about her; but this is about qualifying
each man as the “owner of the woman.” All the other identities are discarded now.
Before, they were faced with the dilemma between helping her or criticizing her. It is
acceptable to be sick and to belong to a well-known family. But these questions have
always focused on the identity of a woman who is alone and outside? There are some
assumptions: When a woman is asked to stay at home within her boundaries, we assume
that she is at home and that no one other than her husband is attracted to her. These
assumptions lead to a very blurred identity for women in our society. Women charcters
like sukdha and Saloni listens to the demands of people rather than resorting to political
expediency. Thus, the women in Prem Chand represent humane values and make him a
writer of lasting significance. As a social realist, Prem Chand successfully presents the

55
various problems of the Indian women of his times. As a social reformer, he suggests
several ways to emancipate them. His works depict the condition and attitudes of women
sympathetically. Karambhoomi discuss the Status of Indian Women it talks about Love
relations before marriage; Dowry system and women; Incompatible marriages; the
problems of widows; .Prostitution and women; and . Women and the national movement..
Sukhda is a torch bearer social work, including compassionate service to others,
encouraging equality for all individuals, social justice, and strengthening human
connections. Her personality demonstrate the importance of social work today since
social workers' values impact people, families, and culture. Sustainable development can
be achieved by engaging in social work and how it can help in balancing the ecological
environment and can leads us to empowerment.
Sachs (2015) writes that a good society ‘is not only an economically prosperous society
(with high per capital income) but also one that is socially inclusive, environmentally
sustainable and well governed’ (p 12). In this context, social workers promote the
building of a good society especially for the vulnerable sections of society who often get
neglected in the process. It is therefore our objective to understand the SDG agenda and
find our place as professional social workers in building a better society for all people.
Women rights are not only a moral imperative but also a strategic imperative for
sustainable development. The crucial question that has been raised by this story is about
the education of other characters and their mentality. What are the reasons and factors
that has created such a mentality? The identities that have been given to women are very
contrasting and judgmental. She can either be a Kulvadhu or a Vaishya, why women are
always questioned and suspected by the society. The only category that can define her is
either that of mother or that of wife, and the internal differentiation within the category of
“mother” is never mentioned, even indirectly. Many women display a conceptualization
of themselves as ‘women’. Regardless of whichever community or institutions they
belonged to, women worked within a categorization that represented them through
negation, repression and opposition. Their actions could be radical, but the
representations of them were as merely liberal or more typically as conservative ones,
this is why at the end of the story she is told,

56
“You should have come along with a male counterpart.” She was again identified as
someone’s wife or sister. She herself questions, “Why there is such a need?” This woman
believed that she is a self-respecting individual and is sufficient on her own.” (20-26pg)
Sukda is shown vigorously protesting against the tortures, immorality and corruption of
the police, and the police conceding victory to the masses. Prem Chand had a deep
sympathy for the exploited. Thus, the women in Prem Chand represent humane values
and make him a writer of lasting significance.
Sukhda’s success in the public domain creates a narrative contrary to what the
nationalists’ resolution of the women’s question offered.. It resided safely within the
boundaries of the household and was upheld by the spiritual devotion of the wife. With
the reverence granted to the housewife, the approach arguably had reformative
implications for women as the nationalists moved away from traditional patriarchy that
considered women inferior, practiced purdah or veil, and prohibited female literacy
(Walsh 2004). However, while the new order meant a declining control of the elders, it
created a new form of patriarchy that imposed an increasing control of the husband over
his wife. This “new patriarchy” and the nationalists’ insistence on the purity of the inner
domestic space enabled reforms only as long as a woman undertook them without
“jeopardizing her place at home” (Chatterjee 1999, 246).
Premchand has very efficiently presented the questions from inside the story, as well as
asking some questions from outside the story, which a reader could ask for himself or
herself. After reading the story, a very important question that arose in our mind is
regarding the differential educational exposure to both women and men in our societies.
This puts a question on our commitment to create a rational, independent, and self-
sufficient women who are confident & assertive. Prem Chand has depicted the women
characters belonging to both the higher and the lower castes, but emphasized on the latter
who struggled against their exploitation. Women from all sections of society were
victims of exploitation and torture and Prem Chand's main aim was to develop in them
consciousness of their condition. To achieve this aim, he presented women who were
socially and politically conscious. In fact, his fiction depicts the continuously widening
consciousness of women. In his earlier writings, the female characters are shown fighting
against personal disabilities, subsequently, they stand up to family and social taboos, and

57
 ultimately, they blossom into patriots and fight for the freedom of the country. In his
works, the woman progressively achieves self-emancipation, which raises her status in
society, proves her cultural prestige and enables her to participate in public affairs and
political life of the country. Such portrayal of women aimed at motivating women to fight
against their exploitation, as also to provide inspiration to the other exploited sections of
society to do the same.
This change in role and identity required women like Sukhda to step out of the house, a
situation that was encouraged, but also imagined as dangerous by the nationalists and the
“new patriarchy". Orsini comments that the “nationalists believed that woman would
provide moral and numerical strength (to the movement) yet the danger to the ‘moral
purity’ of the society was perceived to be great” (2002, 245).
Sukhda’s demand for equal treatment in marriage and an exchange of fulfillment of
respective duties of the husband and wife. She demands reciprocity and denounces
the perspective that a wife must submit to the husband’s wishes and approval with no
regard to how he treats her. She refuses to bear the burden of the nationalists’ program
where home becomes representative of the national culture and only “women must take
responsibility for protecting and nurturing” it (Chatterjee 1999, 243)
When Amarkant objects to her initiative as anticipated in the nationalists’ dictate, she
blatantly questions, “If I do not work, how you expect the household to run on your
wages?” (2006, 111).
She insists on equality of rights and responsibilities within marriage and takes equal ownership for
her participation. When Amarkant initially decides to leave his father’s home without taking
Sukhda along .
My relationship with this house is not live here, then what is there for me in this house? I promise I
won’t ask you for anything. You won’t have to bear any hardship because of me. I can also earn
something. (2006, 44)
However, Premchand frustrates the possibility of an increased control of “new patriarchy” when
Amarkant leaves Sukhda, his absence resulting in her liberation from his likely dominance.
Premchand then metaphorically shatters the borders of the household through Sukhda’s
spontaneous participation in the ongoing temple demonstrations when she comes forward to take
the bullets being fired on the protesters who were running away in panic. When Premchand
asserts that “seeing a woman standing up to bullets, even cowards were ashamed,” he empowers

58
his heroine to move from a gender identity that was considered weak andunsuitable for presence
in the public realm to her replacing men in that space (2006,183).

When Amarkant objects to her initiative as anticipated in the nationalists’ dictate, she blatantly
questions, “if I do not work, how you expect the household to run on your wages?” (2006, 111).
Her question exposes the colonized men’s failure and loss of control in the public sphere while
giving legitimacy to wom-en’s argument for their own progression beyond the “inner” world. It
reflects Premchand’s stance of bringing the Indian woman out from the confines of the house
hold.

Saloni another charcter from karambhoomi a poor labourer and peasant has enough social
consciousness to enable her to fight for her rights. Subsequently, she links herself to the struggle
for the country's freedom ,she participates in the political struggle to end the foreign rule, and she
is brave, dedicated and straightforward. According to Prem Chand, "suppressed male chauvinism
“and he assigns a leading role to the women of his times in the Indian national freedom struggle,
so that she could inspire the men.
In Karmabhoomi the suppression of the untouchables. They are prevented from entering the
temples and on one occasion they are thrown out by the Brahmachari. Dr. Shantikumar fights
on their behalf and paves the way for Karmabhoomi. He shows that “Man’s arena for work is his
character. The basis of religion is truth and a good character. No one can be separated on the basis
of religion.” 125)
Dr Shantikumar in Karmabhoomi, teaches them self-respect and made them confident and prepares
them untouchability. In anger he says “God is not the property of everyone. Nobody can put him
in his box. Today, this matter should be solved forever.” (140) Sick and tired of the bondage at
home as well as that of British, Amar leaves Sukhda and moves to a village where he meets Munni
and gets totally involved in the freedom struggle and works for the welfare of his fellow
brothers. The school which Amarkant had started had become a success in the village- People of
all ages from far and near attended the school in which he taught politics and sociology and it was
because of his efforts that untouchability and killing of Cows, not only vanished from his village
but also from the surrounding villages.
Being greatly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's satyagraha movement, Premchand weaves this
novel around the social goals. Human life is portrayed as a field of action in which the character
and destinies of individuals are formed and revealed through their actions

59
Karambhoom teach us the importance of nonviolence Mahatma Gandhi was perhaps one of the
greatest advocates and visionaries of sustainable development for humanity.
 2.1.3. Sustainable Development Teachings from Karambhoomi
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has raised the bar for human aspirations,
Gandhi’s
Philosophy is words – ‘leave no one behind’ – a central tenet of the Sustainable Development
(SDGs). The declaration for commits to “endeavour to reach the furthest behind first”.
Sukhda’s, a female character in Karambhoomi, statement carries her demand for equal
treatment in marriage and an exchange of fulfillment of respective duties \
She demands reciprocity denounces the perspective that a wife must
submit to the husband’s wishes and approval with no regard to how he treats her. She
refuses to bear the burden of the nationalists’ program where home becomes
representative of the national culture and only “women must take responsibility for
protecting and nurturing” it (Chatterjee 1999, 243). Furthermore, she talks about equality
of rights and responsibilities within the marriage and shares her husband’s
responsibilities. When Amarkant initially decides to leave his father's house without
taking Sukhda by saying that my relationship with this house is only because you and if
you will not live here, then what is there for me in this house? She says that I promise I
will not ask you for anything. You will not have to bear any hardship because of me. I am
also capable enough to earn something. (2006, 44) In Karambhoomi, Saloni, a poor
labourer and peasant has enough social consciousness to enable her to fight for her rights.
Subsequently, she links herself to the struggle for the country's freedom.

60
Gender equality and women’s empowerment is not only a fundamental human right, but a
necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Sukhda feels
concerned with the country's problems and protest against the widespread superstitions in
the village, but they are also mindful of the country's freedom. Sukhda wanted to start a
great strike for their rights so that the pride of the members of municipality would have a
fall. After getting involved in struggle Sukhda realises, Amarkant’s opposing to wealth in
his fights for truth and reality and she also realizes
“What the slavery of the Britishers’ for 150 years had given to the Indians?” The
voluntary participation of Sukhda in the ongoing temple demonstrations when she comes
forward to take the bullets being fired on the protesters shows her courage. Premchand
empowers his heroine by saying that “seeing a woman standing up to bullets, even
cowards were ashamed.” He has presented the female character to move from a gender
identity that was considered weak and unsuitable for presence in the public realm to her
replacing men in that space (2006, 183). Sukhada's conduct on the streets, coupled with
the narrative strategy of her husband's absence, symbolizes a role shift where her identity
shifts from being the protector of the sanctity of her own home to that of the protector of
the wider society, the nation. When she is called as the “the goddess of victory,” now her

status has been changed from being a housewife who can participate and stand in public
realm (2006, 185). The use of the term "goddess of victory" is significant because it changes
her identity from Grihalakshmi or "goddess of the home" to nagar ki rani or "queen of the
city" and makes her outside the confines of her home.
Here Shukda’s karambhumi or the arena changes—from home to nation. This shift in her
role and identity required women like Sukhda to step out of the house. This situation was
imagined as dangerous by the nationalists and the “new patriarchy". They promoted
modernity and adopted the progressive aspects of the Western civilization, but along with
this they wanted that the spiritual essence of the national culture must retained in the
image of the chaste and devoted wife. Premchand transcended this representation by
imagining Sukhda as a respected socio-political leader, with an identity different from
that of the housewife. In envisaging such emergence of the Indian woman out of the
broken home it is necessary male-female equality within marital relationship that Sukhda
raises through her journey. Sukhda was “brought up like a son in

61
luxury instead of denial” and “this young woman with masculine qualities was wedded to
a young man with feminine traits who lacked manly virtues” (2006, 7). Such introduction
of Sukhda and Amarkant as individuals and as couple is guided by the gender
essentialism where man and woman are brought up and developed in different manner. It
is considered that women are financially, emotionally and socially dependent, and
inferior to men, but Premchand does not fall into these societal parameters.
Later, it is seen that Renuka Devi is also arrested but she also tries to make the people
realise how the East India Company was misusing them. Gradually all the leaders who
were struggling for the nation ended up in jail and Naina who was Amarkant’s sister
assumes the leadership but this was not acceptable to her husband Maniram and he shoots
her up in public. In Karmabhoomi female characters are not marginalized as non-entities.
We can see this clearly through the portrayal of Sukhda who when jailed refuses to fight
for her release. The freedom struggle was started by a woman who joined hands with Dr.
Shantikumar and the Karmabhoomi of freedom struggle ended with the death of another
lady Naina. In the end of Karmabhoomi we see that the way for independence has
gradually been paved and thus, the visualization of Premchand in seems to be
accomplished. Sukdha in ‘karambhumi’ foresee their emancipation in terms of the
country's freedom. Prem Chand believed that the Indian women are "ideal women" and
they are the epitome of love, sacrifice, devotion and purity. Jalpa is one such woman
about whom Prem Chand says: “My ideal women represent at one-point sacrifice, selfless
service and purity." His good women face the hard realities of life which induce in her
self-confidence. It is this self-confidence born of her struggle that motivates and play an
active role in the freedom struggle and loves her country. “Besides, she has moral
courage, so much so that she would not give false evidence to save her husband and send
an innocent person to the gallows.” (116) Along with the plight of women with
sensitivity, Prem Chand has also presented and underlines that the Indian women
possesses qualities which would help her in solving her problems. A look at his women
characters would show that he was one of the finest feminists and used his literary skill to
bring about the emancipation of women. This point of view of Prem Chand about women
is reflected in his every creation.

62
Throughout "Godaan," Dhania actively engages in agricultural work, demonstrating her
practical knowledge of sustainable farming practices. Her involvement in sowing seeds,
tending to crops, and managing farm activities taking care of cow, underscores her role as
a steward of the land. Through her actions, Rupa and Dhania embodies an ecofeminist
perspective by integrating her connection to the natural environment with her
responsibilities as a caretaker of the land. Her participation in agricultural labor reflects a
holistic understanding of sustainable land use and ecosystem preservation. Thakur’s Well
“The Thakur’s Well”, the author Premchand offers before the readers the poignant
predicament of the low-caste people and their struggle to get pure water which is a basic
need for a man to survive. "Thakur’s Well" highlight the struggle of woman against caste
discrimination where people are deprived of their basic need i.e. water. The story begins
with sick Jhoku who was thirsty and tries to drink water from the lota near him but he
finds it stinking. In this story the women characters may discuss sustainable agricultural
practices and water conservation strategies, recognizing the interconnectedness between
their community's well-being and the health of the environment. Their conversations may
reflect a concern for sustainable resource management and the impact of environmental
degradation on their livelihoods and society as a whole. Furthermore, their roles in
managing household resources and agricultural activities may highlight their practical
knowledge of sustainable practices and ecosystem management.
72
Gangi , and her husband is a poor Dalit couple. quench the thirst of her sick
husband she decides to bring water from the Thakur's well.
Gangi the protagonist tries to get pure drinking water for her ailing her husband as he
demands for glass of water she gives pot wherein it was stored .
7
He becomes angry and scolds her,
It stinks. It is not drinkable I’m parched and all you can give this awful smelly
water!”(6pg)

63
Dalits like her were not allowed same. She was very well aware ,if she will be caught,
she'll be beaten to death but she still decides just to help her ailing husband. She goes to
to pull a potful of water from Thakur’s well when nobody is there. She refuses to succumb
to societal norms.
At the end the story left the impression that Gangi is full of courage and has a strong will
power. Despite being acquainted with all the danger she completed the task efficiently in
the dark. While waiting for an opportunity to fetch water well. They do not have the
courtesy Men give orders as if the women are slaves. The conversation reflects the society
of those days. Women were treated like slaves and were exploited by men. Women have no
rights then.
2.1.4. Theme Untouchability
The people of Thakur’s family when they heard the sound at the well they attempt to
open the door. When Gangi hears the sound of the door she leaves the rope that was on
the pully and runs away t o save life., the pot falls into kaun with a “loud splash”(7pg )
After all this when she comes back to home she sees Jakhu (her husband) drinking the same
smelly water. Here we can compare good water to the independence of the low born and
illness of Jakhu to the untouchability and the attempts made by Gangi to the struggles of
the untouchables to free themselves from the clutches of social cruelty. As we have
discussed already seen Premchand is the realistic writer. He takes the theme of the Indian
society of his time. During those days untouchability was there in practice. So, he chooses
this untouchability as the theme of his story which was there in vogue. Premchand himself
says, “I never write a story for the sake of describing the incident and event. I write for
only one reason to present human truth or to show new angle of looking at common and
obvious things.” (189) Thus we find Premchand presenting the social realism and the
inherent social inequality in the society of his days. So, we

can say that “The Thakur’s Well” is the mosaic of realism and untouchability.
Fight for equality: Gangi’s courage to fetch water from well shows her ability to fight.
.'

64
 There wasn't one of them in the village who wasn't
7
cheated, they lied in court, then how were they so high and mighty?”(86)
Premchand’s has portrayed his female characters as the person with strong will power,
have courage and able to take a stand against the orthodox mindset of the society. The
character of Gangi is the rebellious Dalit woman who is willing to deal with the
landlord’s rage only to get clean drinking water for her sick husband. She was defiant and
has the ability to question, if not overthrow, the pervading order. Premchand has
7
articulated the pain and sufferings faced in 20th century
Century. In this book Premchand has not only shown the strong women character but also
depicted the miseries of the Dalit community.
“Premchand could have written from the point of view of a Brahmin, but he chose the
Dalit point of view,” says G.S. Meena, professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University and a
scholar on the works of Premchand. He made people realize the absurdities of system and
the oppression it inflicts been pushed to the periphery.
7
This is what makes him a successful writer. The dialogues between Gangi and Jhoku
underscore the stark inequalities and oppression faced by lower-caste individuals at the
hands of the higher-caste Thakurs. Gangi and Jhoku share their experiences of
mistreatment and humiliation, illustrating the deeply entrenched caste-based

65
discrimination prevalen there.
“You’ll get only broken arms and legs, nothing else. Sit quietly. The brahmin will bless
you with curses, the Thakur wield his lathi, and Sahuji charge five for one. No one feels
our pain. Even when we die, no one comes to see, least of all to lend his shoulder to the
bier. Will such people let you draw water?”(83pg)
Water as a Metaphor :Premchand has wisely used a metaphor - “water”- that functions as
the pivot of his discussion. It is believed that life evolved in water. Therefore, “water” is
more essential than air for the existence of life. Without a drink of water, no being can
live. Therefore, this metaphor is well suited in depicting the extent to which a so-called
untouchable is deprived of their rights. Even today clean water and sanitation is
important for Environment and sustainable development.
U.N research says water and sanitation related diseases remain among the major causes
of death in children under five; more than 800 children die every day from diarrhoeal
diseases linked to poor hygiene. Proper water and sanitation is a key foundation for
achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including good health and gender equality.
(United nation 2030 goals)
Gangi is a woman of will. She expresses her will to get education and learn new things
for self-improvement and this met with skepticism and derision from Halku , her
dialogues reflects how the lower-caste individuals often face limited opportunities and
are discouraged from aspiring to a better life.
Through "Gangi Dialogues," the author emphasizes the deep-rooted class divide in the
village and the systemic nature of discrimination. The Thakurs maintain their dominance
and privilege while the lower-caste individuals struggle for basic rights and dignity. The
dialogues also touch upon instances of caste-based violence and exploitation,
highlighting the vulnerability of lower-caste individuals to physical harm and abuse.
7
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) "I want to learn to read and write. Just like the educated and respected people, if I
too learn to read and write, I will receive respect."
"People like Thakur sahib have trampled upon us. How long can we endure this
humiliation and shame?"
“There is no lack of anything in life; we just need love and respect."(85-87)
4
That's right, and you'll never see them pick up the pitcher and fetch it themselves. They
though we were slaves( 87-88)
Premchand is the realistic writer. His work is based on the theme of the Indian society.
During the earlier days untouchability was rampantly practiced. Premchand has always
highlighted the evils of society in his books and in “Thakur’s Well” he chooses the
concept of untouchability and people’s struggle against it. Premchand himself says,
“I never write a story for the sake of describing the incident and event. I write for only
one reason to present human truth or to show new angle of looking at common and
obvious things.”8 Thus, in his book he has Premchand presented the reality of society.
Hence, we can say that the story "Thakur Ka Kuan" is a mosaic of realism and
untouchability.
“You'll come back with your arms and legs broken, that's all. You'd better just sit
down and keep quiet. The Brahman will give a curse, the Thakur will beat you with a stick,
and that money-lending shopkeeper takes five for every one he gives. Who cares what
people like us go through? Whatever they say about giving some help, we can just die
and nobody will even come to this door to have a look. Do you think people like that
are going to let you draw water from their well?”

