paper.4 Indian Writing in English

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When, why, how English started taking place in Indian Literature.

English people wanted to establish their power all over the world. India is the place where they found lots of important things especially like ‘mari-masala-tejana’ and so many other things. They used to commute India via Constantinople. Later on, Constantinople was defeated. Thus they cannot come by that way at all. Then an European named ‘Vasco-da-Gama’ came to India by sea. And now once again they started communicating with India. They first started doing business here. But very first problem they face is – THE LANGUAGE. Language is not only the tool of communication but it is sign of civilization. What the problem is India had not a single or two languages but it contained thousands of dialects and hundreds of languages. Which English people cannot acquire. So they started teaching English as a language to the Indians. British parliament appointed some translators to convey each others’ massages. Thus, LANGUAGE BECOMES THE TOOL OF COLONIZING OF PEOPLE.

Vasco-da-Gama entered India by Calicut Bandar and it was remarkable thing of history. It’s the root of colonized India. He landed at Calicut on 20^th may, 1498. People started to use their languages as well as the other costumes. People wanted to show to Britishers that what India is. If one acquires language then it is but obvious that they will start writing in it. Later on English became widely accepted language of world. And it became global language. Now it’s not mere a language but a tool to get step onto world horizons.

Earlier when Indians wrote in English, People of parliament gave name to that term -

“INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH”

The word writing is something which is troublesome. Why that piece of writing is not to be considered as Literature? Because they felt that Indians are inferior and they do not know how to speak, read or write in English. But now it is a different story whole together. So many Indian knows English in far more better way. Any language is not the thing of one’s own pride. If it becomes matter of high concern, anybody can get mastery over it. Nowadays we will be able to find so many Indians whose English is far better than their native speakers.

So now some of us have started calling it –

“INDIAN LITERATURE IN ENGLISH”

Now, when English is becoming global language, each and every nation needs to develop skill of English language. As a second language, everybody will face so many problems acquiring it easily. First of all is ‘A TONE OF SPEAKING.’ Each n every language have their own tone. But as people might be habituated with their mother tongue, an impact will remain while speaking the other language. That other language might be any not only English. So, we saw that it is not easy to remove regional tone while speaking any other language.

Here we can conclude that Americans who speak English, Japanese who use English, and Italian, Russians who use it will differ with standard Britishers who use English. (Why Britishers’ language is standard? Because originally English is their native language) so we cannot say that others language is something like wrong practice. Instead of that, American English is having its own place in the world background. Question here is Why Indian English is not accepted as a special term like American English. They are not at supreme power.

But now it is a different story. According to a survey done by very prolific researcher,

“Indian English is going to have its own place because numbers of its users is increasing. And they are spread all over the world. 60% of English speakers will be using Indian way of speaking it within 100 years.”

Looking at population of India, we can think of it.

Now let us have glance over The English Literature written in India. Who are the contributors of term? If we are to write their names, we have to divide them into two parts.

1.    Pre Independence writers.

It begins with writer as well as social reformer Raja Rammohan Roy. Later on there are so many other contributors like Toru Dutt, Romesh Chunder Dutt, Manmohan Ghose, Rabindranath Tagore, Shri Aurobindo, Savitri, Sarojini Naydu Mahatma Gandhi and Javahar lal Neheru.

2.    Post Independence writers.

Mulk Raj Anand, R. K. Narayan, Raja Rao, Bhabani Bhattacharya, Manmohan Malgonkar, Radhakrishnan, Raghunathan, Nirad chaudhuri and how can we forget to mention our contemporary popular writers like Durjoy Dutta, Arundhai Roy, Jumpa Lahiri, Chetan Bhagat. Some of the critics do not consider them as literary writers but they have done marvelous job. We cannot forget that.

It is said that ‘Good beginning is half done.’ The writers have rooted its roots in our Indian Literature. That is most crucial part of all. Now when Indian Literature is being read even outside India, its credit goes to those writers who have given a height to it. Let us see the contribution reflected in works by the writers.

