Unveiling the Necropolitics of Oil on Migrant Bodies in Deepak Unnikrishnans Birds
- Title
- Unveiling the Necropolitics of Oil on Migrant Bodies in Deepak Unnikrishnans Birds
- Creator
- Jose B.
- Description
- Oil played a significant role in fuelling the sociopolitical and economic development of Middle Eastern nations, attracting mass migration from South Asian nations. The article draws a nexus between the energy dynamics and labour exploitation within these petroleum-rich nations. It undertakes a close reading of the text Birds from Deepak Unnikrishnans novel Temporary People as it depicts the lives of migrant labourers who navigate an exploitative petro-capitalist system. The fictional text employs a narrative strategy juxtaposing elements of magic and realism, opening up a space for multilayered marginalised voices. The article engages with energy theories and interweaves Mbembes theory on necropolitics to grasp oils sovereign influence in delineating the boundaries between life and death in migrant lives. The surplus energy generated through fossil fuel extraction contributes to notions of boundless growth, coupled with technical and economic progress, which conceals the intensive manual labour underpinning these petrocultures. The magical property alluded to oil and the spectral absence of labour in the socio-cultural imagination co-constructs an exploitative and dehumanising labour regime for migrants. The migrant body is kept alive, and their existence is contingent upon the instrumental value of their labouring body, which constructs them as easily disposable and expendable as they are positioned outside the formal boundaries of citizenship. 2024 South Asian University.
- Source
- Society and Culture in South Asia, Vol-10, No. 2, pp. 277-296.
- Date
- 2024-01-01
- Publisher
- Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd
- Subject
- Energy Humanities; exploitation; Labour; Middle East; petro-capitalism
- Coverage
- Jose B., CHRIST (Deemed to Be University), Karnataka, Bangalore, India
- Rights
- Restricted Access
- Relation
- ISSN: 23938617
- Format
- Online
- Language
- English
- Type
- Article
Collection
Citation
Jose B., “Unveiling the Necropolitics of Oil on Migrant Bodies in Deepak Unnikrishnans Birds,” CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) Institutional Repository, accessed February 25, 2025, https://archives.christuniversity.in/items/show/12998.