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Through these characters, even in the absence of explicit discussions on sustainable
development and ecofeminism, Premchand's works offer glimpses into the potential
concerns, interests, and struggles of women within the context of environmental
sustainability and social equity. The interconnectedness of gender, environment, and
society can be subtly discerned in the portrayal of female characters, allowing for an
exploration of their potential agency and insights as stewards of both their communities
and the natural world. Prem Chand's ideas on the status of women suggest that he was
well acquainted with the problems of women and had a deep faith and belief that Indian
women are capable enough to put an end to their humiliation, oppression, and sufferings.
According to him the people who are oppressed and suppressed by the society has
enough strength to fight against their exploitation. Prem Chand has portrayed his women
characters as fighting against their social domination as well as trying hard to become
economically self-reliant. The writer believes that for the growth of society the
cooperation between man and woman is very essential. According to him, "without the
woman's cooperation man cannot do anything alone." No work will be completed until
women involve in that work.
Premchand has not only shown the sufferings and empowerment of women but has also
presented the discrimination prevalent in society. In early Vedic period was divided into
four Varnas as Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. These varnas were arranged in a
hierarchy, in which the Brahmins were at top followed by the Kshatriyas who were
warriors, the Vaishyas were responsible for trade and Shudras was the laboring class.
Earlier it this division was based on the profession but gradually it was developed as a
system based on heredity. The Shudras were considered as untouchables

68
 and they were kept outside the village. But now a day’s society is changing because the
people are getting educated and they have stared opposing this practice of untouchability
through various ways. Writing was one of them.
Munshi Premchand didn’t offer a fairy tale or a happy ending style of narration. He had been
a keen observer of happenings around him and portrayed indifferently without mixing his
personal views. He just made society conscious of hardcore reality. And his work Thakur’s Well
is one of the apt examples of his impersonality or negative capability. So far with the ending
when Gangi returns without water and sees her husband “drinking that filthy water holding his
nose with his hand” Premchand justifies T.S. Eliot’s statement -
“The progress of the artist is a continual self-sacrifice, a continual extinction of personality.”
(Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” (The Egoist, in 1914-15).
Gangi central character of Thakur’s well emerging as a strong character which shows one cannot
dare to build equal sustainable development without recognizing that sustainable development
goals must include gender equality and empowerment of women both as a goal.

. They are the one who work more and earn less and not even recognized for their work and
contribution.
2.1.5. Idgaah (Festival Of Eid )
Idgah is all about Hamid’s emphathatic emotions for her [Link] of values ,empthy and
resilence .These characteristic helped him not only to take correct decision but enabled him to
concentrate on his own principles. Hamid did not get distracted by captivating fair stalls and his
friend’s ludicrous comments.,rather he chooses love ,empathy over it.
Amina A poor Muslim women, who is taking care of her grandson, young boy Hamid, It
nearly impossible to survive for a lonely woman whose son died and she has to take care

69
of only male, that is a small child. She is so brave that even poverty did not burdened her
from responsibilities.
In the Story of Idgah by Premchand Amina, the protagonist of the story is woman of
values , who believes in instilling values in her grandchildren. Despite the hardships she
faces in life, Amina has a pure heart and a positive outlook. She is Kind-hearted and
Compassionate towards others. In the story,. Despite her old age, Amina displays a sense
of responsibility beyond her years. She takes care of her grandchildern and fulfills her
daily chores diligently. Providing them emotional Support by nurtruing them with
morals and values ,teachings of his grandmother makes hamid a memorable character.
we can see in the end of a story that poverty couldn’t stop hamid of doing good ,his
character teaches is about real wealth .Wealth is a Measure of Value.
Research by Coall DA, says that Grandparents plays an important role in developing
their grandchildren is emotional support. It also impact their grandchildren’s mental
health. Value instill in hamid by her granny proves that if person is blessed with
unconditional love , a sense of safety and security, can help them to navigate life’s
challenges and uncertainties. (2010) 33(1)
Do you want any toys? How many?’ I will give each one a basket full of toys and teach
them how to treat friends. I am not the sort who buys a piece worth of lollipops to tease
others by sucking them myself. I know they will laugh and say Hamid has brought a pair
of tongs. They can go to the Devil!"
Hamid asks the shopkeeper, “How much for this pair of tongs?"
The shopkeeper looks at him and seeing no older person with him replies, "It’s not for
you."
"Is it for sale or not?"
"Why should it not be for sale? Why else should I have bothered to bring it here?"
"Why then don't you tell me how much it is!"
"It will cost you six pice."
Hamid's heart sinks. "Let me have the correct price."
"All right, it will be five pice, bottom price. Take it or leave it." Hamid steels his heart
and says, "Will you give it to me for three?" (13-14pg)

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 2

"Try and throw your water-carrier on the ground. Every bone in his body will break."
Mahmood says, "Are these tongs some kind of toy?" (13 -14)
Through the story Premchand drives two significant messages: the first, money should be
spent wisely. The second is we must love our dear ones selflessly. The story also throws on
the rich-poor divide where the rich, knowingly or unknowingly, mock the poor. It also
beautifully captures the love of an old grandmother for her grandson. grandson’s
wisdom.
2.1.4. Ameena’s Idgah
Ameena's character seen as embodying principles of nature conservation and sustainable
development through her actions and daily routine. Her daily life revolves around
interactions with the natural world, from cooking on the traditional earthen stove to
collecting firewood and tending to household chores. This connection underscores her
symbiotic relationship with the environment and her reliance on natural resources for
sustenance and livelihood. By cooking on the chulha, a traditional stove fueled by
firewood, she demonstrates a respect for natural resources and the need to use them
judiciously. Her mindful approach to gathering fuel and utilizing it efficiently reflects a
commitment to conservation and sustainable use of resources, showcasing her awareness
of the importance of preserving nature's bounty for future generations. Her traditional
methods of cooking and living aligns with the principles of sustainable development
rooted in indigenous knowledge and practices. By valuing the wisdom passed down
through generations, she embodies a sense of continuity with the past and a respect for
traditional ways of living that prioritize harmony with natur Despite the poverty and
limitations imposed by her rural environment and the constraints of traditional living, she
finds innovative ways to navigate her surroundings and make the most of the resources
available to her grandson Her adaptability and ingenuity in finding sustainable solutions

71
 to everyday needs exemplify a mindset conducive to fostering resilience and sustainable
practices in the long term.
Ameena's character in "Idgah" can be viewed as a preserver of nature and a proponent of
sustainable development through her deep connection to the environment, her resourceful
conservation practices, her commitment to traditional wisdom, fostering values illustrates
the importance of harmonizing human activities with nature. Ameena's character
underscores the value of tradition and the enduring strength of community and family
bonds. It serves as a reminder of the importance of simplicity, gratitude, and the ability to
find happiness in the small moments of everyday [Link], Ameena's cooking on the
chulha in "Idgah" serves as a powerful metaphor for the resilience, resourcefulness, and
warmth of the human spirit. It highlights the beauty and richness of traditional ways of
life, emphasizing the enduring importance of family, community, and love in the face of
adversity.
Grandmother promoting small scalable business -. Hamids granny does petty needle work
to keep their lives get going, so that she afford a sumptuous meal for grandchildren.
Today we are more focusing on Make in India' launched on 25th September, 2014, where
8
Startup of India of the Government of India.

Amina and Hamid are epitome of kindness and empathy they are flag beares of values which
is missing today, United Nations Member States in striving to achieve the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), which says sustainable development can also be achieved through
kindness ,empathy and being passionate UN Agenda represents that- “We are all in the same
boat” and that we need to work together to build a better world.”
[Link] Importance Of Family Values
Premchand women charatcters always promotes the relationship between values and
behavior, specifically addressing the literature that deals with the role of human values in
influencing human behavior relevant to (environmental) sustainability outcomes. One of
the main things we can learn from the story is the importance of family values.

72
Literature provides useful typologies of values and basic sets of models for understanding
how values drive environmental behavior. Much of this literature is oriented around the
generalization of values into a universal framework intended to predict outcomes
(Schwartz, 1987; Schwartz, 1994; Kostina et al., 2015).
Hamid the biggets example of values and sacrifice the conversation between Hamid and
Mohsin shows ,that this little boy had so much control on his desires .

.
Mohsin said, "This time I will let you have it. I swear by Allah! I will give it to you.
Come and take it."
Hamid replies, "You keep your sweets. Don't I have the money?"
"All you have are three peice," says Sammi. you buy for three pice?"( 14-16) Hamid is
highly empathetic and understands the struggles and pain his grandmother endures. His
choice reflects his compassion and his desire to alleviate her suffering, despite being a child,
Hamid displays an exceptional level of maturity by not buyin things for him just because he
want to save that money for iron tongs he want to buy for his grandmother .

73
 [Link]. Premchand’s Idgaah Also Critized Educational System
“Then come big buildings: the law courts, the college and the club. How many boys
would there be in this big college? No sir, they are not all boys! Some are grown-up men.
They sport enormous moustaches. What are such grown-up men going on studying for?
How long will they go on doing so? What will they do with all their knowledge? There
are only two or three grown-up boys in Hamid's school. Absolute duds they are too! They
get a thrashing every day because they do not work at all. These college fellows must be
the same type--why else should they be there!” Through these lines Premchand is
criticizing education system which lacks values and fails to awaken social consciousness;
its only purpose is to use society for individual [Link] should provide an equal
opportunity for self-promotion and accumulation (Arthur Lyon Dahl SDG 2030)

Once on the occasion of Eid festival, Hamid moves to Idgah with other children to offer namaz
and then to enjoy the traditional village fair. Hamid was not wearing new clothes and shoes
and he had got Idee of three paise from his Dadi (Grand Mother), which was very less as compared
to other children of his age. Hamid does his best, keeping pace with the high aspirations of
his more fortunate friends – blessed with the healthy upbringing by his grandmother.
Hamid is a mute spectator throughout what really touches the heart is how Hamid controls his
75
desiresand attractions for sweets and rides and toys through all of it, when other kids of age .

They are teasing him and

playing pranks, enticing him to taste sweets and taking it away as soon as Hamid extends
his hand forward. They are playing typical mischief that children play. They are unaware of the
plight and unfortunate situation in Hamid’s life that pushes him on verge of embarrassment. But
Hamid the confident boy has no impact of all these influences. While wandering through the big
fair, he passes by a section of shops selling iron wares, an area where children would only
encroach on unknowingly. Hamid’s eyes fall on a chimta – a pair of iron tong, and almost in
a flash, the image of his loving Dadi, working on the Chulha(Wood burning Manual Stove) and
making chapattis, revolves before his twinkling eyes. He asked the price and when the shopkeeper
responded, it was of six paise, disappointed Hamid offers three paise all that he has and quickly
moves [Link] the little boy's dispirited face the man agrees to the transaction without

74
a word, for three paise. Facing the ridicule of his friends for the unlikely purchase, One by one,
he checkmates all with his intelligent remarks and silences all of them on why his chimta (iron
tongs) was better and enduring toy than their perishable toys.
His reasoning has now reached the pinnacle and slowly but surely the young audience
surrenders the power of his evident logic.

The court of Allah and are immediately acted, He was imagining, after purchasing the
Chimta that, his Dadi would be so happy and she will share the happiness to all, thus I
will receive bountiful blessings and loads of love from everyone. When he returns home
and shows Ameena, what he bought from the fair, At first she is shocked and annoyed by
his stupidity that instead of eating anything or buying any toy at the fair, he has
purchased a chimta. But when Hamid innocently tells his granny why he had bought this
precious gift that would save her fingers from getting burnt when she cooks, Ameena is
simply overwhelmed with emotions and breaks down in tears.
"Where did you find these tongs?"

"I bought them."

"How much did you pay for them?"
"Three pice.
Granny Ameena beat her head “You are a stupid child! It is almost noon and you haven't
had anything to eat or drink. And what do you buy— tongs ! Couldn't you find anything
better in the fair than this pair of iron tongs?"
Hamid replied in injured tones, "You bum your fingers on the iron plate. That is why I
bought them."(13-25)
The old woman's temper suddenly changed to love not the kind of calculated love, which
wastes away in spoken words. This love was mute, solid and seeped with tenderness.
What a selfless child! What concern for others! What a big heart! How he must have
suffered seeing other boys buying toys and gobbling sweets !
How was he able to suppress his own feelings ! Even at the fair he thought of his old
grandmother. Granny Ameena's heart was too full for words.(25-26)

75
In this story great maturity and the excellence of human qualities has been portrayed ,It
moved to such an extent that readers kept on contemplating over it ,how emotions and
the values generally take a back seat in our fast-paced, competitive city-life. The little
boy’s maturity, compassion, emotional intelligence, empathy teaches us the most
important wisdom of life. No matter what kind of situation we're in. Accepting realities;
and learning how to face the adversities with smile makes us strong soul. Character of
Amina and Hamid teaches to be self-aware, and teach us that even in conditions where
one can barely make ends meet, one can be so magnanimously rich with love,
compassion and all the best human qualities.
Prem Chand's women characters belong to both the higher and the lower castes, but his
emphasis is on the latter who struggled against their exploitation. Women from all
sections of society were victims of exploitation and torture and Prem Chand's main aim
was to develop in them consciousness of their condition. To achieve this aim, he
presented women who were socially and politically conscious. In fact, his fiction depicts
the continuously widening consciousness of women. In his earlier writings, his women
characters have family values on the other hand they had ability to fight against personal
disabilities, subsequently, they stand up to family and social taboos, and ultimately they
blossom into patriots and fight for the freedom of the country. In his works, the woman
progressively achieves self-emancipation, which raises her status in society, proves her
cultural prestige and enables her to participate in public affairs and political life of the
country. Such portrayal of women aimed at motivating women to fight against their
exploitation, as also to provide inspiration to the other exploited sections of society to do
the same.
As expressed by Hart (1997), often we try to educate children about environmental
problems, equality, participation and many other such issues but not for these problems.
Education in the latter case, would not remain confined to passing on loads of
information for memorizing and forgetting but also include internalization of the
information, development of skills and attitudes to meet these challenges. We need to
allow students to think, reflect, discuss debate and act rather than listen to what has been
thought and done. Children also need to understand that Values for Sustainable it is for
'us' rather than 'some one else 'to act. Besides, only through direct Development

76
participation can children develop a genuine appreciation of democracy and a sense of
their own competence and responsibility to participate.
skills and values is not only directed towards action but emerges in the context of
preparing for (i.e. the enquiry) and taking action”
Through charaters like Ameena and Hamid Premchand wants to highlight that
progressive a p p r o a c h .

CHAPTER 3
ECOFEMINISM PERSPECTIVE AND
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN RK NARAYAN
WRITINGS
3.1.1. Introduction

th
75 st
In the 20 as well as in the 21 century,
been witnessed by human beings that the earth is going to encounter environmental
change, and this change is directing us to a disastrous future. All the branches of human
knowledge are concerned about this. In this respect, literature is not silent and plays a
significant role. Ecofeminism analyses nature in literature, it traces environmental
disruption and comments on the overall situation for a solution. This chapter try to
explore the sustainable development through ecofeminism aspects or the aspects of
nature and environment in the writings of Rk Narayan .In his very first novel
‘Swami and Friends’ he tries to evaluate as a writer of Nature. ‘Swami and Friends’ is
Narayan’s first novel. Outwardly, the novel a short narrative of the incidents a typical
school boy called Swaminathan (Swami). The novel brings out different aspects in
the

77
life of Swami, during his childhood – such as his life in school, his relation with his
friends, his relation with his family members, his interest in games and outdoor activities,
his adventures and fears and his emotional experiences at different times with different
characters. But, an in-depth study of the novel– ‘Swami and Friends’ which introduced
the imaginary town Malgudi that evolved in the later novels by [Link] gives us a
vivid understanding of Narayan’s views on Nature, and its relation with and impact on
human life.
3.1.2. Women of Malgudi Town in swami and friends-

R.K. Narayan achieved this rare accomplishment by creating the river Sarayu and making
it an immortal character. Beginning with his first novel ‘Swami and Friends’ R.K.
Narayan showcases Sarayu as a dominant element that played a key role in shaping the
lives of the people in Malgudi, their culture, and their socio-economic system. Sarayu not
only added beauty to the town of Malgudi , No ecological system is complete without
aquatic elements such as rivers, ponds, seas, and oceans. The role played by rivers in
shaping human civilization is immense.

Malgudi, the setting of the novel appears like a microcosmic representation of the
universe presenting different characters and situations that can have universal appeal but
in the form of a typical South Indian, middle-class setting. The little town Malgudi can be
considered as an Ecosystem representing – the interdependence of nature and man, the
relation between different elements of nature – the place, the human beings, the animals,
birds, forests, trees, etc. The role played by nature in man’s life and man’s treatment or
ill-treatment of nature – man’s treatment of his fellow elements of nature, etc., are well
represented in this novel. R.K. Narayan provides the description of the nature both in
urban and rural settings. Yet, he appears at his best when he describes the nature in its
pure and rustic form and the wilderness of nature than the urban settings or artificial
settings of nature such as gardens, buildings, etc. The novel indirectly, and in some places
directly, shows how the colonial rule by the British has changed the ecosystem of India
socially and culturally with its introduction of new education system with prominence to
English language, Christian scriptures, criticism of native Indian (Hindu) traditions and

78
culture. The influence can be seen in many areas like education, sports, dressing, food,
etc.
The heart of the novel's plot lies in the depiction of the school life of the child-protagonist
Swaminathan. Hence the description of his family life takes a secondary place. The
female members of his family i.e. his mother and his grandmother are confined to their
respective traditional subordinate roles in a patriarchal Hindu middle class urban family.
They do not directly influence or shape the hero's development path in terms of his
48
education and behaviour as prescribed to do so by the ancient traditions and
customs of Malgudi's orthodox society. social environment, male members such as fathers,
husbands, and sons etc. who have the power to call the shots in family affairs according to
their own preferences.
Swami's mother appears only a few times in the novel. She is depicted as a housewife, an
uneducated housewife, whose sole aim in life is to bear and produce and religiously
protect the interests of all the family members. She has no say or desire to play a role in
her children's career plans or family management. She plays a role of complaining,
whining mother who has nothing meaningful to think about except to complain to her
husband about her child, even as the father scolds the son for it. Swami’s father asks him:
“Where were you yesterday at this time?”
Swami: “Here”
Father: “You are lying. You were not here yesterday You are not going out now.”
The mother joins the dialogue of Swaminathan added her own complaint just add to
father's anger.)
Her comments show her mother's tender concern for the child's physical well-being. But
it reflects her subordinate position .as she has to convey her complaints against the child to
the father who acts as a counsellor in the family. She does not have the courage to express
her grievances freely to the child. Swami was very clear about the subordination of her
mother’s position in the family. He carries his father’s command without any objection bu
at the same time easily and fearlessly expresses his displeasure against his mother. When
asked by his father to bring a piece of cloth to dust

79
his book lying on the table, he goes to mother for the piece of cloth and freely shows her
anger to her because she has complained about him

Mother forgets that she has just complained against him to father and therefore questions
him what he means by saying so. He replies: "You needn't have gone and carried tales
against me. I don't know what I have done to you?" But on the other hand, he dares not
do so against his father. A mother's affection, care, consideration and sensitivity to her
child's safety and well-being are revealed in episodes of his sudden disappearance from
home. She is very worried and distressed as Swami does not come home from school till
late evening. Worryingly,
She asks her husband: “Tell me - tell me - where could the boy have gone? Were you
severe with him for anything in this morning?” Father looks for him at different places,
He fails to get any clue about him. He comes back home and consoles his wife. From
within he is also worried and possibly afraid that the child might be kidnapped or have an
accident. But he puts on a brave face, perhaps ,aware of his masculine veneer expected
to show no sign of weakness in front of his children or female partner. While going out in
search of the boy, he tells her "in a certain loud cheerfulness":“I am going out to look for
him. If he comes before I return, for Heaven's sake don't let him know that I am out for
him. I don't care to appear a fool in his eyes.”
.(174-175) .His attitude and ego were not letting him express his fear and worry about his
child. On the other hand, Swami’s mother was openly expressing her concern and anxiety
about her child. While the novel primarily focuses on the adventures and experiences of
young boys, including the protagonist Swami, it does offer some insights into the roles
and contributions of women characters in the context of ecofeminism and the
environment
[Link]. Mothers of Malgudi
Swami's mother, like many women in traditional Indian households, plays a crucial role
in managing the domestic sphere. Her character can be analyzed through an ecofeminist
lens as she is responsible for household management, which includes resource use (food,
water, and energy), waste disposal, and often tending to small gardens or courtyards. Her

80
 character reflects the intimate connection.
Swami’s mother and Grandmother (Granny) are tradition - abiding, self- complacent, habitually
very obedient, cooperative, traditionalist and passive women Rajam's Mother: Rajam's mother is
another character who appears briefly in the novel. She is a stern and traditional woman who
represents the societal expectations and norms of the time. Her character can be analyzed from
an ecofeminist perspective to explore how gender roles and expectations were tied to the
environment and natural resources in traditional Indian society. Mother says that in her younger
days they had treated the river as a part of the home. Every house in was having access to the river
through a back door. The women bathed and washed and took water in pots. The men sat on its
sand back at dusk and dawn for their prayers. (Malgudi Days 250) She further says: “the river used to
be much nearer to us in those days…it’s somehow moved away so far out. When wells were dug
people became lazy and neglected the river; and no wonder she has drawn herself away.”(p.250)
Narayan’s characters are primarily men whereas women occupies secondary place. He
has created a beautiful s spectrum through which women can be seen from several points
of view. He has acquired a definite place in the history of world fiction on account of his
sustaining vitality and consistency of visions. The heroines of Narayan’s novels are
flimsy. He has himself revealed this fact in his interview with Onlooker:
‘Why was it he had no heroines but heroes in his novels?’ Narayan corrected Onlooker: ‘I
have no heroes, only non-heroes and of course no heroines’. It is because he finds women
determined, patient and self controlled. Their life is controlled by set of rules and
regulations and they are basically clearheaded, at least in the small town world of his
novels and short stories. Men have an inclination to fumble and become not reliable as
Narayan could observe through his insight in human beings and they are usually
uncertain. He found women more stereotyped than men. However some heroines are very
impressive and enchanting. He has depicted contrast characters. One who is traditional
and deep rooted in Hindu culture appears in his early novels
Women play important roles in promoting and protecting the food intake and nutritional
status of their family members through the food they produce and process, and the care-
and health-promoting behaviors they practice. Women contribute directly to family

