Enmakaje Remembers: Eco-memory and Multilingual Voices of Resistance in Ambikasuthan Mangad’s Swarga

Abstract

This article analyses Ambikasuthan Mangad’s Malayalam novel Enmakaje (2009), translated by J. Devika as Swarga: A Posthuman Tale (2017), through the interconnected lenses of eco-memory and multilingual resistance. Situated within the contemporary fourth wave of memory studies, characterized by ecological consciousness and the posthuman turn, the analysis positions the environment as an active repository that preserves and communicates memories of ecological trauma. Specifically, the article explores the devastating effects of the pesticide Endosulfan on the village of Enmakaje in Kasargod, Kerala, positing how the landscape retains reminders of environmental violence, including biodiversity loss, contaminated waterways, and physical deformities among residents. Employing qualitative textual analysis, this research identifies how eco-memory functions as a form of collective remembrance, especially in the Anthropocene. Consequently, it further studies multilingual resistance within Enmakaje, emphasizing the strategic use of linguistic diversity—Malayalam, Kannada, Tulu, Byari, Urdu, Marathi, and Konkani—as a dynamic resource to mobilize ecological activism and confront capitalist agroindustrial exploitation. Through multilingual communication, the residents effectively bridge local experiences with transnational advocacy, fostering solidarity and promoting inclusive ecological governance. Ultimately, the study signifies the value of literature as ecopedagogy, advocating for ecological justice and sustainability. Mangad’s Swarga thus exemplifies the transformative potential of multilingual narratives in addressing global ecological crises, emphasizing the vital intersection between cultural heritage preservation and environmental activism.