Volume VI Special Issue VI September 2026

Name of Author : Sarojram S M, Dr.Shanmugam S

Title of the paper : Reading the Sundarbans through Indigenous Ecologies: A Blue Humanities Perspective on Amitav Ghoshs The Hungry Tide

Abstract: Blue Humanities enables a rethinking of the sea and coastal water as spaces of ecological agency, while Indigenous ecologies reveal how native communities have natural indigenous knowledge to adapt with the rhythms of tides, forests, and wildlife through lived experience and cultural memory. By employ ying Indigenous ecologies alongside Blue Humanities perspectives, this paper examines Amitav Ghoshs The Hungry Tide through intersecting frameworks, arguing that the Sundarbans is not merely a geographical setting but a dynamic tidal ecosystem shaped by reciprocal relationships among humans, water, mangroves, and nonhuman life. It discusses the conflict between state-led conservation policies and the traditional lifeworlds of the regions fishing and forest dependent communities, exposing the marginalisation of indigenous and subaltern voices in environmental governance, by focusing on the interconnected agencies of rivers, tides, dolphins, mangroves, and tigers. This research paper demonstrates that The Hungry Tide advocates an environmental ethic rooted in coexistence, resilience, and Indigenous knowledge systems. It argues that recognising Indigenous ecological wisdom is essential for reimagining sustainable coastal futures in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Keywords : Blue Humanities, Indigenous Ecologies, Sundarbans, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Mangroves.

DOI :

Page Number : 220-222