81
 nutrition and health in two main ways: through producing, processing, and selecting
purchased foods, and through seek-ing and providing care for their family members.
The Women of Malgudi While not central characters, the women of Malgudi, the fictional town
where the story is set, can collectively represent the roles of women in a small, traditional
community. Their responsibilities, which include tending to gardens, cooking, and maintaining
households, are intertwined with environmental aspects such as resource management and
sustainability. The women characters in "Swami and Friends" indirectly influence the boys' lives
8
and decisions, which in turn can have implications for the environment. For example, Swami's
mother's decisions regarding his education and upbringing shape his worldview, which can
impact his future attitudes and actions toward the environment. It's important to note that "Swami
and Friends" is not a novel that explicitly addresses ecofeminism or environmentalthemes.
However, it does provide a window into the gender roles and societal expectations of the time,
and how these roles intersected with environmental aspects in a traditional Indian setting.
Ecofeminism always tries to focus for women, Moreover; it explores women and nature interact
with each other. This critical approach unearths hints and clues suggestive of the environmental
crisis.
Greene said: “It was Mr. Narayan with his Swami and Friends who first brought India… alive to
me” (Swami and Friends 1935)
Malgudi is surrounded by rural areas. Narayan describes the outer area of Municipal limit with
minute details – a streak of water running under the culvert on a short stretch of sand, paddy
fields on the sides of the road, groves of Mango and coconut, the deserted trunk Road during
summer,occasional movement of country carts, (Swami and Friends 79).
Role of Family Relations and Human Relations in swami and friends where Narayan portrayed
Family relations and human relations as inevitable sources of sustenance of the social ecosystem.
Swaminathan and his Grandma shows us how the values are passed
68
from one generation to the other in the form of stories Swaminathan feeling safe and secured in
in care his grandma (Swami and Friends 21) symbolically represents the harmonious relation that
used to exist among the family members barring generations in the joint family system, the fall
of which in the present days is causing many social problems.
R K Narayan therefore, show an interest in the religions and cultures an adheres critics like
Abrams and harpham, they both nicely points out: “Some radical environmental critics maintain

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that the ecological crisis can be resolved , with its anthropocentric view that human beings
because they possess souls transcend nature, and are inherently masters of the non-human world,
and by adopting instead an ecocentric religion which promulgates the In addition to race, class
and gender, should place become a new critical category. Men write and assimilate with nature
differently than women do.
3.1.3. The Guide
In narayan’s guide it is to demonstrate how anthropocentrism has been replaced by
ecocentrism in this novel. It is also intended to explore the interaction between the
novel’s human characters specifically the uncanny interaction and influence of nature on
women characters like the female protagonist Rosie and the wild nature. Besides,the
damages done to the environment by human actions and the consequent environmental
crisis and the effect.
The Guide (1958) is the story of Raju who not only plays the roles of different guides
including that of a fake ‘sadhu’ but also undergoes a sea change and proves to be a real
saint in the end. Besides focusing on issues like enforced sainthood, self-deception and
Indian traditional values, the novel sheds ample light on the environmental concerns.
ecocriticism takes an earth centred approach to literary studies”. One can’t denying that the
modern man’s rat race

for material prosperity has been wrecking our physical environment. Population
explosion, deforestation, exploitation of the natural resources, rapid growth of multi
storey flats and apartments, increasing number of vehicles and factories – all these bring
about the environmental degradation .
3.1.4 Environmental threats in The Guide -
Guide not only focuses on the sights and sounds of nature but also warns us of Environmental
threats. The cruel and thoughtless activities of modern men continue to deal a death blow to our
environment, thus leading the earth to an ecological crisis. The far-reaching consequences of
human actions result in flood, drought, earthquake, global warming and destruction of life on
earth. The present novel addresses such a serious environmental problem, namely drought: “The
river seemed to wind back to the mountain ranges of the Mempi, to its source, where he had
often conducted tourists. Such a small basin, hardly a hundred square feet with its little shrine –
what had happened there to make this river shrink so much here? He noticed that the borders

83
were wide, more rocks were showing, and the slope on the other side seemed to have become
higher” (92)
[Link] has shown his sensitivity he lives in which has resulted in a
redefinition of a number of old norms and values since he “could not stop the winds of the West
from blowing through his Malgudi” (Mathur, 13). Narayan definitely did not approve of the
socially approved method of subduing women by denying them decision-making powers,
dignity, pride and self-esteem. He has been a writer who favors and admires what is right and
proper in human conduct and thus, gives a picture that allows freedom of thought and a scope for
analyzing so that it can be an active agent in society and work for the betterment.
In the novel The Guide, Rosie is one character- a channel which allows mobility of thought
85
which accounts for Narayan’s sensitivity to the aspiring position of women in patriarchy .
Rosie women character comes from temple-dancers. She is given
the privilege to receive formal education and is an M.A. in Economics. No doubt she has
from her early years ‘the making of a liberated woman’ (Mathur, 17). The author has
allowed Rosie to grow independent of the social security, believed to be given only by a
man (father), until her marriage. The absence of fatherly protection indicates Narayan’s
denial of a phallic identity which is made essential for a full-fledged womanly existence
in the society. From the very beginning she is confident and clear in her thoughts. While
she analyses the matrimonial advertisement and questions,
‘Have I looks?’ her answer to her own query is positive. She wanted a live husband who
is sensitive to her needs which is indicated by her statement that she’d ‘have preferred
mother-in-law, if it had one real, live husband’ (The Guide, 76).
She is extremely comfortable with her physicality which patriarchy universally couches
in terms of moral censure. Her body was for her, not an embarrassment but a mode of
expression.
.
The title of the
novel suggests the different roles that are played by the protagonist Raju in his life.

98
born in the lap of nature, Raju first took charge of the railway shack shop that his father
left after his death. Gradually, he became a tour guide at Malgudi railway station and
"came to be known as Railway Raju". One day he falls in love with Rosie, the unhappy wife of
Marco, an incredible scholar. But Lady Fortune refused to support him for long. A few
months after the adultery, Raju made a serious mistake by forging Rosie's signature. He was
arrested, convicted and sentenced to prison. After being released from jail, Raju took shelter in
an old temple near the river. Velan, a villager in Mangal, considered him a 'sadhu'. Ultimately,
he changed himself completely and became a real saint. He fasted for twelve days to bring rain
to the drought-stricken villages. Due to hunger, he collapsed and probably died.
The Guide begins with Raju sitting with crossed legs on a granite slab near an “antique
and ancient temple.” He was completely alone in a milieu of the images and sounds of
nature. It is obvious that the untouched nature has provided them with a safe source of
refuge. Thus, the relationship between the protagonists and the non-human world is
initially established. A beautiful description of nature in the first paragraph deserves
special mention: “The branches of the trees canopying the river course rustled and
trembled with the agitation of birds and monkeys setting down for the night. Upstream
beyond the hills, the sun was setting.” \ Raju did not get any peace in the worldly things but
he find security and peace in the nature. “The Guide” shows a deep connection between
the humans and the environment. There can be no doubt that Narayan has presented a
beautiful and pure environment that continues to soothe the troubled soul of mankind.
Raju’s mother- In the novel the main focus of Velan’s family was to the get their
daughter married off. But the family forgets that the marriage will completely change the
girl’s life. Because of the patriarchal mindset of the society, it has set the limits for
women and has also fixed certain activities, and professions for women based on gender.
when she got to know about Rosie’s profession. According to her, 'they (dancers) are all a
bad sort'” because the Indian society allows women to pick up specified roles and
professions and dancing is not included into those. Rosie's husband Marco embarrasses
13
Rosie's dancing skills by passing them off as street acrobatics and compares her dancing

85
to monkey dancing.. That is why Rosie felt ashamed and she failed to embrace herself
for what she is. She falls for Raju because he has respected her profession and seen her
as she was and this is for the very first time, she is seen to do something on her own and
stand for her happiness. Because of her affair with Raju her husband left her and after
this she went to Raju for support. This sense of dependency is too much prominent in
Indian women as it was not the case only with Rosie, Raju's mother also cannot
function alone. She needed to call her brother while taking any action when Raju
brought Rosie home. Moreover, women's psychological submission hits the most when
Rosie gets insulted repeatedly at Raju's home but does not utter a single word of protest.
Even after getting fame and money she had no control over her own finances. Because of
her submissive mindset she was completely dependent on Raju until he cheats her.
Raju’s patriarchal mindset can be seen through his dialogues when he said that he used
to give commands to Rosie and she used to obey him. He objectified Rosie and called
her his property. only Rosie but the other woman in story are also subjected to
exploitation and subjugated by the people having patriarchal mindset. They are shown
dependent upon the man.
[Link] Traces of Nature and sustainable development in ‘The Guide’
Rosie is a woman with multiple talents. She lived essentially the life of a Devdasi and
then transformed into a very independent girl. She was married to Macro, but left because
of his dominating nature and became a professional classical dancer. The description of
Rosie's personality is uncertain and it is actually difficult to understand her nature and her
behaviour. The first chapter of novel reveals her character as of a free and liberal young
girl who makes her own decisions. Even after her subjugation she completed her M.A.
Economics. Raju prized her and even appreciated her dance moves and he even said that
he had her dream. This gesture of Raju impressed her and after that she started to live
with Raju. Her desire to be loved and cared helped her to go behind him. From the novel
we get to know that Rosie had a very kind heart. Her character is uncertain because of

86
Raju and Marco. They have treated her as an object. By using Rosie’s talent Raju earned
a lot of money. The submissive nature of Rosie can be seen in her words when she says:
“After all, after all, he is my husband… I do and I deserved nothing less. Any other
husband would have throttled me then and there. He tolerated my company for nearly a
month, even after knowing what I had done.”
Narayan beautifully expressed human emotions through nature. When Rosie’s marital life
was in crisis with her husband Marco Narayan refers to the storms and thunders reflecting
turbulence:"As Rosie's relationship with Marco deteriorated, the skies over Malgudi
seemed to mirror her inner turmoil. Dark clouds gathered like ominous omens, and the
distant rumble of thunder echoed her troubled heart."(75-76)
This is a perfect example of pathetic fallacy. Here dark clouds and distant rumble of
thunder stand for the heartbreaking relationship of Rosie and Marco. The phrase ominous
omens and troubled heart compel to understand the struggle of
[Link] nature responds crisis of Rosie to make the readers understand the wound that
she carries with her day by day:
"Amidst the chaos of her troubled marriage, nature responded with its own unrest. The
heavens wept in sympathy with Rosie's tears, and the gusting winds whispered secrets of
her troubled soul to the surrounding trees."(76-77)

Narayan in the last half of the novel mentions about the drought, the crisis of water. now
as a modern reader we know that
deforestation is the main reason of drought. The so-called civilization is the main reason
of environmental degradation. The villagers are the victims of this so-called upgradation:

87
“Cattle were unable to yield milk; they lacked the energy to drag the plough through the
furrows; flocks of sheep were beginning to look scurvy and piebald, with their pelvic
bones sticking out”. (93)
The entire ecosystem was in danger due to the shortage of water. The novelist very
carefully pointed this problem in these lines: “Someone brought the news that upstream a
crocodile had been found dead on the sand, having no watery shelter and being
scorched by the sun. Someone else came with the news that the fast- drying lake bed in a
nearby village was showing up an old temple which had been submerged a century ago,
when the lake was formed”. (103)
Cultural Preservation and Promotion of Art and Culture: Rosie's passion for dance,
especially for the traditional Indian dance form Bharatanatyam, can be seen as a form of
cultural preservation. Because this art form is wide, it also brings a valuable aspect of
Indian culture alive and dynamic. Rosie's dance performances not only entertain but also
educate and inspire the community. Her art has the potential to promote cultural
awareness and appreciation, which can be an essential component of sustainable
development by preserving cultural heritage.
She becomes the victim of her husband's indifference and suffers psychologically as his
discontented wife. Macro is only interested in sculptured figures on walls and stones and
not in his wife "who as dancer was the living embodiment of those images.
Rosie's journey from a suppressed housewife to a successful dancer demonstrates a form
of personal empowerment. Her story can inspire others, particularly women, to pursue
their passions and dreams, contributing to personal development and, indirectly, to the
development of their communities. What Raju newly discovers about Rosie is also a
trobule to the emanicipated 'new woman'. He realises, "Neither Marco nor I had any place
in her life, which had its own sustaining vitality and which she herself had
underestimated all along." (199)
Character of Rosie show that the women owe their characteristic position in society
mainly in two fields-economic dependence and mute servility. Intensifying this situation

88
 is the cumulative nature of gender inequality in India-strikingly similar in the lower as
well as the upper classes. The condition in general of the misunderstood and hapless
women, inspite of occasional sparks of rebellious self, does not undergo any significant
change. Rosie's success as a dancer brings financial stability to her life, which can be
seen as contributing to her personal and family's sustainable development. Economic
well-being is a crucial aspect of overall sustainability.
Rosie's decision to leave her unhappy marriage and follow her artistic passion challenges
traditional gender roles and norms. Her actions can serve as a catalyst for broader
discussions about women's rights and gender equality, which are essential for sustainable
5 5
development.
She remarks, “Is this right what I am doing? After all, he has been so good to me, given me
comfort and freedom….is it not a wife’s duty to guard and help her husband, whatever the
way in which he deals with her?” (The Guide, 106)
It showcased a woman as a Devdasi, who has an illicit affair. It showed Rosie, who has the
resilience to push aside the man who obsess himself and ignores her emotional and carnal
[Link] leaves Marco for Raju because he offers her emotional and social support. Well, it is
her fornication with Raju that brings her away from the traditional family set-up as she indulges
in what is known as a live-in realtionship. Rosie does not hesitate to leave even Raju, when she
comes to know about his deception. “If I have to pawn my last possession, I’ll do it to save you
from jail. But once it’s over, leave me once and for all; that’s all I ask” (P222).

89
This shows her strong resistance against the deeply-rooted Patriarch culture of India. She does
not go back to her husband Marco or Raju, rather she decides to lead her life alone. She is quite
resistant to seek happiness .she is famous dancer. Raju’s following statement stands true for Rosie:
“…Neither Marco nor I had had any place in her life, which had its own sustaining vitality and
which she herself had underestimated” (P223).
Through resistance, Rosie is able to establish her own identity as a dancer.

While "The Guide" primarily focuses on Rosie's personal journey and the impact of her
art on her life and relationships, her character can be interpreted as contributing to
sustainable development through her cultural preservation, empowerment, economic
contribution, and role in challenging gender norms. These contributions, though not
explicitly framed in the context of environmental or ecological sustainability, reflect
aspects of social and personal development that are interconnected with broader
sustainability goals. RK Narayan”s The Guide highlights the kinship between human
world and natural world. it not only shows
the journey of Raju but also treats nature as our friend, philosopher and guide. The
draught brought upon the human world in
this novel is the result of of the inhuman activities done to the nature in the name of
civilization. The deplorable plight of the villagers, the animals, nature etc. in the novels
invites the modern readers to look into the ecocritical crisis with deep concern and
sensitivity. This novel has indirectly talked about Ecofeminism and sustainable
development. Form exploitation and subjugation of the female characters of the novel we
can relate it with the environmental degradation at the hands of human beings.
3.1.4. Man-eater of Malgudi
The earth is suffering environmental change, and this change is directing us to a
disastrous future. All branches of human knowledge are concerned with this subject;
literature did not remain silent and played an important role. Narayan, in his work Man-
eater of Malgudi it traces the process of environmental disruption and comments on the
overall situation for a solution. Rangi women character fits well into this framework of
Narayan's art of characterization. She suffers from her mistakes and shortcomings on a
moral level. But there are some good things in her too which enhance her personality.
She is humanitarian, philanthropic and has a woman's heart that pulsates with the
cosmically noble feelings of compassion, charity, generosity and kindness towards

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This philosophy shows women, are abused and dominated by man. Women are very
closer to the earth and Mother Nature as women go under the process of biological
changes in their bodies like ovulation, pregnancy, giving birth, breast feeding and much
more just like nature changes with the cycle of seasons. So, an Eco-feminist writer
raises their voice against damage and social injustice against women. Rangi has
succeeded her in the temple. Before that Rangi has studied in a school for a while,
joined a drama troupe which toured the villages, and come back to the town after
seducing all the men folk she had set eyes on. According to Sastri, she is the worst woman
who has ever come back to Malgudi. This is how the emergence of Rangi has been
narrated by Sastri and accepted and granted by Nataraj. There are some inconsistencies
in the narration. The narration is totally biased as it is narrated by the male representatives
of the society.

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 The two major or main characters of this novel are Rangi and Nataraj’s wife.
Rangi’s murky, inferior and immoral social background is borne out by the way of her
mother’s life and her own early life. She joins drama after receiving a little education at a
local school. This shows that she is not ready to bow down to the world, she finds her
own generous path and this is dictated by the unequal position given to her mother by the
5
society . According to Nataraj, Rangi is a notorious character .

Here he adds the adjective ‘notorious’ on the basis of the social construction of the idea
of Rangi. Even Sastri informs Nataraj in the following manner- “All sorts of low-class
women are wondering around this press now a day” (Narayan 84).
Here Sastri never takes it in his consideration that these women are being used by the
mean-minded male representative of the society. But those male representatives never
become talk of the town. They don’t become ‘notorious’ and ‘low-class’ in the eye of the
society. This is parallelly true in respect of the environment and nature. We are using
nature and its elements to the fullest extent. We are using them in whatever ways they are
most useful to us. Even, we are destroying them at our sweet will. Still, we are imposing
negative implication on them. An account of the origin of the Rangies can be relevant
5
here to relate women and nature to the point. Rangi is the daughter of Padma,.
According to the narration of Nataraj, Padma is a singer who could sing and dance.

92
Characters like Rangi and Padma are torch bearer of changes ,they are preserve of culture
ulture and cultural heritage can help to achieve inclusive and sustainable development
,who through the art of music and dancing balance access to cultural heritage promoting
sustainable development
Rangi when comes to know intention of killing kumar makes up her mind to save her she
informed the natraj about the danger by taking risk of her [Link] meets Natrajand says:
“listen he is talking to shoot your Kumar tomorrow, be careful”(157) her love for
animals and goodness has been traced ,she put her stand stating.

6
I am also a woman of the temple and I love that elephant it must not be shot.
.When Natraj aks her whether she had taken opium that she I stalkingin such manner,she
puts forward her case, the plea that she offers prove that she is certainly a saintly woman
according to excerpt of Bhagwad Gita. She differentiate between her karma and
dharma and her dharma motivates her to save live of innocent animal.
“Sir, I am only a public woman, following what is my dharma. I maybe a sinner to you,
but I do nothing worse than what some of the so-called family women are doing. I
observe our rules. Whatever I may do I don’t take opium” (Narayan 121).
C.D Narsimhaiah regards Narayan’s The Man-Eater of Malgudi as an anti-climax coming
as it does after, The Guide, an undisputed masterpiece. It has been highly praised by a
number of critics and regarded as one of his finest works. Its popularity was immediate
and universal. On its publication, it was highly praised by the editors of Times 2022
JETIR July 2022, Volume 9, Issue 7 ). Critics have found that the problem of people’s
unequal exposure to climate variability and consequent deprivation of basic human rights
lie mostly in the past. Moreover, Rangi presents the liberal yet compassionate part of
nature she inherits from her mother it shows we are part of this world around, she
belongs to murky, inferior and immoral social background is borne out by the way of her
mother’s life and her own early life. After her mother Rangi takes her place as a temple
dancer and leaves her with the drama troupe. Padma, being old and unattractive now, is
no more an apple of Damodar’s eye. He feels fed up with, her. She senses his
disillusionment with her. She, therefore, leaves his house and demanded a hefty sum of
money on the threat that she will expose to

93
the inhabitants of the place that Rangi is his daughter in case he does not part with the
desired amount of money. Due to fear of jeopardizing his reputation among his own
people, Damodar had to accept his demand. Shastri told all these details about Rangi and
her family background to Nataraj when he unexpectedly saw her coming down the stairs
of Nataraja's printing press early one morning. It was currently occupied by Vasu with the
promise of paying monthly rent, which he never actually fulfils. Vasu exploits the women as
well as the nature. After meeting the forest officer, he started hunting the wild animals and
did not even stop when Natraj asked him to do so. At last tried of Vasu’s bad habits and
acts Natraj asked him to vacate his shop but at this Vasu replied rudely and refused. We,
the h u m a n s so apathetic towards nature and ecology on the basis of our overpossessive
and anthropocentric notion we hold. In many cases, we violently do injustice towards nature
without thinking its fatal outcome. Nature in the same way, brings violent catastrophe
upon human. In this context,
R.K Narayan has delineated such horrible picturesque by referring to Vasu, the
taxidermist and the pioneering character of this novel. People like Vasu who are coercing
on human and non-human animal even nature is not beyond of this, are every inch
responsible for what is civilization going on in the present scenario and what is yet to
come.
[Link]. Cruelty against animals
The Man-Eater of Malgudi that the forestry officer Ramaswami is bound to kill at least
18 elephants and 60 tigers in his life and the reason behind this is to save human life
which is an anthropocentric idea for the reason that intrusion in the abode of animals
makes them unrest and consequently they are bound to attack human habitation. The
novels based on the stories of hunting, for example, the novels are the attitude of Vasu
towards human beings, and from this, it is not very difficult to conjecture his attitude to

42
non-human lives. To Vasu, for example, an elephant is just a matter of earning money. In
a very playful and light-hearted manner, he describes the monetary benefit of a dead
elephant in this way.
Md. Ali Rayhun Sarker in his article has described Rangi as an eco-friendly character in
“The Man Eater of Malgudi” who is a dependent woman on patriarchal society. She is
dependent both economically and physically. Vasu treats her as a sex-slave and no better
way than an animal in cage. However, Rangi feels an inner connection between her
femininity and animal in nature. That is why she goes to Nataraj to take immediate
initiatives to save Kumar, the elephant. Rangi’s passionate love for an animal reminds the
quote of Kafka “Animals are closer to us than human beings. That is the bars of the cage.
We find relations easier with animals than with men.”(1-10)
Vasu has started a war against animals and nature. He enjoys the pleasure of victory
whenever he gets success in hunting the innocent animals of forest. In his conversation
with Nataraj, he reasons that as human beings are civilized, educated and cultured, they
should always try to prove their superiority to nature and he places science as one kind of
opponent to nature. He is a murderer of innocent creatures and his malignity towards
nature is depicted and very clear by his words, “We have constantly to be rivaling Nature
at her own game. Posture, look, the total personality, everything has to be created.”
At this Nataraj replied that “This man had set himself as a rival to Nature and was
carrying on a relentless fight.”(52-3)
The author has also portrayed some characters as protector of the nature and the animals
who have positive aspect of looking towards the nature, Nataraj, Rangi, Muthu, Sastri can
be included in this list. Nataraj wants to protect Kumar because of his religious faith and
his consciousness. He had a feeling of responsibility, care, love and petty for the innocent
6
animals wh he wants to protect the elephant, Kumar. But on the other hand,

the character of Muthu who takes a lot of initiatives for protection of the elephant was
doing this for financial benefit that he can derive Kumar issue of protection of environment
does not matter .

