Beings and Beasts: Human-Animal Relations at the Margins

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Ambika Aiyadurai (Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar) Prashant Ingole (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali)

Beings and Beasts

Human-Animal Relations at the Margins

Ambika Aiyadurai (Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar), Prashant Ingole (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali)

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English

Cambridge University Press
17 July 2025

Constitution: government & the state

While, a lot has been written about the need to 'decolonize' animal studies and wildlife conservation, there is no discussion or attempt to 'de-brahminize' animal studies and conservation science in India. Similarly, some animals and birds are positioned as superior in the Brahmanical social order, others seem to be subordinated and are associated with certain 'inferior' caste groups. Beings and Beasts discusses the relations between humans and animals of marginalized societies, especially of Dalits and Tribals. It analyses the various ways of perceiving the 'conjoint' living and examines it from multiple perspectives and disciplinary lenses.

Edited by: Ambika Aiyadurai (Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar), Prashant Ingole (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781009529938
ISBN 10: 1009529935
Pages: 235
Publication Date: 17 July 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Introduction: Human-Animal Relations at the 'Margins'; Ambika Aiyadurai and Prashant Ingole; Part I. Animals in Dalit Cinema: 1. The Pig, the National Anthem and Anti-Caste Belonging in Fandry Purnachandra Naik; 2. Speaking of Pain: Portrayal of Human-Animal Relationships in Tamil Cinema R. Samuel Gnanaraj; 3. Cast(e)ing Animals in Cinema: Exploring Human-Animal Relationships through Fandry and Pariyerum Perumal Akshay Sawant; Part II. Dalit Imageries and Textual Narratives: 4. The Changing Iconography of the Owl in Dalit Narratives: A Study of Cho. Dharman's Koogai Shibangi Dash; 5. 'Dhed and Bhedh': Caste and Animals in Ratan Kumar Sambharia's Short Stories Deepak Sarohia; 6. Holy Cow, Unholy Meat: Food Ecologies, Affective Communities and Violence in 'The Revenge of the Non Vegetarian' Greeshma Mohan; Part III. Human-Animals Relations In the Northeast: 7. Without a Pig, a Bodo Life is Incomplete Rachan Daimary; 8. Yaks and the Brokpa of Arunachal Pradesh: An Immemorial Nomadic Association; Khriengunuo Mepfhuo and Mihir Sarkar; 9. The 'Divine Animal' of Arunachal Pradesh: Changing Human-Mithun Relationships Abhishruti Sarma; Part IV. Animals as Companions: 10. Pastoral Practices and Human-Animal Relation: A Study of Dhangars in Maharashtra Ashwini Labde; 11. Frames in the Discourse Around Bull-Taming Sport: Why PETA's Animal Welfarism was Misguided Saravanan Velusamy; 12. Dalit Ecologies and Animal Rights: Caste, Body, Metaphor Susan Haris; 13. Animals in Poems: Dalits and their Relations with Nonhumans Gautam Vegda.

Ambika Aiyadurai is Assistant Professor in the department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, India. Her core areas of research are Environment and Society, Human-Animal relations, Conservation and Sustainable Development and Human dimensions in Wildlife Conservation. Prashant Ingole is a Lecturer in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali. His research work revolves around graphic narratives, social media, Hindi cinema, and Dalit life narratives. His research interests include literary studies, comparative cultural studies, popular culture, and visual and verbal contexts. He is specifically interested in marginal identities and ground realities with a focus on modern Dalit expressions.

Reviews for Beings and Beasts: Human-Animal Relations at the Margins

'In this powerful book, the contributors draw our attention to the insidious and oppressive caste hierarchies that categorise humans and animals alike. They challenge the caste-imposed order, which relegates Dalits and tribals as inferior and impure because of their association with certain animals, occupations and food practices. The book examines how Dalit and tribal worlds are inextricably connected with the lives of animals in a relationship of care. By foregrounding anti-caste politics, the book offers a much-needed perspective of the marginalised voices in India's environmental discourse.' Dolly Kikon, University of California 'This book, for the first time in environmental studies, examines the human-animal relationship from the perspective of marginalised populations - Dalits and tribals - and the marginal region of Northeast India, thereby addressing a historical gap in mainstream animal studies. The book offers a distinctive blend of positionality, lived experience, fieldwork and academic research to explore the intersection of caste, animals and Dalit identities, the animals in Dalit-tribal lives, the cultural representations of animal relationships, and animals as metaphors of identity and resistance. This multidimensional work envisions an alternative multispecies world rooted in dignity and justice.' Mukul Sharma, Ashoka University 'A fabulous collection that covers literary, sociological and cultural frontiers in the emerging scholarship on caste and ecology. It will serve as a reference for new research in the fields of caste, South Asia, animal studies and media studies.' Suraj Milind Yengde, Harvard University