Ajit Kumar Borah
It is said that the world
is not inherited by man from his parents; he borrows it from his children. In
order to pass on a healthy planet to next generation, there is no alternative
for man but to preserve and protect his environment by stopping overexploitation
of nature. The urgency of keeping the environment green and clean can be
conveyed through literary works specially dedicated to this cause. Since the
future belongs to the children, they should be taught the necessity of an
ecological awareness for a better, sustainable living. Children’s literature,
i.e. literature for children and environmental studies can serve this purpose
through non-fiction. But children naturally love stories and use of fiction
would be an excellent idea to that end. In fiction there is scope for mixing
facts and sprinkling ideas that can spread the message of hope for better
future. Fiction thus, is an effective tool for promoting eco-consciousness as
the children cannot be made to understand too much of conceptual, abstract and
ideological issues. Arup Kumar Dutta as an author has used his fiction,
especially Kaziranga Trail and Adventures in Kaziranga: Four Environment
Novellas for upholding the message of the role children can play as
ecosoldiers for protection and preservation of nature. Here an attempt has been
made to probe into Arup Kumar Dutta’s use of fiction aiming at grooming
ecosoldiers by textual analysis of his Kaziranga
Trail and Adventures in Kaziranga:
Four Environmental Novellas. It attempts to show how these works could play
the vital role of spreading eco consciousness in the formative years of
children. Padmashree Dutta has penned a good number of books that attempt to
instil the children the responsibility of protecting the environment and the
world. He cherishes the hope that children with adequate knowledge and sense of
responsibility can make important contribution in disseminating ecological
awareness. Ecologically aware children can do wonders; and they can change the
world.
In Kaziranga Trail, (henceforth will be shortened to KT ) and Adventures in Kaziranga: Four Environment Novellas (henceforth
shortened to AK) three teenagers-
Dhanai, Bubul and Jonti with their earnest desire to protect and preserve
wildlife, come successful in the shadowing and putting behind bars a gang of rhino poachers. The
rhino is on the verge of extinction as a result of rampant poaching and
smuggling. All efforts undertaken by the government and forest officials for
its protection and preservation have been proved futile over the years.
Children should be made aware of the importance of wildlife and KT definitely can contribute to that
end. The author in this adventure story puts in detail how rhinos are trapped,
dehorned and killed by poachers for money. At the same time, he unearths vital
issues behind the failure in curbing the menace of poaching and killing rhinos
in Kaziranga. All the important aspects of creating eco -consciousness and the
necessity to groom eco- soldiers find expression through the characters or the
voice of the narrator in an implied manner. KT
answers the question why and how this mammoth animal is killed, daring the
strict vigil of forest guards protecting the wildlife in Kaziranga.
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