95
doing it for some selfish reason. On other character Shastri takes initiative to protect
Kumar was because of his religious beliefs because in Hindu religion it is sin to kill the
innocent and helpless animals and people consider earth and nature as mother that gives
life to all the living creatures who are living on this earth. Rangi who is a prostitute by
profession wants to protect the life of Kumar because of her kind heart and humane self.
From this it is very clear that Vasu is the only person who wanted to harm the nature, all
other characters of the novel are in favour of protection of nature and the animals, though
they were doing the same because of different reasons.
A man who has killed at least sixty tigers at the rate of one each half-year is entitled as
‘hero’ by Nataraj. Jim Corbett, a well-known hunter, killed sixty tigers and we praise his
as actions of velour.
Rangi is the first person that ex-presses her the elephant, Kumar.
She informs Nataraj the plan of Vasu. She tells Nataraj everything in details. But Nataraj
suspect her to be an opium eater. Being a woman of the temple, her information gets
ruled out as nonsense. Rangi spells out her demeaned status as a woman in the society in
an overt way.
As a woman, she wants to serve the society and the social causes in her own
ways. But her services are questioned by the patriarchal society. She risks her life to save
the elephant and as a reward, she gets the abusive phrase ‘female animal’. In this phrase,
the attitudes of the society toward the animal and female folk have become crystal clear
to us. Here is the connection of the suppression and oppression of women in the society
and the deterioration of the nature and environment by the male folk. Malecentrism and
anthropocentrism goes together in our male dominated society.
The desperation among the human beings for protection of the nature and wild animals is
the result either of their love and duty towards nature or it may come out from
Hindu religion and Indian myth. Narayan has cited characters, stories, mythical figures to
substantiate this. The eagle is believed to be the messenger of God Vishnu, which is
referred as ‘Garuda’ and Hindus consider sacred. In Hinduism there is God called
Ganesha head of an elephant has incidents happen about the elephant named Kumar.
Hindu texts has a lot of references of Gods appearing as animals on this earth. In brief we

96
can say that all these mythical characters and stories have created one kind of restrain,
sympathy, and fear among the people of India regarding animals, in the attitude of
characters like Shastri .
Matthew Cartmill in his book A View to a Death in the Morning: Hunting and Nature
throughout History uses a phrase ‘romantic hunting,’ and he defines it in this way, “…a
white man dressed in buckskins, who lives simply in the wilderness on intimate and
friendly terms with the natives, dislikes white civilization, and hunts only to satisfy his
basic need for food or clothing.” This notion of ‘romantic hunting’ rationalizes and
legalizes hunting, and it is highly anthropocentric.
Human thinks hunting is a playful sport and it is right to do hunting for pleasure. It
creates the zeal of slaughtering of animals among massive readers. Even in story we
find the zeal and fanaticism in the hunting activities of Vasu. He did not have any feel of
plove care of petty for the innocent animals and hunting of innocent animals gives him a
lot of pleasure. This standpoint of Narayan is well manifested in the very first paragraph
of the novel . The Maneater ,Here the character Nataraj mentions,
“I hung up a framed picture of Goddess Laxmi poised on her lotus, holding aloft the
bounties of earth in her four hands, and through her grace I did not do too badly.”
1 1
(Narayan 2000, 7) Natraj’s materialistic aspect is shown through this statement ,
he too has an idealistic side which is presented well

. We can say he was much calculative because he let the room in front of his press on
market road. He is a perfect example of blend of materialistic and idealistic aspects of
human. Vasu, the other character of novel, is totally opposite to him. He was always
behind the materialistic things and finds his pleasure in those things. He has no idealist
aspect for life and finds peace in materialistic things such as hunting, drinking etc. this is
very well presented by his statement about human relationship, “Even among brothers,
business should be business.” (Narayan 2000, 28)
The Men-Eater of Malgudi by RK Narayan is a fertile ground for the application of
ecofemism. ,to reconstruct the ecocritical connotation ,it was actually considered as an
allegory, and the symbolic indications must extend up to the issue environment.

97
of animals. The detailed activities that are shown here may be longer term reach the
greatest level of environmental disruption. Hunting of animals has been shown as a big
issue by the lens of ecocriticism. The way novel talks about the attitude of Vasu
towards humanity, it is not difficult for them to make assumptions about the attitude of
the people towards the people. For Vasu the elephant, was just a matter of earning .
described it in his words as,
“Has it occurred to you how much more an elephant is worth dead? You don’t
have to feed it in the first place. I can make ten thousand out of the parts of this elephant-
the tusks, if my calculation is right, must weigh forty pounds, that’s eight hundred rupees.
I have already an order for the legs, mounted as umbrella stands, and each hair on its tail
can be sold for twelve annas for rings and bangles; most women fancy them and it’s not
for us to question their taste. My first business will be to take out the hairs and keep them
apart, while the blood is still hot; trunk, legs, even the nails- it’s a perfect animal in that
way. Every bit of it is valuable. I’ve already several inquiries from France and Germany
and from Hong Kong. Whatmore can a man want? I could retire for a year on the
proceeds of one elephant.” (Narayan 2000,132-133)
From his words it is very clear that he was only concerned only about his
monetary benefit. In addition to this materialistic aspect, the influence of anthropocentric
ideas can also be seen in Vasu, and in his psyche these two are intertwined. It is almost
impossible to find an ecocentric mentality in him. Because this kind of claimed
naturalism – anthropocentrism – has long been naturalized.
It is considered natural to prioritize one’s own community interest over the interest of all
the other communities on this earth. Humans have always sidelined the other creatures
for their selfish reasons. In human nature, there is one kind of negativity, and this is
mentioned in this statement of Nataraj, “Having always lived within the shelter of my
press, I had probably grown up in complete ignorance of human nature, which seemed to
be vicious, vile, vindictive and needlessly unfriendly everywhere.” (Narayan 2000, 42)
This is Nataraj's impression regarding people's negative attitude towards other humans
and from this it can be concluded how ruthless humans can be towards non-human life.
From an ecocritical point of view, it can be deduced that the basic impression of the
8
philosophy of Laxmi or the philosophy of materialism is not favourable in relation to the

98
conservation ,goes towards the forces that are interested in getting maximum benefit from
nature only for their material fulfilment. If the human beings continue to follow this
materialistic philosophy, then they will become the worst offenders of the nature. Vasu
prominent characters of the story activities towards the nature are raising a big question
and are the central issue of the novel. Vasu not even felt guilty of his sinful acts rather he
claims it to be right and compares it to the profession of sculptor or surgeon.
Throughout the novel, Narayan describes animals stuffing, and it creates pathetic and
negative perception.
“When he stuffed a lion, he could make it more terrifying than it would be in the jungle.”
(Narayan 2000)
Narayan pictures skins hanging to dry or soaked, skins scattered here and there, forest
squirrels and winged birds in the corner, Vasu surrounded by dead bodies, the smell of
rotting flesh and raw skins, rotting in the air Smell, stir the broth in the tub, remove the
animal's eyes and place artificial lenses in that place, put them in boxes of salt
immediately after peeling the skin. Along with Narayana's description, readers are
presented with the solution of pure alum, the treatment of the dead body, the raised claws
of tigers, the severed head of an animal, the resinous smell emanating from mixed
substances and chemicals, incision, bleeding, cleaning and cleansing of the skin, here
Lying meat will be seen. And there. Without considering this bleak background of
taxidermy, a stuffed body of any animal may appear to be just an art.. Vasu has
6
become a headache for Natraj and this feeling of Natraj can be seen in his dialogue.
“Stag-heads, tiger-skins and petrified feathers were going to surround me forever and
ever. My house was becoming a Noah’s Ark…” (Narayan 2000,58)
Even Shastri who was the helping hand of Natraj in his printing press was tired of Vasu.
It was difficult for him to work at such a place where dead animals are on the floor
everywhere. He says, “There was a hyena at the foot of the stairs, the sight of which upset
him… ‘How can I do any work with a wolf and a whatnot staring at me? And there’s a
python hanging down the handrail of the stairs.” (Narayan 2000, 74)

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After analysing all the characters of the novel, we can say that there are a few numbers of
people who are involved in the activity of an environmental disaster, but the impact of
their act falls on the shoulders of the mass. It is true that the demand in human beings is
immense and it is not possible to respond and fulfil their demand naturally. This is the
difficult situation for humanity: if the demands are not satisfied, the troubles will spread.
In such a situation human being needs to be mire aware and conscious and they have to put
limits to their desires and demands. They need to be sympathetic toward the whole earth,
nature and elements of nature. Human beings will have to stop prioritizing themselves over
the interest of other creature on this earth. The sentiment of this whole affair will have to
be understood by them, and in this regard, sentimentality is essential for creating a mentality
of preserving nature. Vasu criticized this quality by saying,
“You are sentimental. I feel sickened when I see a man talking sentimentally like an old
widow. I admire people with a scientific look.” (Narayan 2000, 134)
The sentimentality of humans is treated by Vasu as a negative trait and such emotions are
seen as a weak female trait. In all ecologically challenged places in common history.
The place was very pleasant and green; vibrant of life, not close to life considered from
an anthropocentric point of view, rather than from an eco-centric point of view. The
danger of this place lay in its natural richness, and that is why this place was attracted
by humans. When people get to knew the place place they started going there. In
beginning it was clear that they came here only to plunder the places. Even after having
the knowledge that these plunders might abuse the place and nature the native people got
attracted by these people because of their sugar quoted words of development “The Man-
Eater of Malgudi” was a peaceful ,before Vasu came to meet Natraj, but that peace was
disturbed when Vasu came there and started hunting innocent animals. Vasu was
attracted by the different species of animals and birds ,this abundance of natural resources
became a danger for the peace of Malgudi. The very first day when Vasu entered Natraj’s
house he breached the code of conduct that was set by him. It was the custom of him
that even his friends would not step beyond the curtain, and this custom was breached
by Vasu. Nataraj mentions the incident in this way, “He

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came forward, practically tearing aside the curtain, an act which violated the sacred
traditions of my press.” (Narayan 2000, 15)
This molestation of the curtain foreshadows the later molestation of code and conduct of
nature by Vasu. In “The Lorax” the native people were attracted by the words of
development of plunderers and its resources and the same can be found among the
people of Malgudi. Nataraj should have rejected abominating Vasu at the very beginning
which is understood by him later in this way,
“If I had cared for a peaceful existence, I should have rejected Vasu on the first day.”
(Narayan 2000, 28)
Ramaswami, who was the forest officer is also fascinated by Vasu and he decides to
publish his book where Vasu, though later actual nature of him. Vasu does have one kind
of mesmerizing spell over Rangi but even after this she does not support the impious
activities of Vasu and even takes some steps against Vasu. In spite of the fact that Vasu has
physical relations with a lot of other prostitutes Rangi thinks that Vasu has a feeling of
love for her. Malgudi is not a deserted place because there are a lot of people who raised
their voice against the activities of Vasu. In the novel R K Narayan has shown that Natraj
and his acquaintances were weak against Vasu but later they got success in their task and
they brought the peace back in Malgudi.
Among all the characters of the novel who have contributed in saving the life of animals,
Rangi has played a remarkable role because she has taken a lot of risk in her initiative
and there is utter desperation in such initiative. If we analyse the story in deep, we get to
9
know that there was not much difference between animals and Rangi because Vasu has
treated her like animals. An animal may be subject of stuffing. Somewhere it depicts
that females are exploited by males as humans exploit the nature and degrade it.
It is related to the concept of ecofeminism where women are related to the
environment. Sunaura Taylor in her essay “Interdependent Animals: A Feminist
Disability Ethic-of-Care” has observed that “Women and animals are in the same
platform for the fact that these two groups are bound to depend on others.” It is believed
that the disable people are dependent on others for their physical well being and they are
even dependent on the government for their economic support. And it is also as much

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true that the domesticated animals are dependent on their masters or owners. They rely on
human beings for feeding, shelter, health care, often even with birthing and aid with
intercourse.
Natraj says about Rangi that she is ‘a perfect female animal’ (Narayan 2000, 85). No
person in Malgudi wants to recognize any kind of connection with her. Such comments
about a woman are highly objectionable and must be disregarded. In different languages
6
human beings use animal names for abusing each other and to show the evil traits of
humans. Keeping in mind the ecological meaning, it must be understood that in this way the
bad qualities of an animal are not attributed to a human being, but the bad qualities of
a human being are forcibly attributed to an innocent animal. Anyhow, if we consider
the anthropocentric meaning of the phrase 'an ideal female animal', it creates
contradiction, and this becomes acute where it concerns the natural elements and
women. Vasu was not at all responsible and this is clearly depicted through his statement,
“Only fools marry, and they deserve all the trouble they get. I really do not know why
people marry at all. If you like a woman, have her by all means. You don’t have to own a
coffee estate because you like a cup of coffee now and then.” (Narayan 2000, 33-34)
Md. A. R. Sarker (2019) in Ecocritical Analysis of R. K. Narayan’s Malgudi says that
“Ecocritically, it can be explained in this way that the claimed art is artificial, and
taxidermists represent nature in an artificial way, and hence, it is the fabricated
delineation of animal life” (55).
Narayan however delves deeper and describes the imagery of skins hanging out to dry,
jungle squirrels and feathered birds heaped in the corner, smell of decaying flesh and raw
hide, taking out the eyes from the dead carcasses and setting artificial lens in their place,
pickling the skin in tins of salt immediately after flaying and so on. A R Sarker continues
to say in this regard that Malgudi and Vasu there was one kind of peaceful atmosphere.
Natraj destroyed with the intrusioon of Vasu that Vasu’s presence was subtly transforming
Natraj into another person becomes obvious when he comments on the

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forest warden’s manuscript of selected epigrammatic sentiments and moralizings; it was
meant to elevate young minds no doubt , but I’d have resented being told every hour of
the day what I should do , say , or think . It would be boring to be steadfastly good night
and day.” (33)
In todays era we humans are destroying forests and in it on the name of development but
still there are some places on this earth where it is still protected and is far from the
reach of human beings. But this cannot be guaranteed for the future because human
encroachment is continuously increasing. This is depicted in the statement of Natraj
when he says,
“The first rays of the sun touched up the walls of the barber’s house with the morning
glory. Sparrows and crows were flying already in search of grain and worms. As I
watched them a part of my mind reflected how lucky they were to be away from here.”
Here the author has presented two very deep aspects in a simple manner. From the first
two sentences it has been shown that the birds and animals used to enjoy freedom but the
third sentence shows that there is potential threat on their freedom. The threat is not only
to their freedom but also to their existence. The readers get one kind of negative
delineation of Rangi from the thought process and statements of different characters. For
6
example,
this impression of Nataraj can be shown here,
“Although Rangi was black as cinders and looked rugged, there was an irresistible
physical attraction about her, and I was afraid that I might succumb to her charms.”
(Narayan 2000, 120)
The summary of Sastri’s impression about her is that she is a disreputable woman having
one kind of fleshy species will survive into the future. (Adams 2015, 111) Like the
animals, Rangi is dependent on patriarchy, that is to say on Vasu. She is physically,
emotionally and financially dependent upon Vasu is a disabled-domesticated slave of
intercourse, her decisions are taken by male, like Vasu, she is hunted and poached
regularly, and for this reason no surety whether she will survive into the future. She can
relate her situation with animals and put her efforts to save the elephant named Kumar.
own ,she approached Natraj and prays him to take some initiative. This proves that she
to what extent women are dependent upon men and this is only the

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result of patriarchal society. When we look towards Rangi’s character the distinguishing
factor between animal and female vanishes.
This comment of Franz Kafka can be quoted here, “Animals are closer to us than human
beings. That is the bars of the cage. We find relations easier with animals than with men.”
(Corngold 1996, 75) the metaphor used her also talks about the concept of ecofeminism.
Vasu’s statement “having a woman by all the means” indicates that he considers women
as his property and consider right to possess them. This same attitude is seen in other human
beings for the nature. In story on one side Vasu suppress and exploits Rangi and at the
same time on other side he exploits the nature and other animals. Similarly, there are
more Vasus who are encroaching the peaceful life of other living beings on this
earth.
A theory called “survival of the fittest” abou survival of animals and according to this
theory the strongest will kill the weaker for its existence and this law is essential for
the subsistence of all the lives. This is a harsh rule but it is the reality and one life of one
animal is the meal of another. But according to this rule death of one animal gives life to
another but the activities of Vasu can never be justified by this rule because he kills
innocent animals for his pleasure and this killing does not give life to any other being. In
the novel Narayan has shown that even the administrative authorities fail to take action
against Vasu for his impious activities. And when we compare this with the real world there
are entities who has power and they misuse that power for their benefit and the
administration fails to restrict them or punish them for their sinful acts. There are also
people who are environmentalist and have a mindset of protecting nature ,they
continuously put their efforts to protect the environment but their efforts are not fruitful
against these powerful entities. In the novel Vasu represents these powerful entities
who cause mass destruction to the nature. The author Narayan compares Vasu with
Rakshasa, a term used for evil people from Indian mythologies, he says that,
“Every rakshasa gets swollen with his ego. He thinks he is invincible, beyond every law.
But sooner or later something or other will destroy him.” (Narayan 2000, 75)

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Rakshasa is a demonic creature who does not recognize any kind of restrain of man or
God. When we look towards this from eco-critical . . In 21st century we are already
witnessing the scarcity of the natural resources. It is a warning for the human beings
that if they will not put a restraint to their degrading activities then the nature will die
and this will ultimately result in the death of all the living creatures on this earth. At the
last page of the novel, Nataraj concludes by referring one statement of Sastri in this way,
“Every demon carries within him, unknown to himself, a tiny seed of self-destruction,
and goes up in the thin air at the most unexpected moment. Otherwise, what is to happen
to humanity?’’
Considering their ecological importance, elephants are considered as one of the keystone
species of biodiversity conservation. Further to this, elephants are identified as umbrella
species as a wide array of tropical biodiversity can be conserved under the ambit of
elephant conservation Furthermore, because of cultural and religious importance and
aesthetic appeal, elephants also serve as flagship species in biodiversity conservation. It is
only remarkable that a single species act as keystone, flagship, and umbrella species of
biodiversity conservation amply justifying India’s decision to declare elephants as
National Heritage animal.
Within Asia, although elephants occur in 13 countries, India holds more than 60% wild
elephant populations of the globe. In India, Asian elephants are distributed majorly in
southern and north-eastern India. There are 10 landscapes identified by Elephant Tasks
Force (2010). Rangi the flag bearers and advocates of protection of animal rights, she
knew the importance of animals for ecosystem.
Today Elephant is a National Heritage animal of India and has protected under Seclude I
species of Indian Wild Life Protection Act, 1972. Concerned at the primary need to
restore the elephant habitats and reduce suffering of both elephant as well as the human
population, India launched the “Project Elephant” in 1991-92 as a Centrally Sponsored
Scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change. It was intended to
provide financial and technical support to the elephant range states
of

105
India for the protection of elephants, their habitats and corridors and address issue of
human- animal conflict. It also sought to promote welfare of captive elephants. The
Project Elephant (PE) was launched to protect elephants, their habitat & corridors and to
address issues of man-animal conflict
Narayan’s ecofeminist perspective as he had spiritual need to protect animals who have
been subjugated just like women in patriarchal society. The novel shows the
exploitation of animals without understanding their sufferings at the hands of man,
which is shown through the tiger, Raja. Narayan shows his concern for the tiger is a
female, which is given torture in the circus--symbol of confinement-- in the course of
training. This act is against the natural and moral law as it damages animal-human
ecology and limits the rights of other creatures to live freely in the environment.
The imagery of tiger's enslavement and confinement and subsequent torture in the
circus cage at the hands of male hunters and circus masters symbolizes the same
predicament of the non- human beings and women in patriarchal society.
Like all other Malgudi novels, this discuss has elicited criticism from different critics
from India and abroad. It is seen as lore of Panchatantra the Indian classic 16 by
Vishnusarma. In this regard, A. Hariparsanna relates it to this mythical work as he says:
The Panchatantra is a unique source of f instruction and concepts that true for all times
and elements projecting the spirit and relating of its origin.
Nagendra Nath Sharan says: “The novelist’s use of animal imagery seems an inner
artistic purpose. The circus-life of the tiger symbolizes the active aspect of man’s life and
later his peaceful life in zoo ending in peaceful death is like Sanyas, the last phase of
human life” (291).
Narayan makes use of Indian legend and folktales to suggest that beasts may be as
capable of thought and feeling as human beings. Narrated by a tiger, this novel traces
“the animal’s spiritual development in overcoming its potential for violence” (Kaul 15).