Raja Rammohan Roy

(Born on 22nd May, 1772 to 27^th September, 1833; died at the age of 61)

He is not only writer but he was also very much influential in the fields of politics, public administration and education. He is best to abolish of the practice of sati pratha. He is the founder of Brahmo sabha, along with Dwarkanath Tagore. He was the person who Introduced ‘Hinduism’ to the English Language in 1816. He was against of people doing Murti pooja. He tried to reform and rebuilt the religion.

Toru Dutt –

(Original name: Taruulata Datta, wrote under the pen name of Toru Dutt)

(Born on 4^th March, 1856 to 30^th August, 1877; died at the age of 21)

It is not important how long you live but how you live well. Toru Dutt is a lady who died at very early age but work she has contributed is remarkable until today. She was highly scholar as she had gone to England for studies. She studied French Language and some of her works are in French language also. And some translated works is also done by her. She translated some of French books into English.

Rabindranath Tagore.

(Born on 7^th of May, 1861 to 7^th of August, 1941; at the age of 80)

He is greatest Persona of his age. He is not only writer but a musician as well as a painter as well as a teacher and a great patriarch freedom fighter. He is the founder of institute- Shantiniketan. He wrote Geetanjali for that book he got Noble price for literature. He returned that price after Jaliyan vala bague hatyakand.

We sing today our national song which is written by him. And one other country also sings national song which is written by him. He has done his works in languages like Bengali, Hindi and English. Later on his works were translated in so many Indian regional languages like Gujarati.

R. K. Narayan.

(Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanswami wrote under the pen name of R. K. Narayan)

(Born on 10^th of October, 1906 to 13^th May, 2001; died at the age of 94)

He is post Independence writer who won notable awards like Padma Vibhushan, Sahitya Akadami Award, and AC Benson Mendai award. His most famous works are ‘Swami and Friends’, ‘The Bachelor of Arts’ and ‘The English Teacher’. Here we can find some of auto-biographical elements in the work. His another works are ‘Financial Expert’ and ‘The Guide’, that won Sahitya Akadami Award and it was adapted for film also.

Narayan’s short story writing style has been compared to Guy de Maupassant as they both have an ability to compress the narrative without losing out on elements of original stories. He was also criticized for that of being too simple in narrative of prose. His writing career is about sixty years. Six decades of his life he spent in writing.

Raja Rao

(Born on 8^th of November, 1908 to 8^th of July, 2006; died at the age of 97)

Raja Rao was a professor basically. He had good command over languages like Kannada, English and French. He won some noteworthy awards like ‘Neustadt International Price For Literature’, ‘Padma Bhushan’, ‘Padma Vibhushan’ etc. He was Indian writer of English Novel and short stories which is deeply rooted on hinduism. His notable works are ‘The Serpent and the Rope’ and ‘Kanthapura’.

Jhumpa Lahiri

(Nilanjana Sudeshna wrote under nickname ‘Jhumpa Lahiri)

(Born on 11^th of July, 1967)

Jhumpa Lahiri is one of the contemporary writers of India. She is helping Indian Literature to climb new epitome of highest level in World Literature. She wrote under the term Diaspora Literature. Namesake is one of them. Other notable works are ‘Interpreters of Maladies’, ‘The Namesake’, ‘Unaccustomed Earth’ and ‘The Lowland’. Her short story collection ‘Interpreters of Maladies’ won Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

Namesake was her first novel. We can find so many elements of own her life in the novel. The novel describes mentality of Indians who stays out of India. How they feel alienated it was described beautifully.

Chetan Bhagat.

(Born on 22^nd of April, 1974)

He is one of the best book-seller writers. He is widely read all over India and out of India. Although so many critics does not consider him as writer at all. But it is time who will decide what is prolific and what is not. HE also have contributed to give a new height to Indian Literature in English. ‘Five point someone’, ‘one night at the call centre’, ‘Three mistakes of My life’, ‘Revolution 2020’, ‘Half Girlfriend’ are some of the examples of his work.

Concluding here, we can say that we have gone through the journey of English in the sub-continent India. How it entered, get shaped/ developed and why is it still there. What was the place before and where Indian English stand today. We have had a slight touch upon where i it going to be during time of some decades.

Reference:

1. ‘Indian Writing in English’ by K. R. Srinivas Iyengar.

2. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.  


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