‘MAJOR T RENDS

IN I NDO-ANGLIAN
FI CTION’
Introduction :-
 A proper approach to Indian English Fiction must
be based on an understanding of Indian Social
reality.

 As else where, majority of novels in India have

been written in response historical and Political
movements or events such as the Gandhian
movement, imperial rule, partition of the
country, communal riots, the issues of Borders,
the emergency period, the emergence of new
India, etc.,
1. National Movement :
 The novels published during this period
have focussed on the political turmoil,
starting with non-violent, non-co-
operation movement of Gandhi in the
1920S and ending with the Gandhian
Irwin fact of 1931.
 EXAMPLES

 Raja Rao ‘Kanthapura’ K.S

Venkaramani’s ‘Murugan The Tiller’ and
Kundan the Patriot, Venu Chitale’s In
transit Anand Lall in his House at
Adampur. Abba’s In Quilab (1933).
2. The Image of Gandhi :
 Though Gandhi is not a character, the
presence of Gandhi is always felt in
Indian Fiction.
 Gandhi appeared as a driving force, an
idealist, as a conquerer of hearts, hence
the entire humanity waiting for Mahatma.
Ex. R. K. N. Waiting for Mahatam.
 Gandhi appeared as legend and an
oracle for the champion of the oppressed
in M.R. Anand’s Untouchable.
 He is refered as an avatar, a Saint, a Holy
man, the modern Sri Ram, the
incornationd of God Ex. R.Rao’s
Kanthapura.
3. Partition :
 After the Sub continent was divided into
two parts in 1947 the political and
religious differences between the Hindus
and the Muslims became so tense that
led to widespread disturbance.
 Partition made familiar people as
strangers & strangers as familiars.
 In many cases the partition was decided
by politicians in power who did not
represent the voice of the people.
 Examples :- Kushwanth Singhs Train to
Pakistan, Manohar Malgonkar’s A Bend in
the Ganges Chaman Nahal’s Azadi Bapsi
Sidwai’s Ice Candy Man.
4. Emergence of Post
Rushdie’s Period :
 It has brought new renaisance in Indian
English Fiction. Its contributions have
been remarkable in numerous ways,
such as its turn to history, a new
exuberance of language, the reinvention
of allegory, the issues of imagining nation
and so on. The protagonists of these
novels challenge the hegemony of the
state and its official version of public
events.
 The Govt. was unable to solve these
problems of increasing urban
unemployment. Major peasant revolts
started in several part of the country
supported by students, urban
intellectuals. The Indian state reacted to
these struggles by declaring the
 The post Rushdie period also witnessed
for a number of communal riots and
violence, including one of the most
important in the political and social
history of India is the demolition of the
Babri Masque by the Sangh Parivar.
 Conclusion :
 Though we do not have a Tolstoy, a
Dostoevsky, a Dickens, a Lawrance,
Himmingway or a Kafka among us, the
confidence with which the younger
novelists are writing gives promise that
the day is not far when the Indo Anglian
Fiction will find a place among the best
literatures of the world.