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This shows animal transformation. Although the critics have tried to analyze Narayan’s
novels from various perspectives, they have not yet bothered to pay heed to the
ecofeminist concern for cultivating humanist ethos towards animals. Narayan shows his
concern for ecology .
3.1.5. Predicament of Tiger
R.K. Narayan he advocates the rights of subjugated and marginalized beings, tiger,
which is exploited just like women in patriarchal society. This study helps us learn to
respect the independent existence, unity and importance of all beings. He advocates the
balanced and harmonious relationship among all the beings on the earth. All the natural
living beings equally share the same chemical and biological elements and thus
similarly share the emotions like pain, pleasure and happiness. The understanding of
all members is the main field of ecocriticism. So, by depicting and denouncing the
exploitation of animals through the tiger, Raja in this text, Narayan shows the
predicament of non-human beings and human beings (women) thereby expressing his
concern for the independent existence of all the animals that are integral part of this eco-
system on the earth.
The tiger itself narrates its own life story. It relates its pain, difficulties and happiness.
The first sentence reads, “I have no idea of the extent of this zoo”. kept at the zoo, an
estrangement from its natural environment – the eco-system. The tiger has the very
limited freedom of the movement in the zoo so it has “no idea of the extent of this zoo.
I know only my corner and whatever passes before me. As women enjoy very
limited freedom within the house.
12
fate. When Narayan writes about the tiger's feelings he shows the consciousness
tiger as a being. The following narration tells us how and in what condition it was brought
into this zoo by man for the purpose of entertaining th

e visitors. However, Narayan shows his concern for the safety and the care of the tiger as he
makes men in charge of zoo take extra caution in the treatment of tiger, Raja. The man
says: He is all right. Now run up and see if the end cage is ready. This animal is used
to human company and a lot of free movement. We must keep him (the tiger) where
people will be

107
 passing. The open air enclosure must also be available to him, when the wild ones are not
let out.
This shows that Narayan right from the very beginning of the novel, besides exposing the
exploitation, advocates the independent existence ,most important creature of the
ecosystem. Through this narration Narayan invites people to understand and recognize
animals are living beings like human beings and thus part of natural environment. And
man should not exploit or torture them in any form and cost. The tiger urges the readers
to read its thoughts and feelings, its life. It tries to convince people that the outer
feature of the tiger is not be dreaded as each being is different from other being. At the
same time, it also expresses its sorrows at the god’s choice in its present form.

6
Rita, a minor character in the novel, is the head of the trapeze team in her husband’s “Grand
Malgudi Circus”. She skilful in doing the trapeze act. But at home, she is a nagging .She often
indulges in altercations with family teases him for treating the animals .The following piece serves
as a sample:
“She muttered, ‘He has lost all sense of humour….only animals seem to be fit for his
company.’ He told himself, ‘Women are impossible, worse than twenty untamed jungle
creatures on one’s hand at a time.’ If we judge merely by these conversations, we are
likely to conclude that Rita and her husband do not love each other. But actually, Rita is a
devoted wife who feels uneasy about her husband’s safety whenever he is out with the
tiger.
Finally when her husband dies, she commits suicide. Thus her death reveals her intense love
for her husband.”

108
 She, time and again, expresses her charging for his undying attachment to rother
animals kept in the circus. She bursts out into an uncontrollable rage at the mention of
her husband's remark that all the animals right from the mongoose to the tusker are in
good performing condition when he takes his breakfast after the completion of his daily
round starting early morning at 5 O'clock for taking a comprehensive survey of his
performing animals. Captain, in retaliation to her sudden angry out-burst, retorts that he
has agreed to send the children at Lovedale school as desired by her "swallowing my own
ideas at such a cost." Rita shoots back a cryptic reply,

Captain's anger is aroused to the extent that he gives vent to his venomous feeling

109
through making a dig at the parasitic dependence of his wife's kinsmen on the earning he ekes
out of the circus show ,all hangers-on, none of them will do anything except sit back and wait
for my cheque every month. Thereupon he disappears from there hurriedly, gulping a cup
of coffee and speaking provocatively in distemper that to be handled.

Thus, Rita-captain is replete with oft-repeated instances of bickerings that occur and recur in their
day-to-day life. One such incident is related to the celebration of the Silver Jubilee years of the
circus. Captain is making a grand bandobast of show about the celebration of the Silver Jubilee event
of the circus. All the hullabaloo about this special occasion is planned by Captain by giving it wide-
ranging publicity through posters and illustrious bold writings on the walls of houses and public
buildings in Malgudi and in villages around. It seems very disproportionate, exaggerated and
exasperating to Rita. Her disapproval of her husband's extra-ordinary enthusiasm about the Silver
Jubilee celebrations is manifested in her curt denial to the execution in action by the trapeze team of
Captain's innovative idea in performing a hitherto unknown feat of first making two somersaults in
air followed by a passage through a ring of fire on to the safety net. She relents later on to perform it
when her husband orders that in case of his wife's disagreement, Lyla - next to Rita in trapeze
team hierarchy - should be entrusted with this responsibility. Captain plans to put up this
dangerous acrobatic act as a special item of marvel on this occasion. Rita, ultimately, consents to the
performance of this marvellous feat as she cannot tolerate hat her junior should supersede her.
This incident also divulges a streak of jealousy in her temperament which is proverbial of a woman's
heart. The oft-repeated quarrelsomeness in Rita-Captain relationship is mentioned by Raja, the
tiger-hero of this novel to his Master, the ascetic, thus:
"They were a peculiar couple, devoted to each other but not betraying their feeling in
speech."
110
To the bewildering query of the tiger-hero, whether, to call this couple friendly or
inimical to each other, the ascetic replies in a tone of profound wisdom. He tells the tiger-
hero that judgement of human association simply on the basis of their conversation or
outward behaviour is erroneous. He comments:
"There can be no such thing as unmitigated hatred or unmitigated love. Those who are
deeply attached, sometime deliberately present a rough exterior to each other and that is
only one way of enjoying the married state. Some wives in this world show their deepest
love only by nagging, and the husbands also enjoy putting on an air of being
victims."(56)
The hermit, therefore, advises him not to commit the mistake of judging that Rita and
Captain are not properly matched. It is God only who knows the inner secret and
ecstacies of their companionship. The ascetic's observations lend an element of mystery
to the complex syndrome of wife-husband relationship which can be properly understood
by a divine insight only. This assertion, made by the hermit, proves prophetically true in
the context of Rita-Captain association despite their external behaviour of
troublesomeness and intolerance towards each other.
3.1.6 Ecofeminism and traces of sustainability -
How deeply-embedded is the feeling of love and attachment between Rita and Captain
for each other is very well illustrated in the tragic mishap of unexpected death of Captain
and the subsequent event of Rita's committing suicide in sequel to her husband's sudden
end
.
circumstances of this tragedy are connected with the shooting of a film-snap in which
the tiger has to balance his body on his hind legs by heaving his fore- paws up to imitate a
position of launching an assult on the film-hero - Jaggu who is a big, burly wrestler looking
like a 'mountain of a man'. Captain doggedly pursues his effort to make the tiger perform
this action by causing excruciating pain to him with continuous lashing on his nose and
persistent persecution with the help of an electric gadget. This mad action of Captain
makes the tiger flare up into untrammelled fury. Hence, the latter assaults him and kills
him on the spot. A stampede ensues this shocking turn of events. The tiger gets
released and roams about on the Market Road. Captain, in the last flicker

111
of his consciousness, worries about his wife Rita how she will manage to live without
him. This eventuality wrought by an unexpected quirk of fate ultimately proves the
intimacy and profundity of nuptial bond that exists between Rita and her husband.
Rita disapproves of her husband's special inclination towards the tiger as she uncannily
perceives a potential danger to Captain's life some-day from the [Link] manner in
which her husband announces this scene majestically named as Four-in-one act arouses
in her a feeling of jealousy. The cause of her jealousy is her husband's over-powering
weakness for the beast. She fears intuitively that it may result in a menace to his life
itself.
Thus, Captain invites his own doom by showing his over-attachment with the tiger. These
episodic details, undoubtedly, reveal Rita's sincerity, sense of concern and a wife's true
devotion to her husband's personal safety and well-being.
Rita's boredom and disenchantment with circus life has intolerably overpowered her. The
feeling of sickness that has grown in her against the nerve-breaking, monotonous and
joker-like foolhardiness of circus existence is explicitly given vent to by her, especially,
on two occasions. First, when Captain tells her one day at the breakfast table that they
should close down the Silver Jubilee celebrations. In ecstatic joy. She remarks to him.
"The first wise act in your life.. We are all at breaking point, I'm sure." (174) .He
does not dispute her remark this time as he normally does. Secondly, film Producer
cum Director Madan's proposal to Captain to spare the tiger, Raja, for some days in
order to shoot a film displaying the beast assaulting the hero, Jaggu, with his forepaws
gets her ready acceptance because this will provide her relief and freedom from circus
shows. She advises her husband not to discourage Madan if he wants to engage the
beast days for shooting. She candidly expresses her feeling of disillusionment with circus
life to him saying:
Rita possesses a woman's heart filled with tenderness, kindness and an instinctive love
for all forms of life. She has strong repulsion against violence or bloodshed. The incident
of sudden ripping off of the neck of the innocent goat by the tiger, Raja, in a circus scene
upsets her emotionally. This brutish behaviour of Raja leaves an indelible impression on
her mind about the potential danger in keeping him in the circus. Madan is full of
admiration for the remarkably ot the tiger-goat scene which he plans to insert in his film
serial. Captain speaks to the film Producer-cum-Director about his wife's repulsive
feeling induced in her by that bloody scene.

113

Rita's arrival at Malgudi with the Grand Malgudi Circus is an addition of its awn type to
the variegated spectrum of women characters delineated by Narayan in his various
novels. Despite its resilience and tenacity of adherence to the age-long inherited burden
of customs, traditions and rituals, Malgudi always remains an ever-growing, changing
and evolving town which comes in contact with modern modes of life, thought and
ambitions. Rita's expertise in performing acrobatic trapeze martial skills involving
masculine physical prowess and sturdiness reminds one of the modern concept of
equality of woman with man in all walks of life. The peculiar trait of her personality lies
in achieving in her a harmonious synchronisation of the modern skill and technical
excellence of a circus artiste with the characteristics of a loving, tender-hearted homely
woman who is dutifully devoted to her children and husband. She is endowed with a
kind, sensitive heart that considers an innocent animal life as sacred and lovable as
human life. There exists in her heart an undercurrent of dissatisfaction and
disenchantment with the noisy and exposure-to-public way of circus life. She is attracted
by a craving for a settled, domestic and private style of life. Such an idea is not
acceptable to her husband who is inseparably attached with animals and the adventurous
way of circus life. This divergence of opinion between the duo, at times, leads to short-
lived, small quarrels, Rather she bows to her husband's belligerent moods, though
reluctantly. She adopts a middle course and avoids the point of irreconcilable confrontation
with her wily husband. Her shrewdness is instrumental in steering clear of critical situations
in relationship with Captain.
Overall, ecofeminism and traces of sustainability can be seen in "The Tiger of Malgudi"
it highlights the ways in which women can serve as leaders and agents of change in
promoting a more sustainable and equitable society. By recognizing and valuing the
interconnectedness between women, nature, and sustainable development, the novel

114
underscores the importance of integrating feminist and ecological perspectives in
30
addressing pressing environmental challenges . Men did not allow women to
Indian law in present advocates human rights Circuses and Animal Welfare The animal
welfare position is that humans have a right to use animals, but cannot harm animals
gratuitously and must treat them "humanely. The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI)
has advised the Centre to pass a legislation banning animals in circuses. The
recommendation comes on the heels of inspections conducted by the following orders of
the Delhi High Court based on a petition filed by the People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA) India. Animal Welfare Board of India have revealed that animals used
in Indian circuses are subjected to chronic confinement, physical abuse, and
psychological torment. Whips and other weapons are used to inflict pain on them and
beat them into submission. Animals perform frightening, confusing tricks, such as
jumping through rings of fire, not because they want to but out of fear of violent
punishment.
Narayan has presented an encompassing view of Gandhian ideology and philosophy. The
theory of Karma, spirit of oneness with all, the theme of transformation from materialism
to spiritualism, the concept of non-violence are discussed in this story A Tiger for
Malgudi upholds the Gandhian values of non-violence, love, understanding and
sympathy. The central theme of A Tiger for Malgudi is Gandhian in the sense that the
novel presents the victory of the Gandhian virtues over violence and rudeness. Narayan

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presents two sets of contrasting relationships between Raja, the tiger and the Captain at
first and between Raja and the freedom fighter turned Sanyasi later in the novel.
Through Tiger A Tiger for Malgudi, R. K. Narayan wants to give message from the
perspective of a tiger named Raja Narayan does this in order to encourage the reader to
view animals and women as fellow beings and to do some reflecting about the right way
to treat them. Malicious acts on the behalf of Raja but the inevitable consequence of
attempting to use wild animals for human entertainment. Through the stark juxtaposition
between Raja's life in the wild and in captivity, Narayan encourages the reader to treat
animals as fellow creatures with all the wants, needs, and feelings that we have and to
ultimately let them be free in the wild. The master tries to justify his act of torturing the
tiger as men justify their treatment towards women through different excuses, saying that
the tiger probably in a previous life enjoyed putting the fellow beings behind bars, so, one
has to face the reaction of every act either in the same life or in another life. This is the
cunning way of justifying the exploitation of innocent animals. Narayan denounces all
the human acts of exploiting the innocent animals through this novel. This reflects
Narayan’s advocacy for environmental consciousness which helps humans to respect
both women and animals who have been subjugated and exploited for ages.

Chapter 4
COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MUNSI PREMCHAND AND
RK NARAYAN
4.1.1. Introduction
73

Context of sustainable development and environment in the

writings of Munshi Premchand and R.K. Narayan is not expressly presented but it has been
impliedly shown. R K narayan and Munsi Premchand are two different names .They both
have explored the complexities of societies in their work. Narayan and Premchand have
observed the current situation of women, in which men are free according to their own
contours and pulling those to the edge, who are occupying a rising place in human life.

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Munshi Premchand and R.K. Narayan are two prominent figures in the world of Indian
literature, and both have made notable contributions to the portrayal of themes related to
social and economic development in their works. In discussing the theme of sustainable
development in their writings, it's important to examine how each author presents their
perspectives and critiques on societal progress in the context of their respective narratives
and characters. Munshi Premchand, known for his realistic portrayal of society and
insightful characterizations, often depicted the struggles of ordinary face of social and
economic disparities. In his works, sustainable development is often explored through
the lens of poverty, social inequality, and the impact of modernization on
traditional ways of life. Premchand's stories often highlight the plight of marginalized
communities and the challenges they face in a rapidly changing world.
One of Premchand's most celebrated works, "Godaan" (The Gift of a Cow), delves into
the lives of rural farmers and industrialization on agrarian societies. Through Hori, a
poor peasant striving for a better life, Premchand examines the struggles of the rural
populace in adapting to the changing socio-economic landscape. Sustainable development,
in this context, is depicted as the need for equitable progress that takes into account the
welfare of the rural masses while addressing the encroachment of [Link] contrast,
R.K. Narayan's portrayal of sustainable development themes often revolves around the
tensions between tradition and modernity in the context of a rapidly evolving post-
colonial India. Narayan's works, such as the iconic "The Guide" and "The Vendor of
Sweets," capture the complexities of societal transformation and the clash between
traditional values and the forces of progress. Through the experiences of his characters,
Narayan comments on the challenges and opportunities brought about by development and
social change.
In "The Vendor of Sweets," Narayan presents a narrative that delves into the conflict
between the protagonist, Jagan, an orthodox sweet vendor, and his Western-educated son
Mali. The clash of generational perspectives reflects the broader theme of sustainable
development, highlighting the need for cultural preservation alongside the embrace of
modern ideas. Narayan's nuanced approach underscores the importance of striking a
balance between progress and the conservation of indigenous practices and beliefs.

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Both Premchand and Narayan offer insight into sustainable development themes through
their vivid portrayals of the impacts of progress on individuals and communities.

. Both authors highlight about development that takes into account the preservation
 of traditional values and the empowerment of marginalized communities in the process
of change.
Munshi Premchand and [Link], through their literary works, offer thought-
provoking perspectives on the theme of sustainable development. Their narratives capture
the multifaceted dimensions of progress, illustrating communities as they navigate the
evolving societal landscape. In the works of R.K. Narayan, such as "Malgudi Days"
and "The Guide," we often see the portrayal of traditional Indian society and its
connection to nature. Narayan's stories are set in the fictional town of Malgudi, where he
paints a vivid picture of village life and relation between humans and their natural
surroundings. While his stories may not directly address ecofeminist or sustainable
development issues, they do offer insights into the intricate ways in which communities
interact with their environments .
We can analyze Narayan's portrayal of female characters in his stories and their relationship
with nature. Women in Narayan's works are often depicted as caretakers of the home and
nature highlighting the important part they do in preserving ecological balance and
sustaining community [Link] these representations, Narayan implicitly
acknowledges the significance of gender dynamics in shaping people's connections to the
environment. Similarly, Munshi Premchand, known for his realistic portrayals of Indian
society in works like "Godan" and "Nirmala," offers a lens through which we can explore
ecofeminist and sustainable development themes. Premchand's stories often speaks about
socio-economic struggles of ordinary people and inequalities on their lives. In Premchand's
narratives, we encounter female characters who navigate oppressive social structures and
grapple with

118
the challenges of environmental degradation. Through their experiences, Premchand
sheds light on the ways in which gender norms and power dynamics intersect with
environmental issues, contributing to a broader understanding of ecofeminism in his
works.
In the works of Munshi Premchand and R.K. Narayan, nature, the environment, and
animals are often used as significant elements that contribute to the depth and richness of
their narratives. Both writers skillfully incorporate these themes to depict the
interconnectedness between humans, their surroundings, and the natural world. Munshi
Premchand, known for his realistic portrayal of Indian society, frequently integrates
nature and the environment into his stories to provide context and symbolism. In works
like "Godan" and "Thakur’s well" the environment is often depicted as a reflection of the
characters' inner struggles and societal challenges. For example, the agricultural
landscapes in Premchand's stories serve as a backdrop for exploring themes of poverty,
class disparities, of colonialism on rural life.

Animals also play an important role in Premchand's narratives, symbolizing various aspects
of human behavior and society. Animals are often used as metaphors for human emotions,
relationships, and conflicts, adding layers of meaning to the stories. Through his portrayal of
animals, Premchand portrays web of connections between humans, animals, and the nature

Similarly, R.K. Narayan's stories, set in the fictional town of Malgudi, showcase
Narayan's vivid descriptions of the natural surroundings, such as the river, forests, and
wildlife, serve as integral components of the narrative, offering a sense of place and
atmosphere that immerses readers in the world of Malgudi.
In Narayan's works, animals often play a symbolic role, representing various features of
human nature and society. For example, animal like the tiger in "Tiger for Malgudi" or the
crocodile in "The Man-Eater of Malgudi" serves as a powerful metaphor for human desires,
fears, and struggles. Through these animal characters, Narayan weaves themes of power,
control, and the primal instincts that drive human

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behavior. Both Munshi Premchand and R.K. Narayan use nature, the environment, and
animals in their stories to evoke themes of interconnectedness, resilience, and the cyclical
nature of life. By infusing their narratives with these elements, they illuminate the ways
in which humans interact with their natural surroundings and the impact of these
relationships on individuals and communities. Through their masterful storytelling,
Premchand and Narayan invite readers to reflect on the complexity and beauty of the
natural world and the profound connections that bind us all.
Munshi Premchand and R.K. Narayan both skillfully utilize nature in their stories to
create rich, evocative settings and to convey deeper themes and symbolism.
In Munshi Premchand's "Idgah," the story is set against the backdrop of a village fair
during Eid celebrations. The lush descriptions of the natural surroundings, with fields
blooming with flowers and villagers coming together in joyous harmony, create a vivid
sense of place and [Link] beauty of nature in the story contrasts with the
poverty and hardship faced by the young protagonist, Hamid, highlighting the contrast
between the innocence of childhood and the harsh realities of life. In Munshi
Premchand's short story "Idgah," nature is shown setting the tone, enhancing the
atmosphere, and reflecting the emotions and experiences of the characters, particularly the
young protagonist, Hamid.

At the beginning of the story, Premchand vividly describes the lush natural surroundings
of the village during Eid celebrations. The fields adorned with flowers, the cool breeze
blowing through the trees, and the colorful festivities create a picturesque setting that
contrasts with the poverty and struggles faced by Hamid and his grandmother. The beauty
of nature serves as a backdrop to the harsh realities of life that Hamid grapples with,
highlighting the innocence and joy of childhood against a backdrop of hardship. As
Hamid explores the village fair and interacts with the people around him, nature serves as
a reflection of his emotional state and inner turmoil. When Hamid accidentally breaks a
clay elephant at a vendor's stall, his sense of guilt and fear are mirrored in the darkening
sky and approaching storm clouds. The sudden shift in the weather symbolizes Hamid's
internal conflict and the looming consequences of his actions, adding a sense of urgency
and tension to the narrative.

