Prakriti VS Prastuti: How Indian Mythology Embraces Fluid Identities as Nature, Rejecting the Colonised Narratives of Viewing Queer as Derogatory

Abstract

Ecofeminism is a way of thinking and acting that shows how the mistreatment of women and the destruction of nature come from the same root: patriarchal ideas that see both as things to control and use. French feminist Françoise d'Eaubonne first used the term "ecofeminism" in her 1974 book Le Féminisme ou la Mort. She argued that men's control over women's bodies and reproduction was causing environmental problems like overpopulation. The movement grew stronger in the 1970s and 1980s through the work of thinkers like Ynestra King, Susan Griffin (Women and Nature), Carolyn Merchant (The Death of Nature), and Vandana Shiva. These writers pointed out "dualisms" in society—such as man vs. woman, culture vs. nature, reason vs. emotion—that put men and human control above everything else. This same thinking supports sexism, colonialism, capitalism, and damage to the environment. Ecofeminism has two main early types: one spiritual and cultural that celebrates women's closer ties to nature through care and intuition, and another socialist or materialist, that focuses on economic systems and class. Critics sometimes call it essentialist (suggesting women are naturally closer to nature), but most Eco- feminists today stress that these links are shaped by society and history, not biology. They also highlight intersectionality & focus on how gender connects with race, class, and colonialism. Today, ecofeminism is very relevant because of climate change, biodiversity loss, and ongoing gender inequality. Women, especially in the Indigenous communities, suffer the most from environmental damage even though they contribute least to it. The authors of this paper have sought to explore newer ideas of queer ecofeminism within Indian mythology. Using the critical Lens of Ecofeminism for understanding the structural parallels between the subjugation of women and the degradation of the natural world, the authors aim to see it as a framework for future research and policy that embraces these holistic alternatives to navigate the complexities of the Anthropocene and foster a world where the flourishing of nature and all marginalised beings is recognised as a single, inseparable goal.