Vol. 2, Issue 2, Part A (2020)

This paper presents an ecocritical analysis of Jasvir Rana’s Punjabi novel Itho Registan Disda Hai. The objective is to explore the intersections of ecological degradation, the legacy of the Green Revolution, and the socio-economic pressures of transnational migration in Punjab. By examining tThe ideological conflict between the 'mercenary' anthropocentrism of characters like Rupinder and the 'eco-wisdom' embodied by the protagonists Neeti and her mother, this study argues that the felling of Punjab’s green belt is both a literal environmental crime and a metaphorical 'uprooting' of cultural identity. Drawing on Greg Garrard’s concept of 'proleptic mourning’ and Vandana Shiva’s theory of the 'Monoculture of the Mind', the paper analyzes how the novel’s title functions as a prophetic warning of desertification. The study concludes that the final vision of maternal resurrection and the performance of an eco-friendly cremation offer a counter-narrative to the capitalist exploitation of nature, positioning indigenous ecological stewardship as the only viable resistance against the spiritual and physical desertification of the region