120
R.K. Narayan's "The Guide" is another example of how nature is intricately woven into
the fabric of the narrative. The town of Malgudi itself becomes a character in the story,
with its bustling streets, serene river, and vibrant marketplace painting a vivid portrait of
everyday life. The river Sarayu, in particular, serves as a powerful symbol of renewal and
transformation, mirroring the personal journey of the protagonist, Raju. The ebb and flow
of the river reflect the ups and downs of Raju's life, highlighting the cyclical nature of
existence.
In Narayan's "The Man-Eater of Malgudi,"the crocodile in the village
pond becomes a central plot point, driving the narrative forward and symbolizing the
undercurrents of fear and uncertainty in the community. The crocodile's menacing
presence serves as a metaphor for the hidden dangers lurking beneath the surface of
seemingly ordinary lives, adding a layer of tension and suspense to the story.
Vivid contemporary and depiction of social reality in their themes.
. Overall, both Munshi Premchand and R.K. Narayan demonstrate a keen
awareness of the natural world and its significance in shaping human experiences and
relationships. Through their masterful use of nature in their stories, they create

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immersive, multi-dimensional worlds that resonate with readers on a profound level,
inviting them to contemplate the intricate connections between humans, their
environment, and the larger ecosystem of life. They both offer insightful depictions of
sustainable development in their works, albeit through distinct lenses and narrative
approaches. Their portrayals of societal progress, economic ,modernization on traditional
communities provide valuable perspectives on the theme of sustainable development.
Munshi Premchand, often hailed as the "Upanyas Samrat" (Emperor of Novels), is known
for his poignant portrayal of social issues and the struggles of ordinary people. In his
narratives, the theme of sustainable development is interwoven with the broader context of
poverty, social inequality, and the clash between traditional values and modernization.
Premchand's stories, set against the backdrop of rural India, delve into the challenges
faced by marginalized communities in adapting to rapidly changing socio-economic
dynamics. Through vivid characterizations and evocative storytelling, he captures the
aspirations and hardships of individuals striving for a better life amidst the
encroachment of industrialization and urbanization. His works often highlight the need
for inclusive progress that addresses the plight of the disadvantaged while acknowledging
the complexities of modern societal transformation.
R.K. Narayan, on the other hand, explores sustainable development themes within
the context of post-colonial India, deftly examining the tensions between tradition and
modernity. His narratives offer a nuanced portrayal of societal change, delving into the
conflicting forces of progress and the preservation of cultural heritage. Narayan's works
often depict the clash of generational perspectives and the challenges of adapting to
evolving economic and social landscapes. Through his characters, he addresses the
complexities of sustainable development, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach
that embraces progress while respecting famous Indian authors. Both have dealt with
social issues prevalent in the society. Ecofeminism is one of the branches

122
of the feminism and it examines and depicts the link between women and nature. Since
Vedic times we have seen nature as a mother figure and the reason behind this is that
these connections are illustrated through traditionally feminine value such as reciprocity,
nurturing and cooperation which are present among both women and nature. This
connection between the nature and women can be seen by drawing the connection between
the menstruation cycle and moon cycle and the ability of women to give life is like that of
mother Earth’s ability of creation.
In both authors' works, sustainable development is portrayed as a multifaceted process
that necessitates consideration for the well-being of individuals and communities, as well
as the preservation of cultural heritage in the face of modernization. Premchand's
narratives emphasize the struggles of the marginalized and the imperative of equitable
progress, while Narayan's stories delve into the complexities of navigating societal
transformation while upholding traditional values. Ultimately, both Premchand and
Narayan contribute to a richer understanding of sustainable development through their
insightful characterizations and compelling storytelling. Their works serve as powerful
reflections on the challenges and opportunities inherent in the pursuit of sustainable
progress, offering valuable perspectives on the complex interplay of tradition, modernity,
and societal well-being.

24
R. K. Narayan's female characters, irrespective of belonging to different classes, grow
: “They fall into three main groups: first, domineering powerful women;
second, powerless, frustrated, oppressed women; and third, women accepting the system–
in this

123
case, the Indian society of strong masculine dominance –but at the same time finding
ways and means to informal, indirect control of their situations.”
Prem Chand, emancipation of women meant that they should be allowed
opportunities for self-improvement and progress, and should be enabled to think
independently. He saw in them potentialities and spirit to fight against their exploitation
and oppression. Throughout his literary career, Prem Chand continued to have a deep
concern for women. He fought social conservatism to pave the way for the emancipation
of women. He was deeply moved by the deplorable condition of women and their
helplessness and sufferings. He criticized society for reducing women to children
producing machines .With all his might, he pleated for social rights for women and their
protection against exploitation by men. This captive status of Indian women disturbed the
sensitive artist in Prem Chand and he highlighted every form of oppression of the Indian
women. His stories depict incompatible marriages, sufferings of widows, evils of the
dowry system, and the sufferingsinflicted by the British soldiers on women. Before Prem
Chand, literature was viewed as a means to create a world of make-believe for aesthetic
pleasure. Indian writings make art an instrument of social change. women characters
have ability to fight against personal disabilities, subsequently, they stand up to family
and social taboos, and ultimately they blossom into patriots and fight for the freedom of the
country. In his works, the woman progressively achieves self-emancipation, which raises
her status in society, proves her cultural prestige and enables her to participate in public
affairs and political life of the country. Such portrayal of women aimed at motivating
women to fight against their exploitation, as also to provide inspiration to the other
exploited sections of society to do the same.
In the writings of Munshi Premchand, such as "Godan" and "Idgah " women play
multifaceted roles in addressing social issues and promoting sustainable development.
They often serve as catalysts for change, actively engaging in activities related to
environmental conservation and advocating for better living conditions. For example, in
"Godan," the character of Hori's wife, Dhania, supports him in his efforts to improve the
economic condition of their family and protect their land from exploitation.
Similarly, in R.K. Narayan's novels like ""The Tiger of Malgudi," and “The Guide”
women are depicted as key contributors to sustainable development and environmental

124
protection. They participate in activities that promote the well-being of their communities
and the preservation of nature. In comparing Dhania and Rosie, we see that they come
from different social backgrounds and face distinct challenges. Dhania's character is
grounded in the struggles of marginalized rural women, highlighting issues of poverty
and caste discrimination. Rosie's character, on the other hand, represents the clash
between tradition and modernity and the pursuit of personal and artistic aspirations.
Both characters, however, serve as vehicles for their respective authors to address societal
issues and explore themes related to women's roles and aspirations in their specific
contexts. While Dhania's story is a critique of social injustices, Rosie's story revolves
around the pursuit of individual dreams and self-expression in a changing society.
Premchand's stories are predominantly set in rural India during the early 20th century.
His portrayal of rural landscapes, agriculture, and village life indirectly addresses issues
related to land use, agriculture, and sustainability. While his primary focus was on social
realism and the lives of ordinary people. Premchand has depicted the relationship
between socio-economic and environmental conditions in his works. For example, the
struggles of landless workers and small farmers who have faced the harsh environmental
conditions. Some of Premchand's female figures have spoken out on issues of gender
equality and the environmental issues such as Sukhda and Dhania, play roles related to
resource management and economic survival, indirectly contributing to discussions of
sustainable practices and resource use. Both Narayan and Premchand literary writings
offer a lens through where readers can explore the historical, cultural, and socio-
economic aspects of the environment and sustainability in India during their respective
time periods. Their stories give deeper insights into environmental and sustainable
development themes in Indian literature, drawing connections between the narratives and
the socio-environmental contexts of the stories.
Similarly, in R.K. Narayan's novels like "The Guide and "The Man-Eater of Malgudi,"
women are depicted as key contributors to sustainable development and environmental
protection. They participate in activities that promote the well-being of their communities
and the preservation of nature. For instance, in Karambhoomi the protagonist's daughter,
Malati, actively engages in non-violent protests against environmental destruction and
advocates for the rights of marginalized communities.

125
Narayan's female characters often grapple with the tensions between tradition and
modernity in the urban context of Malgudi. In contrast, Premchand's female characters
have their roots in rural areas and embody the struggles and social issues faced by
marginalized women in early 20th century India. Narayan in his work has featured the
women characters in different roles such as home makers, shopkeepers, teachers, dancer
etc. Through these characters he has given insight to the readers about the complexities of
urban life in Malgudi and the challenges faced by women in those [Link] authors,
however, use their women characters to shed light on various facets of Indian society and
to explore themes related to gender, societal norms, aspirations, and societal change in
their respective literary worlds.
Premchand and Narayan portray women in their novels as agents of change in the context
of sustainable development and environmental protection. Despite the diversity of
challenges and societal expectations, these female characters play an essential role in
solving environmental problems and building a more sustainable [Link] is a
complex character in a contemporary urban setting. She is a talented classical dancer who
aspires to achieve recognition and success in her art. Rosie's character represents a
different social stratum compared to Dhania. She belongs to a middle-class family and
enjoys a certain level of privilege. Rosie's character explores the clash between tradition
and modernity. Her choice to pursue dance, a non-conventional path for women of her
time, challenges societal norms and expectations.
Both of these authors have contributed significantly to the portrayal of women within the
context of Indian society. Ecofeminism, and sustaibale development as a theoretical
framework, explores the interconnectedness of the oppression of women and the
exploitation of the environment. It critically examines the ways in which patriarchal
systems contribute to both the subjugation of women and the degradation of nature.
R.K. Narayan, known for his vivid storytelling and portrayal of small-town life in
southern India, often depicted women characters who were deeply embedded in the social
and cultural fabric of their communities. In his works such as "Swami and Friends" and
"The Guide," women are often portrayed as deeply connected to the natural world,
embodying a sense of harmony and balance with their surroundings. For example,
Narayan's female characters are often seen working in agricultural settings, showcasing

126
their connection to the land and the [Link] an ecofeminist framework, these
portrayals can be seen as reflecting the idea of women as nurturers and caretakers of the
natural world. However, it's also important to note that Narayan's portrayal of women
characters is often critiqued for reinforcing traditional gender roles and the confinement
of women to domestic spheres. This can be seen in the limitations placed on the female
characters in his stories, as they often face societal expectations that restrict their agency
and autonomy.
Munshi Premchand, on the other hand, is celebrated for his insightful depiction of rural
life in North India during the early 20th century. His stories often shed light on the
struggles of ordinary people, including women, within a rapidly changing social
landscape. In Premchand's works such as "Godan" and " Gangi" women characters are
often portrayed as being intimately connected to the natural world through their roles in
agricultural labor and their interactions with the environment. Premchand's portrayal of
women can be analyzed through an ecofeminist lens by examining how their
relationships with the land and the environment intersect with their experiences of
oppression within a patriarchal society. While his female characters are often shown to be
resilient and resourceful in their interactions with nature, they also confront the
oppressive structures that limit their freedom and agency. Premchand's works often
highlight the ways in which women are burdened by societal expectations and economic
hardships, drawing attention to the interconnectedness of gender-based oppression and
environmental exploitation.
In both Narayan and Premchand's works, the portrayal of women within an ecofeminist
perspective reveals the complex intersections between gender, nature, and power
dynamics. Their depictions of women characters engaging with the environment
highlight the ways in which women are often disproportionately affected by
environmental degradation and the consequences of exploitative systems. However, it's
essential to recognize that while both authors offer nuanced portrayals of women within
the context of their respective social milieus, they are also products of their time, and
their works reflect the patriarchal norms and gender roles prevalent in early to mid-20th
century India. As a result, their portrayals of women characters, while often nuanced and
rich, can also be critiqued for reinforcing traditional gender roles and limitations.

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When examining the representation of women characters through an ecofeminist
perspective in the works of R.K. Narayan and Munshi Premchand, it's important to
recognize the ways in which their portrayals both reflect and challenge the interconnected
systems of gender-based oppression and environmental exploitation. These are just a few
concrete examples of environmentalism presented in the novels of Munshi Premchand
and R.K. Narayan. The overall message is that women, through their actions and
5
Advocacy, play an important role in promoting sustainable practices, conserving natural
resources, and addressing environmental concerns in their respective societies. In Munshi
Premchand's stories, women's roles in sustainable development are often described as
diverse and essential to social progress. Although Premchand's works focus primarily on
social and political issues in early 20th-century India, they often touch on issues related
to gender inequality, women's empowerment, and the impact of societal norms on
women's lives.
Sukhda and Gangi are both situated in rural settings and face socio-economic challenges,
but Sukhda is more entrepreneurial and aspirational, challenging traditional gender and
class norms. Rosie, on the other hand, belongs to a middle-class urban setting and
represents a clash between tradition and modernity, with a focus on artistic aspirations
and personal freedom. These women characters embody different aspects of society and
different challenges seen by women in their respective contexts. While Sukhda and
Rosie are more focused on personal aspirations and self-expression, Gangi's character is
rooted in the harsh realities of rural life and caste-based discrimination.
An important aspect of women's role in sustainable development in Premchand's stories
is their ability to contribute to economic stability and self-sufficiency. Characters like
Bimla in “Nirmala” or the protagonist's wife in “Idgah” are shown as hardworking and
resourceful, engaging in small businesses or taking on labor-intensive tasks to support
their families. Through their efforts, these women contribute to poverty reduction and the
economic sustainability of their communities. Additionally, Premchand's stories highlight
the struggles male oriented societies and the need for women's empowerment. Characters
like Sarla in "Godan" challenge societal norms and seek education and economic
independence. Their journeys emphasize the importance of women's agency in sustainable
development and the need to address gender disparities in

128
access to education, opportunities, and decision-making power, the stories often shed
light on the vital role that women play in fostering social and environmental
[Link], the stories often highlight women in promoting social and
environmental sustainability. The female characters are portrayed as caring and
nurturing personalities who are actively involved in community development and
environmental conservation. For example, in " Godaan Dhaniya, questions the waste
of resources and advocates sustainable practices. Her concerns underline the need
for responsible resource management and sustainable livelihoods
.Premchand not only portrayed the exploitation of the farmers but also caught the igniting
of the protests against it. Premchand’s farmers who makes India a predominantly
agricultural country. Before Independence, villages played a much bigger role in the
Indian economy and its social and religious system than they do now. All the residents of
the villages were dependent on agriculture. Women equally contributed in
[Link] handled all farming operations themselves. It was they who built India’s
farm culture.
Indian culture, literature have been revolving around the Women and portrayed their
issues so it has been observed they are the centers of Indian literature.. The women's
issue emerged in modern India as part of middle-class social reform movements in the 19th
century. Two features characterize the reform models formulated during this period. The
first is a clear sign of both the concerns and conflicts of the emerging Hindu middle class.
And the second is the influence of Western ideas that were prevalent in the 19th century.
They have raised issues and problems in their writings that have led to imbalance in
society like casteism, violence against women, gender inequality, class inequality, etc.
Their contribution to environmental conservation and sustainable development cannot be
ignored. R.K. Narayan and Munshi Premchand, two iconic authors of Indian literature,
have both portrayed women characters with depth, complexity, and insight in their
respective works, albeit within different cultural and social contexts. The comparison of
women characters in their writings provides a compelling lens through the diverse roles,
struggles, and agency of women .

129
R.K. Narayan's portrayal of women characters often reflects a blend of traditional values
and modern sensibilities within the setting of town of Malgudi. His female characters, such
as Rosie in "The Guide" and the many women who populate his stories, exhibit a wide
range of personalities and experiences. They navigate the complexities of family life,
societal expectations, and personal aspirations with resilience and individuality.
Narayan's women are often shown as having agency, whether in their roles as devoted
wives and mothers, aspiring artists, or independent individuals who challenge the norms
of their [Link]'s depictions of women reflect a deep understanding of the cultural
nuances and societal structures that shape their lives, offering nuanced portrayals of their
experiences in the domestic sphere as well as in relation to the evolving dynamics of
Indian society. His storytelling captures the intricate balance of tradition and progress, and
his women characters often embody the tension and negotiation between the two.
On the other hand, Munshi Premchand's portrayal of women characters is deeply rooted
in the rural landscape of pre-independence India. His female characters, such as Suman in
"Godan" and Malti in the eponymous novel, grapple with the harsh realities of agrarian
life, social hierarchies, and gender-based oppression. Premchand's women are often
depicted as resilient, resourceful, and actively engaged in the struggles of everyday life,
often working alongside men in agricultural labor and household management. His
portrayal of women reflects a sensitive and empathetic understanding of the challenges
and inequalities they face within the confines of a rigid social structure. Despite the
differing settings and socio-cultural contexts of their works, both Narayan and
Premchand offer nuanced portrayals of women that transcend stereotypes and showcase
the multifaceted nature of their experiences. Both authors imbue their female characters
with strength, agency, and individuality, acknowledging the myriad ways in which
women navigate the complexities of family, society, and their own aspirations. Both
authors also confront the societal constraints and patriarchal norms that shape the lives of
their female characters, shedding light on the ways in which women negotiate their
identities and aspirations within the constraints of tradition and societal expectations.
Through their storytelling, Narayan and Premchand offer a profound exploration of the
resilience, agency, and humanity of women within the tapestry of Indian society.

130
 R.K. Narayan and Premchand
R.K. Narayan and Munshi Premchand, each in their distinctive ways, have crafted rich and
insightful portrayals of women characters that reflect the complexities, resilience, and agency of
women in Indian society. Their representations highlight the diverse roles, struggles, and aspirations of
women, offering nuanced insights into the evolving dynamics of gender, tradition, and societal
change. The process of women's empowerment continued with the participation of many social
reformer.

"The Guide” spanning a long distance from Savitri to Daisy. via Shanti, Bharati and Rosie.
He often questions the contrarian taboos and old beliefs that make a woman a plaything for
men, as a defender values, he develops the movement within the traditions of Malgudi
society. The present analysis of Premchand and Narayan's novels aims to understand the
novelists' representation of women according to various criteria and to present their moral,
religious, social, political, educational, legal, economic and cultural rights and to understand
ecofeminism in their storie ,lives of middle-class people of South India clearly reflects in
Narayan’s work.

131
Uma Parmeshwaran points out: “Narayan is middle class man who writes about middle
class men in middle class Indian English. Simplicity, his greatest virtue, becomes his
greatest shortcoming once he steps out of the middle-class world.”
Dr Ramvilas Sharma says,
“Not many novels were written on the problems of farmers, and the ones that were
written lacked the understanding of Premchand.” Premchand immersed himself in life of
farmers and what he wrote was something new for the Hindi literary world. “He had
his hands on the pulse of the farmers. He brought to the fore the hitherto untouched realities
of their life – realities which many a great author could never fathom.” He has seen
farmer’s life from very and that’s why he wrote about his experiences with great sensitivity.
“Godaan is a good about rural life. He does not limit himself to depicting selected aspects
of farmer's life, but his portrait resembles a huge river where, in addition to the main
current, water flows along in small streams and uprooted trees, floating hollows
and weeds and branches are also seen. Along with Godan
and Karmabhoomi, Godan completes the trilogy on the life of Indian farmers.
Premchand has not only exposed what difficulties the farmers were facing but fanned the
flames of protest against him. Premchand farmers made India a predominantly agricultural
country. Before independence, villages played a larger role in India's economic, social
and religious systems than they do today. Everyone in the village depends on
agriculture. Women contribute equally to agriculture. All the agriculture was done by the
women themselves. They are the one who developed the farm culture of India.”
“Godan” moreover delineates a few other issues of the farmers. A few individuals think
that Godan only talks about indebtedness but it’s not completely. In this novel,
Premchand has considered familial relations in incredible profundity and has set modern
parameters of social respect. The way, Hori, under the leadership of Dhania,
courageously took the stand against the Mukhia and Mahajan of the village by providing
shelter to pregnant widow Jhunia, shows that he has courage to fight against the moral
wrong. Women farmer in his novel are conscious of their self-respect. They are willing to
work but not at the cost of the honour or dignity of their family. In Godan, Dhania does
not want to do any injustice to anyone to just for the sake of their honour. Dhania respects

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his son’s love for Jhunia and that is why she brings her in their home. Jhunia is a widow
and she is also pregnant with Gobar’s child before marriage. Both Hori and Dhania has
shown respect and accepted Junia in their home. Dhani does not humiliate or devalue
Jhunia. She and her husband showed courage to announce that Jhunia is a member of the
family. This act of Godan shows the brighter side of agricultural culture.
The "honor killings" common in India, today is not much into farming culture; it is the
culture of people for whom farming is just a way to make money. The farmer’s culture
presented by Premchand embodies the high ideals of Indian culture. The characteristics of
this culture are to work, not to worry about personal comfort, to make sacrifices, to treat
younger brothers and sisters as your own children, to be satisfied with your limited
resources, to do everything to preserve the family unity. Sacrifice, love, contentment,
mercy, compassion and a big heart make up Indian culture. The character of farmer in
Premchand’s work has all these virtues in abundance.
Munshi Premchand’s famous address, delivered in April 1936 at the inaugural meet of
the All India Progressive Writers’ Association in Lucknow. The AIPWA was set up by
the Urdu writer and Marxist ideologue Syed Sajjad Zaheer, and its manifesto of
progressive literary ideals—aiming to popularise anti-imperialist and democratic values
through literature—was supported by such luminaries as Mulk Raj Anand and Ahmed
Ali, for whom Premchand was a guiding light.
Entitled “Sahitya Ka Uddeshya”—“The Purpose of Literature”—Premchand’s speech
was a Gorky-esque appeal, urging Indian writers to wake up from their romantic slumber,
stop thinking of themselves as mere entertainers and assume a more socially responsible
position. The writer’s job, Premchand declared, was nothing less than to reinvent
literature and rethink beauty.
The character of the Gangi in "Thakur's Well" is a rebellious Dalit woman who is willing
77
to endure the wrath of her landlord to get clean drinking water for her sick husband. She
is brave and capable of challenging, if not overturning, the established order. She is the
voice of the Dalits who were daily humiliated by the upper castes and that humiliation
was because the inferiority of the Dalits was rooted in the psyche of the upper castes.
Premchand's women farmers must be analyzed from a cultural perspective because they
are the foundation and protector of Indian culture.

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Munshi Premchan in his writings has given the context of environment and sustainable
development through farmers and their struggles. He is influenced by Mahatma Gandhi
and other nationalists who are fighting against the Britishers and their oppression.
one can understand the dilemma faced by farmers and uncertainty of the nature such as
excessive rain or drought affect them and don’t let them escape from the trap of debt. In
“Godan” indebtedness of farmers is not only related to the characters of Godan but the
farmers in real also face the same. Debt, weather uncertainty, constant compromise
between saving and loan repayment, farmer and their relationship with the
environment and animals, from difficulties in agriculture to fatigue, exhaustion and
frustration, sanitation and rights to basic needs Finally, the role of rural women to care
family economy intact, some aspects were highlighted in “Godan”, “Karmabhoomi”
and “Thakur’s Well”, etc. Whereas Narayan's strength lies in his ability to use the
sanctions of conventional morality while recognizing his individuality and
idiosyncrasies with extreme precision
and subtlety. In hiswritings, R.K. Narayan presents and explores various themes

14
such as place and woman in society, disturbing influences of modern times,
position of wife and mother in changing society, disintegration of joint family etc.

