New Books Network Mukul Sharma, "Dalit Ecologies: Caste and Environment Justice" (Cambridge UP, 2024)
Oct 12, 2025
Mukul Sharma, a Professor of Environmental Studies at Ashoka University, combines insights from his background in political journalism to explore the intersections of caste and ecology. He discusses his book, Dalit Ecologies, revealing how caste-blind environmentalism fails marginalized communities. Sharma advocates for eco-castism and examines Dalit literature as a vital counter-archive of ecological knowledge. He critiques romanticized community ideals and introduces the Dalit Bahujan Anthropocene, linking it with Black ecological dialogues for broader solidarity.
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Social Roots Of Ecological Crisis
- Mainstream environmental problems in India are rooted in social hierarchies like caste, not just technical failures.
- Sharma argues ecology cannot be understood or solved without confronting caste-based domination.
Tanneries And Lived Ecologies
- Sharma recounts Kanpur's tannery industry where Dalits and Muslims faced toxic labor tied to polluted rivers.
- He uses such occupational examples to show how caste and ecology are materially entwined.
Eco-Castism And Eco-Naturalism
- Sharma coins eco-castism and eco-naturalism to show how environmental discourse naturalizes caste hierarchies.
- He shows some environmentalists portray caste as ecological adaptation, masking exclusion and violence.
