Eco-feminism has developed and still developing in different stages. As Chen Ling puts it in „Ecological Criticism Based on Social Gender: The Basic Principles of Ecofeminism”, Eco-feminism is developed in three stages: “The first stage is the beginning of the 1960s. It’s mainly demonstrated that the American women challenged large nuclear power stations, the Chipko movement in northern India and green belt movement in Kenya. The movement at this stage is based on the general ecological awareness in working women’s daily life, and attempts to combine the expression of women’s interests with the pursuit of environment maintenance and protection.
The second stage is taken from 1970s to 1980s. This is a stage that the concepts and theories of ecofeminism have initially formed. The third stage is taken from the 1980s until the present. This is a stage that ecofeminist theory has established and developed.” After observing eco-feminism’s meaning and emergence at a glance. We can indicate some basic and general characteristics of eco-feminism.
First of all, eco-feminism works on the belief that both nature and women are identical. Eco-feminists believe that women and nature shares some qualities in common like correlativity, nurturing and cooperation. Further, it also shows inter connection between menstruation and moon cycles, childbirth and creation” etc. The theory of eco-feminism utilizes the age-old inter connection between women and nature as a link to unite both the feminism and the ecological movements which stresses upon ending each and every kind of oppression or exploitation of women and nature.
Further, it should be also noted that, Eco-feminism is not only a women’s movement but is also a social movement. Eco-feminists propagates that it is not only immoral to dominate, exploit and oppress women but it is also immoral to destroy and exploit natural resources for satisfying one’s geed for materialistic pleasures. From ages, the nature and natural objects like water, tress, the sun, the moon, stars, wind, forests etc. are being worshipped by the people of various cultures of the whole universe. But in present situation, with the explosion of population and because of human beings” infinite greed for materialistic pleasure, in the name of so called “urbanization”, “modernization”, “industrialization” and “development, Mankind is destructing the whole eco system by unnecessarily interrupting it.
Eco-feminists are against the oppression and exploitation of women and natural resources. Eco-feminism puts stress on ending each and every kind of oppression and exploitation. Characteristics of Eco-feminism from Indian Perspective When talking about India or any under developing nation, it is very important to know about eco-feminism to understand the masculine powers” invasion over both women and nature. India, India is immensely blessed by nature and the worshipping of nature and natural elements has remained an integral part of every Indian’s life since ancient times. Since primitive ages, Indian society has remained preserver and worshiper of various elements of nature like the sun, the moon, the earth various plants, rivers etc and has considered the nature and natural elements having supreme powers.
Indian culture and ancient Indian texts like Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Aranyakas, The Mahabharata, The Ramayana, Bhagvad Gita etc presents plenty of references of nature worshipping. Plenty of Hindu recites Sanskrit Shlokas daily to show their respect and gratitude towards rivers, mountains, tress, animals and the earth. For example, the earth has been considered as a mother in Indian culture. Apart from the earth, many of the elements of nature are given feminine identity and attributes in Hindu tradition. For example, rivers, the Mother Nature, the plant of Tulsi etc..
On the other hand, women are also being highly honored, being considered as goddess and respected in Indian culture. Thus, both women and nature has been worshipped in India, yet they both are often being neglected and marginalized by the masculine powers and phallocentric society. Especially in the present situation, with the explosion of population and because of human being” infinite greed for materialistic pleasure, in the name of so called “urbanization”, “modernization”, “industrialization” and “development, Mankind is destructing the whole ecosystem by unnecessarily interrupting it. the male dominated society in Indian culture has marginalized nature as well as women for fulfillment of their needs since the ancient times.
Basically, ecofeminism in India is having its roots in “Chipko Movement” which took place in 1970s in the Garhwal region of Uttaranchal in Uttar Pradesh. This movement is now referred as one of the early and effective specimen of ecological or eco-feminist movements in India. Apart from this Chipko movement, many other environmental movements laid by environmental activists, theorists and writers like Medha Patkar, Mahasweta Devi, Arundhati Roy, C.K.Janu, Vandana Shiva, Meera Nanda, Bina Agrawal, Shobhita Jain, and Ramchandra Guha have also contributed to the field of eco-feminism in India.
If we talk about the recent times, an Indian environmentalist from Karnataka, Saalumarada Thimmakka, arrived in the lime light for her notable work of planting around 8ooo tress in her life span. Because of her utmost dedication towards the Mother Nature, she became popular as “Vruksh Mata” (Hindi for mother of tress) Her this dedication towards the Mother Nature, she became popular as “Vruksh Mata” (Hindi for mother of tress) Her this dedication towards nature is also being recognized by the government of India and she has also got Padma Shri (The fourth-highest civilian award in the Republic of India) in 2019.
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