4.1.2. Premchand’s period (1918-1936)

10
He redesigned the structure of the novel into a new form and unity as he found it and created
characters full of life. His novel does not only intend to entertain and to change the taste of the
readers ,but at the same time provides economic, social and political awareness. In his speech,
Premchand defined literature as “criticism of life,” directly borrowing from the Victorian writer
Matthew Arnold’s definition of poetry as “this high criticism of life.” Unlike Arnold, though,
Premchand was not arguing to preserve the artist’s “noble sphere,” nor championing “the best
that has been thought and known.” He was never interested in canon-building, instead exhorting
writers to get down and dirty with reality. Premchand wrote in his essay “Upanyas” (“The
Novel”), “Art for art’s sake”—the phrase

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is written in English in the original text—“is for a time when a country is prosperous and
happy.” When social conditions are inimical to general prosperity, every choice a writer
makes to justified in a political context.
He says,
“Man is not born just to live and die; nor is his aim the accumulation of wealth. My
present condition is intolerable. I wish to start a new chapter in life.”
In Thakur’s well Premchand has discussed contemporary issues, which were
being faced by his own times. He also wrote on the many problems of Untouchability
along with other topics in his journalistic writings, novels and short stories. In the
beginning, he wrote with the Gandhian outlook got influenced by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Premchand considered many of problems on Untouchability that cannot be resolved unless
the inherent exploitative Caste System is eradicated and the Dalits are the economically
empowered and politically assertive ones. He regarded Dr.B.R. Ambedkar as the unparallel
leader of a community

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and got the inspiration from the on-going Dalit movement that Dr. Ambedkar was leading
the first half of the twentieth century.

14
The perspective of Munsi Premchand and R. K. Narayan represents different levels of
Indian consciousness;., R.K. Narayan does the same thing in his novel, but we find
the social environment of post- independent India much more often than that of pre-
independent India. He surpasses his contemporaries in his presentation skills. We can see
Narayan' similarity with Premchand in several ways.

When Premchand says -

"Even cowards felt ashamed when they saw a woman resisting the bullets," he gives his
heroine the power to move from a gender identity seen as weak and unsuitable to a
presence in public spaces around men to replace in this room. Sukhda's behavior on the
street, coupled with the narrative strategy of the man's absence, signifies a role reversal in
which her identity shifts from guardian of the sanctity of her own home to that of society
as a whole and the nation. When introduced as a “goddess of victory,” she attains the
status of a goddess outside of the role of housewife, which was the nationalistic version
for women like her in society and literature. The term "Victory Goddess" is crucial in its
usage because it replaces her identity as “Grihlaxmi” or "Goddess of the House" with that
of outside the confines of her house. Her karambhoomi or the arena changes – from

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home to the nation. This change in roles and identities forced women like Sukhda to
leave their homes, a situation encouraged by nationalists and the “new patriarchy” but
also viewed by them as dangerous.
Orsini comments that the “nationalists believed that woman would provide moral and
numerical strength (to the movement) yet the danger to the ‘moral purity’ of the society
was perceived to be great.”
While at one time Premchand may have been convinced that communism was the answer
to social inequality and the oppression of the poor, he seemed to have eventually decided
against it. “...The communist movement is only the victory of the labourers over the
capitalists. It is not the victory of justice over injustice, of truth over untruth. There will
not be any reduction in all the inequalities, injustices and selfishness that are synonymous
with capitalism. In fact, the possibility of their turning more horrifying is greater,” he
wrote.
This was how Premchand—a writer and man unmistakably rooted in his place and
time—understood the modern world. It cannot be ascertained if Premchand knew that
Vladimir Lenin, the Russian communist revolutionary and former head of the Russian
government, had also noticed similar facts when he pointed to the labour aristocracy of
advanced capitalist nations as one of the big stumbling blocks to a world revolution.
Congress member of parliament Shashi Tharoor won himself a lot of patriotic spurs when
he impressively and convincingly argued, in the lion’s den of the British academy,
Oxford University, that Britain owes reparations to India and scores of other countries, this
sheer enormity of the debt—material and psychological—it lived off for centuries. Tharoor
did not insist on a monetary payment beyond a token quid a year, but he did want Britain to
say “sorry”.
However, if Premchand’s argument is valid, then the commercial market processes of
modern capitalism are themselves socially corrosive and ultimately destructive,not only
for the labours but for the environment.
They embraced modernity and adopted the progressive aspects of the Western
civilization. In his short-stories, R.K. Narayan provides views of small-town life in
South India. Long before the subcontinent's writers were liberated from the ideals of the
Independence Movement, he began writing about village life and ordinary people. The

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majority of the villagers are uneducated and underprivileged. They make money through
farming and keeping domestic animals for grazing. RK Narayan ecofeminism aspect
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studies the subjugation of and between natural world and female.

He advocates the rights of subjugated and marginalized beings, tiger, which is exploited just
like women in patriarchal society.
Where he highlights to respect the independent existence, unity and importance of all
beings. He advocates the balanced and harmonious relationship among all the beings on
the earth. All the natural living beings equally share the same chemical and biological
elements and thus similarly share the emotions like pain, pleasure and happiness. The
60
understanding of oneness among all the members of the earth is the main field of study of
the ecocriticism. So, by depicting and denouncing the exploitation of animals through the
tiger, Raja in this text, Narayan shows the predicament of non-human beings and human
beings (women) thereby expressing his concern for the independent existence of all the
animals that are integral face of eco- system on the earth. Female characters shown in R. K.
Narayan's writings, we experience many characteristics of women. Sometimes they seek
substantiation from the prevailing discourse, and sometimes they choose inner
confirmation in pursuit of their liberated identities. It is true that R.K. Narayan corresponds
to his era, and throughout the time he wrote, the position of women underwent profound
transformation. Even Premchand has also discussed about widow remarriage and the
prohibition of child marriage in his writings from that era. Many of his short stories deal
with the problems women face at home and the oppression that results from these customs.
Premchand's passion for change was particularly evident in his interactions with young
widows and children. Interestingly, in his novels about young widows, Premchand does
not encourage widows' independent living, their participation in social or community work,
or other activities outside of household chores that might give them a feeling of greater
utility. In several stories, he wishes that widows would have the opportunity to manage the
household, raise the family's children, or participate in some other activity that would keep
them busy and prevent them from becoming victims of evil.
“Malgudi Days” it is set in the fictional town of Malgudi and primarily focuses on the
everyday lives and experiences of its inhabitants. While the stories don't explicitly

138
address sustainable development, one can analyze the roles of women in sustainability by
examining several aspects. R.K. Narayan's stories can be analyzed from an ecofeminist
perspective:
Women's Relationship with Nature: In many of Narayan's stories you can find women
who are portrayed closely connected to the natural world. They can be characterized as
living in harmony with the environment, and their lives often revolve around nature. You
can explore how these depictions of women demonstrate a strong bond with the natural
world, emphasizing the ecofeminist idea of the interconnectedness of women and the
environment.

4.1.3 Use Of Animals As Metaphor

The Monkey in Swami and Friends serves as a mischievous and playful character that
reflects Swami's youthful exuberance and rebellion against authority. The antics of the
monkey mirror Swami's own desire for freedom and adventure, highlighting the theme of
childhood innocence and the struggle to assert one's independence.
The Dog in In The Guide symbolizes loyalty, companionship, and faithfulness. The dog
that follows Raju, the protagonist, throughout his journey serves as a constant companion
and source of comfort in times of struggle and transformation. The dog's unwavering
loyalty reflects the conflicting desires for connection and freedom in Raju's life.

Tiger as central character in The tiger of Malgudi Narayanan wants reader to see through
a tiger's eyes, Narayan portrays man as selfish and insensitive towards nature and
environment .today is tiger an endangered species Tigers have lost an estimated 95% of
their historical range. Their habitat has been destroyed, degraded, and fragmented by
human activities.
R.K. Narayan himself answers this question in the Introduction to this novel. He says that
he chose a tiger as the lead character of his novel to shows a choice of a subject for fiction-
writers. His protagonist is no ordinary creature but a spiritually evolved tiger with
human sensibilities who can think and feel like human beings

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Cow in Godaan cow symbolizes struggle of poor peasants fron zamidars. In India cow
symbolizes prosperity ,wealth ,strength and symbol of selfless giving. All the Hindu
spiritual texts advocate treating the cows as family members and rearing them in hygiene
and healthy environment. Practice of estimation of a person's wealth through "cattle
wealth" is over 10,000 years old. Gifting cows is considered as an important ritual. But
today there is a huge amount of trafficking of cattle in India in few states sacred cows are
beaten, abused and poisoned to make leather for high street shops. killing Cow in Godaan
and fight for its life is still relevant today.
These examples show how R.K. Narayan and Munsi Premchand expertly uses
animal symbolism to enhance the themes, characters, and emotions in his stories. By
imbuing animals with symbolic meanings, Narayan creates a rich tapestry of narrative
elements that resonate with readers on multiple levels, adding depth and complexity to
his storytelling. Many of their stories sspeak about environment and its protection.
Contribution of women engaged in various economic activities, such as selling
vegetables, working as domestic help, ,nurturing animals,running small businesses to run
families , Their roles in contributing to the local economy and their ends meet can be
measured as vital for sustainable development in a community.
Patriarchy and Environmental Degradation discussed in some of Narayan's works address
the patriarchal structures of Indian society. Ecofeminism suggests that patriarchal
systems often exploit both women and the environment. By analyzing the role of
patriarchy in their stories, you can draw parallels to ecofeminist arguments about the
intersection of gender and ecology. Women shown as a protectors of the Environment
,They are actively putting their efforts to protect the environment or raising awareness
about ecological issues. These characters can be seen as embodying ecofeminist ideals of
women as caretakers and advocates for the natural world. And Traditional Knowledge
and Sustainability in his stories often depict characters who possess traditional
knowledge about the natural world, such as herbal remedies or agricultural practices.
Examining how this knowledge is passed down through generations and its role in
sustaining communities can be seen as an ecofeminist perspective that values indigenous
and traditional ecological wisdom. This knowledge is essential for sustainable agriculture

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and self-sufficiency, as it enables communities to harness local resources and adapt to
changing conditions.
Essay by Shashi Tharoor, published in The Hindu after Narayan’s death in 2001,
echoed the tone of faint praise. “At his best, Narayan was a consummate teller of timeless
tales, a meticulous recorder of the ironies of human life, an acute observer of the
possibilities of the ordinary.” some of his stories, women maintaining and strengthening
the social fabric of the community. Their involvement in community activities and their
roles as caregivers and nurturers contribute to social sustainability. Although not directly
but in some stories women are depicted as taking the responsibility of environment.
Malgudi a fictional village does not explicitly talks about the concept of sustainable
3
development as a theme but one can draw connections between nature and women ,stories
and the principles of sustainability, including economic, social, and environmental aspects. By
analyzing the ways in which women contribute to the well-being of their community and their
relationships with the environment one can uncover insights into the broader concept of
sustainable development in a rural Indian context.
When R.K. Narayan's works do not necessarily coincide with ecofeminism, his study of
human relations, society and nature can be analyzed through the lens of ecofeminism. By
exploring how his characters and themes relate to gender, patriarchy, and the
environment, you can make connections and interpretations that reflect the ecofeminist
principles of his story.

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the conversation unfolds, these diverse characters could exchange ideas, share their
unique perspectives, and voice their concerns about the pressing issues related to
sustainable development in their fictional world. Their dialogue could serve as a
reflection of the broader societal conversations around sustainability, echoing the
relevance of these themes in R.K. Narayan's work and in the real world. Their exchange
might touch upon various aspects equity, economic resilience, and cultural preservation,
showcasing how these concepts intersect with the lives and experiences of women in their
[Link], the conversation between R.K. Narayan's women characters could
provide a rich and insightful exploration of the challenges, aspirations, and potential
solutions related to sustainable development, offering a thought-provoking literary lens
through which to examine these crucial global issues.
Although Premchand's stories may not explicitly address ecofeminism but in his work,
we can find the touch of ecofeminism and the same can be interpreted by examining the
themes and characters. Ecofeminism is a philosophical and political movement that
explores the connections between the oppression of women and environmental
degradation. It emphasizes the interdependence of social, ecological and gender issues.
Munshi Premchand's stories can be analyzed from an ecofeminist perspective:

Women's Relationship with Agriculture and Environment in Premchand's stories
are mostly based on the rural lifestyle where women are depicted as doing agricultural
work and managing their rural lifestyle and earning their livelihood. You can explore
how these portrayals of women show their integral role in the natural environment and
agriculture, highlighting the ecofeminist idea of the connection between women and the
[Link]'s Struggles in Traditional Societies often delve into the challenges faced by
women in traditional Indian societies, where they may be subject to societal norms and
patriarchy. Ecofeminism emphasizes the intersection of gender and environmental issues,
and you can analyze how these traditional norms affect both women and the environment.

Women as Caretakers of the Home and Nature: Some of Premchand's stories
feature female characters as caretakers of the household and their natural surroundings.
These characters can be seen as embodying ecofeminist ideals, highlighting women's

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roles as nurturers and protectors of both their families and the environment. Poverty , Social
Injustice can be seen in Premchand's works and he often address issues of poverty, and
social injustice, You can analyze how the exploitation of women and the environment is
intertwined, reflecting ecofeminist perspectives on the interconnectedness of social and
ecological issues. Many of Premchand's stories portray communities working together to
address common challenges. This sense of community and solidarity can be seen as a
reflection of ecofeminist values that emphasize collective action to address both gender and
environmental issues.

There are some similarities and differences in approaches of Narayan and
Munshi Premchand. They have explored the roles and contributions of rural settings but
they both have different narrative styles and perspectives on gender and sustainability vary.
4.1.4. Similarities
 Rural Settings- Both Narayan and Premchand predominantly set their stories in
rural India, where people are closely connected to nature and agriculture. This setting
allows them to highlight the relationship between women and the environment.
 Role of Women- In the stories of both authors, women are depicted as integral to
rural life. They are responsible for maintaining households, supporting agricultural
activities, and ensuring the well-being of their families. Women characters in their stories
often display resilience and a sense of community. They contribute to mutual support,
resource-sharing, and collective problem-solving, which are essential elements of
sustainable development.
 Realism and Complexity-Both Narayan and Premchand are celebrated for their
realistic and nuanced portrayals of rural life. They delve into the everyday experiences,
struggles, and aspirations of women in rural settings with a keen eye for detail, capturing
the complexities of their roles and relationships within the context of family, community,
and societal structures.
 In their writings, both authors depict women in rural settings as resilient,
resourceful, and actively engaged in various roles essential to the functioning of their
communities. Whether through agricultural labor, household management, or navigating

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social dynamics, the female characters in their works exhibit agency and strength in the
face of challenges and adversity. Narayan and Premchand utilize the experiences of rural
women to offer profound social commentary on the complexities of gender dynamics,
societal expectations, and the intersections of tradition and modernity. Their storytelling
serves as a vehicle for highlighting the struggles, aspirations, and resilience of women
within the rural milieu, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of their contributions
and the constraints they face. within their respective literary landscapes. Their
contributions to the portrayal of rural women enrich the tapestry of Indian literature,
offering enduring reflections on the diverse roles, struggles, and aspirations of women in
rural society.
4.1.5. Differences
Tone and Style: R.K. Narayan's storytelling often carries a whimsical and humorous
tone, which can be seen in his portrayal of female characters. He tends to focus on the
everyday aspects of life, using humor and satire to highlight societal issues indirectly.
Most of the writings of Narayan England and have drawn much appreciation from
renowned authors and critics such as Graham Greene, Walter Allen, [Link], Pearl
[Link], V.S. Naipaul, Ved Mehta etc., America consider him World’s three giant modern
writers, the other two being William Faulkner and Earnest Hemingway. In most of his novels,
Narayan simply selects a protagonist and weaves a story around him depending on his intrinsic
ability to make situations and characters, but definitely plot, that clearly strike chord in heart of
readers. While “Swami and Friends” explored the psyche of the school- going hero
Swaminathan, “The Tiger of Malgudi discuss philosophy of karma and dharma in the form
of Raju Tiger.

The prominent forte of Narayan’s writings is his comic vision, which is universal in
appeal without losing the essential fragrance of its Indianness. Narayan’s language

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belongs to the everyday world of ordinary people. Malgudians dream, love and indulge in
their small wars, laugh and lament. His style gives the distinct impression of a small
South Indian community confined to a particular temporal and spatial setting, their manners
and musings, conversation and thoughts and instinctive reactions to things. In his style,
Narayan “displays his own unique signature”.2 In this matter he is remarkably different
from other Indian-English writers, through the skillful use of language, Narayan
successfully captures the rhythm of life that is peculiar to Malgudi and its people.
Narayan’s language is very much like the language of the newspaper.
:

Munshi Premchand's writing style is more direct and realistic, addressing social issues,
including gender and class disparities, more explicitly. Influenced by Rabindranath Tagore,
who underscored the common man, Premchand took the tradition forward by turning what
could have been supporting characters into heroes. Through his stories not only he portrays
the reality of the Indian society but also leave us awe-stuck. Stories by him are timeless, real
and earthy. if somebody could depict the era between pre & post-Independence India
realistically, it had to be Prem Chand. Every story that he wrote was a reflection of
society, While his style of writing belonged to an earlier era, his themes were much ahead of
his time, Raina said.
"His analysis of situations was almost as if a humanist and political scientist combined
into one was looking at the situation in rural India,"
His theme on farmers and industries are best literary representations of rural India, "The
sad part is that rural India is where it was," (Anita khanna 1997)
From the book review archives titled “The world of Premchand” by Vijaya Ghose (1995)
points out that the short stories of Premchand is not only about the poor peasant but also
the plight of women who were oppressed by the rich like the farmers. He marks that the
women that Premchand represents are multifaceted. They belong to all classes ranging

145
from the poor to the rich, from the illiterate to the literate. He very well presents the mind
of the woman, her generosity, loyalty and sacrifice. The reviewer truly points that the
writer has perfectly rendered the communal harmony and the child psychology in his
stories. Ghose has mentioned that the selected stories of the English translation will linger
in the readers mind and bring in the nostalgic era of the values, and the rich Indian culture
which has vanished with time.
His writing delved deep into the socio-economic issues of his time, such as casteism,
poverty, and the impact of British colonial rule. Premchand's narratives painted a stark
and often grim picture of Indian society, highlighting the harsh realities faced by the
marginalized and downtrodden. He explored themes of social inequality, injustice, and
the oppressive structures that governed relationships within communities. Premchand's
characters were often drawn from the lower strata of society - farmers, laborers, and
villagers - giving a voice to those whose stories were rarely heard in mainstream
literature. Through his writing, he sought to create awareness and provoke thought on
pressing social issues, challenging readers to confront the injustices prevalent in society.
On the other hand, R.K. Narayan took a more subtle and humorous approach to
portraying Indian society in his works. His fictional town of Malgudi is a
microcosm of the vast and diverse Indian landscape, showing picture of everyday lives of
its inhabitants. Narayan's stories were characterized by their warmth, wit, and charm,
capturing the essence of human relationships and the quirks of Indian culture. Unlike
Premchand, Narayan's focus was on capturing the ordinary moments and
idiosyncrasies of life, infusing his narratives with humor and a sense of lightness. While he
did touch upon issues of society and cultural norms in his works, Narayan's portrayal was
more nuanced and often explored through the lens of personal experiences and relationships.
When asked in one of his interview What kind of a novelist would you describe yourself
as? He answerd I'd be quite happy if no more is claimed from me than being just a
storyteller. Only the story matters; that's all. If readers read more significance into my
stories than was meant originally, then that's the reader's understanding of things. But if a
story is in tune completely with the truth of life, truth as I perceive it, then it will

146
automatically be significant. But I never think up specific problems and then write a story
about them. I write the story. Maybe some people like problems more than a story.
While Premchand's writing was rooted in the harsh realities of Indian society, Narayan's
works celebrated the resilience and humor of the human spirit in the face of life's
challenges, Unlike Premchand, who delved into the darker aspects of society, Narayan's
stories are more lighthearted and whimsical, offering a refreshing perspective on
everyday life in India. While Premchand and Narayan differ in their writing styles, they
both shared a deep empathy for their characters and an unwavering commitment to
portraying the reality of Indian life. Premchand's raw and poignant picture various issues
complemented Narayan's gentle satire and wit .Indian literature Both writers showcased
different facet . Premchand offering a critical examination of its injustices and inequalities,
and Narayan providing a more gentle and affectionate portrayal of its diversity and everyday
struggles.
Exploration of Gender and Environmental Themes;
While Premchand's stories tend to delve deeper into gender-related issues and societal
norms. He portrayed challenges and aspirations of women and is more explicit in his
criticism of gender inequality. Narayan, on the other hand, often presents gender dynamics
as a part of the larger social fabric without delving deeply into gender-specific [Link]
both touch on environmental themes in their works, Premchand's narratives are more likely
to explore the environmental challenges faced by rural communities, such as droughts and
crop failures. Narayan's stories are more focused on human interactions and relationships,
with environmental elements serving as backdrops rather than central themes.
Other differences we can see in both writing of Gender Empowerment where
Premchand's works are more likely to feature female characters aspiring for
empowerment and recognition in their communities. In contrast, Narayan's stories often
depict women's contributions more subtly, with empowerment arising indirectly from
their roles and interactions.
Cultural Context :
Narayan's portrayal of rural life is often reflecting a predominantly South Indian setting
influenced by its own cultural and social

