Abstract

Ulgulaan: A Revolt against Environmental Exploitation By Sandip Kumar Mishra Headmaster Karanjee Subhas Bidyabhaban Abstract The present paper is an attempt to study the ecological implications of Ulgulaan as discovered in the famous novel by Mahasweta Devi named Aranyer Adhikar. The Adivasi people like Kol, Vil, Santhal, Munda, Ho, Sabar are being exploited by the so-called civilized world in the name of development. They are bereft of their right to the forest which is essential for their very subsistence. They are stigmatized as the marginal and are forced to leave their natural habitat with the land, water, and forest. However the astonishing truth is that these people strive hard to keep up the ecological balance. They never exploit the natural environment; rather they fight against the environmental exploitation. The Munda people waged war against their exploiters through a revolt referred to as Ulgulaan. What is Hul to the Santhal, Ulgulaan is to the Mundas. The article explores the ecological implications of Ulgulaan as found in Devi’s immortal novel Aranyer Adhikar (Right to Forest). Keywords: Ulgulaan, Environmental exploitation, Birsa Munda, Forest.