ASLE India
This is the official website of ASLE (India)— the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment.
Welcome to our updated website!
(Previously www.asleindia.webs.com)
ASLE India is intended as a national forum for the collective understanding of the intimate relations and biological ties existing between literature, art, culture and the Environment.
We recognize that environment as a concept, for obvious reasons, cannot be seen separate or segregated from the cultural and natural spheres. And literature by virtue of being what it is—creative, imaginative, emotive and expressive— could be seen as engaging with the human mind and the natural world at every point.
The literary and artistic mind of course appears to have perceived this fact in aesthetic terms from prehistoric times, however critical, more specially academic, pursuit of this connection appears to have arisen fairly recently. The now-widespread use of the terms ecological criticism (eco criticism for short), eco-aesthetics, eco-wisdom etc, are to be read as signs in this direction. Of course the rising ecological conscience the world over is one of the main reasons for this.
We recognize the global dimensions of ecological and environmental concerns. Literary and artistic productions by virtue of what they are reflect the deeper cultural preoccupations of a people, and the ecological constitutes a holistic perception. Eco-aesthetics and environmental aesthetics could lead us towards a collective understanding of human and non-human-nature interface.
ASLE India works towards a national awareness of these issues, recognizing fully well the diversities, differences and dissimilarities often inherent in such broader concerns.
ASLE India is intended as a forum for creative interaction between intellectuals, academics, environmental activists, naturalists, nature-lovers, and those involved and committed to these issues, and wish to remain equally open to each other’s individual, methodological and disciplinary differences and points of view.
ASLE India hopes also to work in tandem with other similar organizations and collectives.
You are most welcome to join us.