147
nuances. In contrast, Premchand's narratives are deeply rooted in the agrarian landscapes
of North India, reflecting the distinctive cultural, linguistic, and social fabric of that
region. As a result, the cultural context of their works shapes the specific dynamics and
experiences of the women characters depicted.
Social Structures and Patriarchy:
While both authors address the patriarchal norms and gender inequalities that permeate
rural society, the specific manifestations and dynamics of patriarchy differ in their
respective narratives. Premchand's writings often confront the entrenched traditions and
social hierarchies prevalent in North Indian villages, highlighting the pervasive influence
of patriarchy and its impact on women's lives. Narayan, on the other hand, reflects the
subtleties of gender dynamics within the South Indian context, often navigating the
interplay of tradition, modernity, and evolving societal [Link] both authors delve
into the lives of women in rural settings, the thematic emphasis and narrative arcs of their
works vary. Narayan's storytelling often explores a wide range of themes, including
individual aspirations, personal relationships, and the interweaving of tradition and
change. Premchand's narratives, on the other hand, frequently delve into themes such as
poverty, social injustice, and the struggles of the marginalized, providing a stark portrayal
of the harsh realities faced by women in rural society.
While R.K. Narayan and Munshi Premchand share a commitment to portraying the
contributions of women in rural settings with depth and authenticity, their approaches
reflect distinct cultural contexts, thematic emphases, and social critiques. Both authors
illuminate the resilience, agency, and multifaceted experiences of rural women, offering
insights into the complexities of gender, tradition, and societal change ,they both have
31
different narrative styles and lenses, Narayan and Munshi Premchand explore
the roles of women in rural areas and their connections with the environment. Narayan's
storytelling often emphasizes humor and the everyday, while Premchand's stories are more
direct and critical of social norms and gender inequality. Understanding these differences
can provide a nuanced perspective on how these two famous authors portrayed women, the
environment, and sustainability in their respective works.
CHAPTER 5

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 CONCLUSION
76
women play a crucial role in several ways

that are important to learn from. Women are often at the forefront of sustainable
development efforts in their communities. They are frequently the primary caretakers of
their families and are closely connected nature such as water, food, and fuel.
31

Findings
After the long research work it is found that study conveys the changing values in
modern Times .Munshi Premchand and RK Narayan depicted that women and nature
suppression was quite similar and in those time it was not expressed implicitly. But in
contemporary India, Indian writers are now more vocal about both women and nature’s
oppression. Their literature, shows traces of evolution of ecofeminism and sustainable
development and represent a profound shift in narrative perspectives, social
consciousness, and environmental advocacy.
Through an exploration of the selected works of Narayan and Premchand, , it is found
that their writings have endeavored to trace the trajectory of ecofeminist themes, motifs,
and ideologies within the Indian literary canon. It has found that agrarian society women
always work as a peasants and was quite in tune with the nature but their portrayals as a
protector of environment was completely ignored. In so called patriarchal society Thakur

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and zamindars of the village believed that they had only powers to create and destruct the
nature. But the writings of RK Narayan and Munshi Premchand broke the glass castle
and bring out the reality and grassroots problems of rural India, Their literature
accomplishes the objective of research work it also reveals and recommends scope and
limitation for further research.
RK Narayan and Munsi Premchand Women were in agony and oppressed similarly
like nature?
During Prem Chand’s time, the condition of woman was miserable. The birth of a girl in
society was considered unlucky. Between age 12 and 14, these girls were married to
unknown persons. On many occasions, an innocent young woman was forced to marry an
aged person who was wealthy, and she had to suffer throughout her life.. They had no
right to property, they were victims of oppression.. In the lower caste families women
participated in agricultural work along with men, besides doing the domestic chores,
and, thus, they were an asset to the family. As compared to the women of the upper
castes, they were economically more selfreliant and therefore more independent.
Women of Premchand were mostly housewives and farmers who were fighting with
poverty, male subjugation and the exploitation endured by British colonizers and local
landlords during that era. It portrays the grim realities of agricultural life, characterized
by extreme poverty, relentless exploitation, and chronic hunger.. During that time, life of
farmers and women were miserable , They felt powerless and unable to change their
situation ,there was a lack of support or assistance available to them. . On the other hand
we experience many characteristics of women in RK Narayan stories , Sometimes they
seek substantiation from the prevailing discourse, confined to home economically not

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 3
independent fighting for the inner confirmation in pursuit of their liberated identities in
male dominated [Link], struggle to live life with dignity continues. Women are
3
facing problems in every sphere of life whether employment, access to health care .
India is fast developing but women's in India continue to be discriminated. The declining sex
ratio discrimination shown towards women time of birth of birth. Women may be have stardom in
any stream but are getting harassment every day.
Earth’s land surface has been significantly altered by human actions, including 85 percent of wetland
areas, 66 percent of ocean area is impacted by human activities, including from fisheries and pollution.
Cutting tress on large is leading us towards deforestation, a transformation of an area from forest to
terrain with little vegetation. As logging (the practice of cutting down trees) continues to increase
in order to set up of factories and industries , the global effects of deforestation continue to
worsen, and it becomes harder and harder to combat these negative impacts on air quality, water
ways .Nearly every other part of the natural world is affected by this and harming nature, is leading
us towards to global warming, other dangerous changes, both have suffered equally.
As a parallel to this, Margaret Atwood in Surfacing illustrates how women and nature are victimised by
the patriarchy and adopts a questioning stance towards the patriarchal hegemony in the universe

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 “Nature is like a woman who enjoys disguising herself, and whose different
disguises, revealing now one part of her ad now another, permit those who study her and
3
assiduously to hope that one day they may know the whole of her person”

Vandana Shiva wrote that there is a connection between dominance of women and
dominance of nature. Shiva said, "The rupture within nature and between man and nature,

152
resulted in enhancement of women's position in Indian society Premchand Talked about women
empowerment ,he was moved immensely by the political and social plan of Gandhi. lots of the
poor, the subjugated. In fact, Gandhi’s Satyagraha was directed against the colonial rule, as it
promoted male supremacy

Therefore, while opposing Purdah, child marriage and the dowry system and encouraging women to
join the National movement, he viewed women primarily as a dependent being, confined to
home, rather than as an independent active entity seeking actualization. Indian concept of
womanhood is strongly rooted in the traditional Indian culture, according to which women are unfit to
enjoy liberty and are expected to remain indoors under the tutelage of their male relatives at
different stages of their life, e.g. under father in the childhood, husband in the youth and son in
the old age.
Many of Premchand's female characters are depicted as agents of change and progress.
They challenge oppressive social norms and traditions, and actively work towards
positive transformation within their communities. Their efforts towards sustainable
development are rooted in their desire to create a better future for themselves and the
people around them. Prem Chand's literary works, the author presents his women fighting
against their social domination which caused many a problem of women, as well as
trying hard to become economically self-reliant
He has exemplified the hopelessness of the parents and relatives on the birth of a female
child and has also revealed that girls were given a step motherly treatment in their
rearing. As for instance, in Nirmala, Kalyani the mother of Nirmala shows this bias openly
that she loves her sons more than her daughters, alleging: “Boys are bullocks who draw the
plough, the first right to fodder is theirs; whatever’s leftover from their food can go to
the cows.” (Nirmala p, 38) Premchand wanted women to achieve parity with men and
pleaded for gender equality. He puts full stress on the requirement of gender impartiality.

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According to him, "without the woman's cooperation man cannot do anything alone." No
work will be completed until women involve in that work.
RK Narayan female character in the novel, demonstrates strength, ambition, and
resilience his stories , Narayan challenges the traditional Indian family structure and
gender exploration of the evolving roles. Rosie becomes financially independent and
pursues a career in dance, defying society's expectations of women at that time. When
Rosie leaves her abusive husband and forges ahead on her own path, it could be seen as a
statement of feminist empowerment. Despite the odds against her in a patriarchal society,
she is unapologetic about pursuing her desires.
Narayan in his memoir My Days speaks of Malgudi as representing in his autobiography,
he emphatically admits, “I was somehow obsessed with a philosophy of woman as
opposed to man, her constant oppressor ,this must have been an early testament of the
,Women’s Liberation movement”. (119)
R.K. Narayan is not prejudiced against women. He always wanted women to be
empowered economically, for his New Women and wants to see them educated, active
and independent; he wants them in the mainstream to propel the wheels of development
of society. His few of women characters are seen talking about dynamics between
gender, power, and agency in Indian society. R.K. Narayan's patronize women
empowerment which pay path for sustainable development. women characters in
Narayan's stories frequently demonstrate agency in decision-making, which significantly
57
Influences .
Rosie in "The Guide," of Gangi in Thakurs well these women exhibit autonomy and
assertiveness in carving their paths, challenging traditional norms, and pursuing their
aspirations. Their agency not only empowers them individually but also triggers shifts in
societal perceptions and expectations, thus contributing to progressive social change. By
asserting their independence and making choices aligned with their goals, these
characters challenge conventional gender roles and inspire others to value individual
agency, thereby fostering a more inclusive and sustainable society.
Moreover, the women in Narayan's stories often serve as custodians of cultural heritage
and community cohesion, thereby contributing to the long-term sustainability of
traditional values and social fabric. women in "Malgudi Days" exemplify this role. They

155
are depicted as upholding cultural practices, imparting wisdom, and preserving the
collective memory of their communities. Their dedication to upholding traditions and
nurturing relationships and sustains the cultural continuity and social harmony ,
modernizing influences. This portrayal emphasizes the invaluable contribution of
women balance between tradition and progress.
women in Narayan's stories often symbolize the driving force behind economic
sustainability, showcasing livelihoods and economic resilience. Characters like Raju's
mother in "The Guide" exemplify this role, as they partake in various economic activities
to sustain their families and, by extension, their communities. Their entrepreneurial
endeavors, whether in managing small businesses, farming, or trade, serve as crucial
components of the local economy, thereby impacting the overall sustainable development
of their surroundings. By portraying the agency and economic contributions of these
women, Narayan's stories shed light on the vital role of women in fostering economic
stability and resilience within their communities. Their impact extends beyond the
individual narratives, resonating with broader themes of social progress, community
resilience, and the preservation of cultural heritage all of which are essential aspects SDP
However, there is growing recognition of ecofeminist perspectives in shaping sustainable
development agendas. Scholars, activists, and policymakers are increasingly acknowledging
the value of sustainable development in promoting more inclusive, equitable, and
environmentally sustainable approaches to development. In environmental conservation,
climate action, and community resilience is gaining greater attention and validation..
Building on the commitments and norms contained in the Beijing Declaration and
United Nations (UN CEDAW, 1979), the 2030 Agenda has a clear message:
“Development will only be sustainable if its benefits accrue equally to both women and
men; and women’s rights will only become a reality if they are part of broader efforts to
protect the planet and ensure that all people can live with dignity and

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respect, the gender discrimination still holding too many women back is holding our
world back, too.”
Gender equality makes other sustainability goals easier to achieve, Empowered women
can be powerful advocates for environmental policies that prioritize sustainability.
Women empowerment is not just a moral imperative; it’s a strategic necessity for
achieving global environmental sustainability. By fostering inclusivity and female
empowerment, society can tap into a wealth of diverse perspectives, talents, and
innovative [Link] moving forward, and recognizing the vital role that women play
in safeguarding the planet,world is not are not just enriching lives; we are ensuring a
sustainable and inclusive future for generations to come.
RK Narayan’s and Munshi Premchand’s initiative on sustainable development and
Environment have inspired the new generation to work towards a more sustainable
and equitable future ?
R.K. Narayan is chiefly Narayan had a fascination for animals since his childhood. He
was in the company of a peacock and a monkey when he had to put at his grandmother’s,
due to the transfer of his father’s job. This flavor reflected in his creative writings,
especially in ‘A Tiger for Malgudi’ a novel devoted fully to the story of a tiger. His other
works in a way express his deep concern with the animal world. He has rarely been
completely away from describing some sort animal story in his works. Probably his
conscious always compared the difference between the humans and the animals. Narayan
being the man of the soil was rarely away from Indian scenes. India has always preserved
religious attitude towards animals. Though there has been cruelty to animals for
livelihood and entertainment. Some animals and birds are also considered as bad omens.
But we find animals being worshipped and adored like Gods in Indian culture and
tradition.
R. K Narayan, being an Indian, had all these impressions and portrayed animal world
61
with sympathy, love and kindness. His novel ‘The tiger in the novel leads a life of rashness till
he meets his master and is transformed completely and takes a course of peaceful and serene
life. The tiger himself narrates his story ,full of adventures facing ups and down like
human beings
He then revenges upon by attacking the livestock of the humans. But one day he is
caught and brought to a circus where he is tortured by the captain, the trainer, whom the
tiger mauls and takes refuge in a building. Here he meets his master, who rescues him and
takes him to the jungle. In the company of his master he experiences spiritual
transformation and leads a life of serenity and peace.
R. K. Narayan has taken the tiger to the level of human beings who understands his
master’s language. He has granted the same rights to animals as human beings. The tiger
has acquired spirituality and has shed his beastly nature because of penance and
repentance. ‘The Guide’ features no animals in particular. But we see Rosie wishes to
see a king cobra for which Raju makes arrangements. Besides we have scanty
reference to various animals in ‘The Guide’, this occurs when Raju and Rosie spend time
in jungle. The reference to names of animals in ‘The Guide’ is in mode to show the
negative traits of humans. ‘The Man-eater of Malgudi’ ,Narayan which depicts the story
of animal poaching and stuffing by the antagonist Vasu. Though it does not portray the
lives of animals but it describes the ugly picture of animal skin trafficking and tells
about their destiny. R.K Narayan brings out the selfish nature of human beings. He
stresses the human qualities which animals have and the human lack. To sum up, animals
are our fellow being and need our attention and care. Man being the head has the
responsibilities to look after his fellow being with love, care and sympathy. R.K. Narayan
has sympathetic feelings for animals and stresses the need for human kindness towards
animals. He has painted them in his creative works at par with human being. Man has
no right to exploit and torture them. Animals have the same right of existence on this
planet. Narayan conveys his fervent love for nature and his suffering and how nature is
being destroyed. ,He indirectly speaks how man is separating himself from nature under
the guise of development and progress.
Malgudi, the permanent setting, is depicted as a bustling town metaphorically depicting a
huge natural setting, complete with inhabitants, animals, and nature itself as characters.
Perhaps no other writer of his time has taken as keen interest in environmental issues as
Narayan. However, R.K. Narayan's image as a witty storyteller has cast a pall over his

158
environmental spirit. His world is always focused on nature or the environment, and
never on humans. His characters include peasants, labourers, drivers, and other ordinary
people who have beautiful relationships with Mother Nature.
Premchand, himself was very impressed by the pristine and simple way of living life in
Indian villages. Village folk lived by the values of honesty, integrity, contentment,
innocence and simplicity. He also cared for draught animals in village spaces.
In the same way, Munshi Premchand has also stated the mistreatment of animal in his
famous novel “Godan”. He was an eminently well known writer and novelist of the 20th
century. He has enlisted a massive reputation for his gripping tales of social unrest and
changes. In the novel Premchand delineated the dependency of human on the animals and
their products. The protagonist Hori wants a cow from his neighbouring villager Bhola ,
always used to think about the cow and his children. He thinks if I also had a cow, my
children might also have been strong and healthy. Coming of the cow brings a new
enthusiam among them; they served the cow as a deity and it seems that prosperity was
gradually coming towards his courtyard.. One night Hira poisons the cow and run away
from the village. Here Premchand describes how animals becomes the matter of vengeance
of humans for human envy. Consequently human has also been punished for his
wrong deeds with animal: “The killing haunted me and I felt as though the cow were
standing in front of me. It stood there every moment walking or sleeping and wouldn’t
go . I went insane and ended up in an asylum for five years . I got out some six
month ago and have been roaming around begging.” Munsi premchand discussed
problem on farmers and village life is still relevant he had discuss various problems like
Fine Imposed, Contribution Demand: The Zamindar demanded a contribution of Rs. 500 for
a future program ,Caste Segregation ,Peasant Exploitation ,Revenue Collection.
Cow Poisoning Exploitation of Women, Urban Migration and Struggle for Independence.
6
Humans have become so dominant and they feel that the Earth is only for them. The
sharply increasing population of human beings is in need of more natural resources and
land for their resolutions.

The Disappearance of trees has started capturing animal inhabitants. This is the major
problem which is seen these days. Wild animals are

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gradually about to extinct. All the natural resources that are present in the environment
are as important for animals as for human beings. They have equal rights or more rights
on fresh air,water and land etc as they do not lead to its degradation.
Early Influences and Pioneering Voices: The early 20th century marked a period of
awakening in Indian literature, with authors like Rabindranath Tagore and Sarojini Naidu
challenging traditional norms through their writings. Tagore, in particular, depicted
women as multifaceted beings, deeply connected to nature and society. His works often
portrayed women as the embodiment of nature’s beauty and resilience, emphasizing their
1
strength in the face of adversity. Sarojini Naidu, known as the “Nightingale
of India,” used her poetry to celebrate the beauty of nature while advocating for women’s
rights. In her verses, she often equated women with the nurturing and life-giving aspects
of nature, highlighting their intrinsic connection to the environment. Writers and their
Echoing Voices: In the landscape of contemporary Indian literature, the emergence and
evolution of ecofeminism represent a profound shift in narrative perspectives, social
consciousness, and environmental advocacy. Through an exploration of the selected
works of Kamala Markandaya, Amrita Pritam, Manjula Padmanabhan, and Anuradha
Roy has to trace the trajectory of ecofeminist themesm. From Markandaya’s early
articulations of the interconnectedness between gender, ecology, and societal structures to
Roy’s nuanced portrayals of ecological degradation and women’s agency, the literary
landscape reflects an evolving discourse that seeks to challenge patriarchal norms,
exploitative systems, and environmental degradation. The writings of Kamala
Markandaya serve as a foundational cornerstone in the exploration of ecofeminist thought
within Indian literature. Markandaya’s novels, such as Nectar in a Sieve and Possession,
navigate the complex intersections between gender oppression, economic exploitation,
and ecological decline. Through her portrayal of female protagonists grappling with the
consequences of industrialization, urbanization, and agricultural crises.
Today many modern writers have explicitly portrayed the struggles of Indian women
against societal expectations and environmental degradation Modern Indian literature
narratives, has often reflected the intricate relationship between womanhood and nature.
From the lyrical verses of Tagore to the feminist prose of Arundhati Roy, Indian

160
literature has provided a platform to explore the multifaceted connections between
women and the natural world.
RK Narayan and Munshi Premchand always advocated the rights of animals according to
them they also play a very crucial role in human survival and existence. So they ought to
have equal care, love and respect. Misusing of nature, natural resources and killing of
animals may lead to ecological imbalance and will represent a great threat to human life.
The portrayal of animal abusing in different in their some of the literary texts aims to
attract the minds on animal consciousness. Already ecocriticism has been developed as
an independent discipline to raise the various natural issues and adverse effects of human
activities on environment. But it's the time to aware more about animal rights, to make a
remarkable change in human behaviour towards nature, to not to see animals as useless
creatures. Human must remember the fact that the existence of human beings and animals
are parallel to each other, a little misbehavior may lead the whole human race in the
unconquerable on the hand preserving animals ,nature cannot be possible without
empowering women .They are contribution to the social cohesion and well-being of their
communities can create magic for environment and sustainable development . it is truly
said that acts of kindness and compassion create a ripple effect that fosters a sense of
unity and solidarity, which are essential elements of sustainable development. This
involves moving away from exploitative and extractive relationships with the
environment and embracing more sustainable and regenerative ways of living. Women
7
have often been at the forefront of movements that promote sustainable and ethical
practices, such as organic farming, renewable energy initiatives, and conservation efforts.
Initiative taken by both the writers are paving path for equitable future today we can see
many examples like -
Swachh Bharat Mission :An example of women leading the way can be best seen in the
Swachh Bharat Mission which aims to create an open defecation free India by 2019.
Women understand the health benefits of clean ways and sanitation once explained to
them; they embrace the need for toilets for these reasons and the risks to their security
as they otherwise go to fields under cover of darkness. In many States women
sarpanchs have scripted success stories and made a difference in their villages, making
them open defecation free by building toilets and creating awareness. The

161
mission has also raised people’s aspirations leading to the demand of better toilets which
offer more than just the conventional toilet structure. To complement the government
subsidy microfinance has proved to be an important instrument. Women are at the
forefront of these interventions with credit being directed to women self-help groupsIt
also offers valuable insights into the interconnectedness of gender justice and
5
environmental sustainability. Sustainable development, we can learn to prioritize their
rights and contributions, promote inclusive decision-making processes, and embrace more
caring and sustainable relationships with the environment. Ultimately, integrating
ecofeminist principles into sustainable development efforts can lead to more equitable,
resilient, and thriving societies for all.
Jal Sahelis or women water warriors are women of all ages who have sounded a
clarion call for water security in their areas. Welthungerhilfe and their partner
Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan have organized and trained these women volunteers
on issues related to water resource planning, management and conservation. The
volunteers are part of Jal Jan Jodo Abhiyan – a national movement that aims to
make the Right to Water a reality in India. Today, there are nearly 500 Jal Sahelis
who have been capacitated and are active across 7 districts of the states of
Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Dressed uniformly in blue saris, they are
promptly available to resolve water issues in their villages. They have repaired
handpumps, built check dams with government allocations and organized
‘shramdan’ or voluntary contributions by the community to revive traditional ponds
in villages.

They have been recognized for their effective work in resolving water issues by
state and national governments including the Jal Shakti (Water Resources) Ministry,
Government of [Link] of women in joint participation in forest
management in India women spend more time collecting forest produce and to meet
family needs than men, and that men are more interested in the commercial value
of forests. About a third of all poor women in India are directly involved in
forestry and related occupations. The author argues that this is the reason why it is
women who have been at the forefront of movements like the Chipko Andolan.
Forest policies, it is stated, are nevertheless gender blind and only in the national
forest policy of 1988 is their contribution recognised, as it provided for the creation
of a massive people’s movement to meet its objectives.
In the stories and novels of R.K. Narayan and Munshi Premchand, the contributions
of women to sustainable development are portrayed indirectly, within the context of
their broader narratives about rural life, societal challenges, and human
relationships. While these authors did not explicitly address the concept of
sustainable development, their works provide glimpses of the roles and struggles of
women in the context of traditional societies but their contribution in conserving
nature cannot be ignored.