THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK-
Foreword of the Book
Colonial to Postcolonial: A Trajectory of Literatures from Indian Subcontinent
Edited By
Dinesh Kumar, Associate Professor of English, Dyal Singh College, Karnal
Dr. Ramji Lal
Principal (Retd.)
Dyal Singh College,
Karnal
It gives me immense pleasure to write the Foreword of the book, Colonial to Postcolonial: A Trajectory of Literatures from Indian Subcontinent by Dinesh Kumar. Dinesh Kumar is presently working as an Associate Professor of English at Dyal Singh College, Karnal for the last 17 years. He is the youngest Head of the Department of English since the establishment of the college in the year 1949. During my tenure as Principal, Dyal Singh College, he was unanimously selected as an Assistant Lecturer by the selection committee. I have no hesitation to emphasize that he is a dedicated and disciplined teacher who performs his duties religiously.
During these 18 years of teaching, I can observe a great change in his personality and thinking. It seems to me that he is completely dedicated his life to teaching and research. I have read almost all of his literary works which reflect his scientific temper, literary bent of mind, his secular approach and his depiction of marginalized and subaltern classes living on the periphery of the society. He is a young and energetic scholar of rare intellectual caliber. He is a very popular face in seminars, conferences and webinars at State, National and International level.
He is the sole author of four books-George Orwell’s Social Vision: A Critical Study (2019); Voices in Literature (2020), Feministic Ethos in Pre-Independence and Post-Independence Indian Literature (2021, Lambert Publication, Germany), Reflection of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s Ideology in English Literature: A Critical Evaluation (2023).
Besides, he has also edited five books-English Language as Mediator of Human-Machine Communication by Nataliia Lazebna, Associate Professor, Philology, Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University, Ukraine; a poetry book, Drops of Intensity by an Italian poet, Gerlinde Staffler; Studies in Modern English by Natalia Lazebna, Associate Professor, Wuzerburz University, Germany; the fourth book, Mapping Feminism: Unearthing Women’s Existence in the World Nexus edited with Ayten Adel Abdelfattah, Assistant Lecturer, Faculty of Language and Translation, Department of English, Pharos University, Alexandria, Egypt; and Literature in English: Critical Appreciations (ISBN Number 97881-971-300-6-9) with Dr. Gurpreet Kaur, Head and Assistant Professor, Post Graduate Department of English , Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College Sri Anandpur Sahib, Punjab
He has more than 52 research papers to his credit in various National as well as International Journals in India as well as in abroad. His thrust areas of research comprise of Feminism, Dalit Literature, Comparative Literature, Commonwealth Literature and Post-modernism.
He has attended 47 National and 30 International conferences in India as well as in abroad. He has also attended more than 25 Faculty Development Programmes in India and outside of India. Besides, he has also contributed 30(Thirty) book chapters on different topics-Feminism, Eco-feminism, Translation Studies, Dalit Literature, Linguistic and Postcolonialism in different books published with ISBN Number. He has also delivered more than 27 extension lectures on different genres-poetry, plays, Fiction, Communication Skills in various colleges and national as well as international webinars. He has also chaired 25 Technical Sessions in various conferences.
He is also rendering his services as an active member in the editorial boards (editor and reviewer) of different National and International journals since 2015 including International Journal of Research ISSN NO.: 2348- 6848 with Impact Factor 3.85; Refereed Index Journal, UPSTREAM, bearing ISSN No. 2320-768X With Impact Factor 0.725; European Journal of Business and Social Science, ISSN NO: 2335: 767X Impact Factor 6.67, he is contributing his service as an editor and reviewer. At present, working as Member, Editorial Board, and International Engineering Journal for Research and Development ISSN NO. 2349- 0721 SJIF 7.169.
It is a widely acknowledged fact that literature mirrors society as well as life in true colours. It is the reflection of day to day activities being portrayed by the writers based on their personal experiences. A writer is the product of his or her contemporary milieu whose imagination and ideology are shaped by the environment in which he or she is living. In other words, every writer is a child of contemporary social, economic, cultural and political circumstances.
In this way, literature not only mirrors what is happening in the society, but also serves as a corrective mirror in which people of the society can look at themselves and find the need for positive changes. So, there exists a close connection between literature and society as literature manifests norms and values of a society. It is a universal fact that change is the law of nature. Therefore, writers also change their themes or update themselves and ink their writings. As a result, literature also deals with the social, political and cultural changes that take place in a particular period of a society.
The history of colonialism can be traced back to the early antiquity period of Assyrian empire and Roman empires (484 BC 258 AD). During this time period, the practice of colonialism came into practice when both the empires enlarged their borders keeping in view to broaden their cultural domination and exploitation of resources. In the acceleration of some discourses with New York by to the American continent Francisco Pizzaro explored some discoveries with new voyages to the American continent in the 15th century to American continent.
Subsequently, there were a number of Europeans who explored their own colonies in America with British dominating North America and the Spanish and the Portuguese holding the Southern half of the America from Britain, France, Spain, Netherland and Portugal.
It was with the advent of the Industrial Revolution by the late for 19th century that one can perceive Britain and France taking their control over many countries in the Middle- East, South East Asia and South Asia. It was seen that the main focus behind this control was to explore the resources of South East Asian countries by the colonial powers in the 20th century.
The Erstwhile colonies gained independence due to numerous factors including local Independence movements. The Indian freedom struggle is a combination of number of movements-Gandhian as well as Revolutionary Movements-Communists and Socialists Movements, Kisans Movements and Women Kisan Movements and Trade Union Movements. The liberation movement in Vietnam and Indonesia which resulted in making the colonial power weaker due to the extreme destruction caused by the World War II(1939-1945).
Etymologically speaking, the term ‘colonialism’ has its genesis in the Latin word ‘colonia’ which generally means a place for agriculture. But, it is a fact that colonialism can be defined as a policy and practice of a power in extending control over weaker people–countries or territories. Since ancient time, this policy has been practiced in a number of countries and continents, but it is extensively used in the contemporary scenario related to Europe and economic and political domination came into force roughly in the late 16th century and till the beginning of 1970.
It has been seen that people use both the terms ‘colonialism’ and ‘imperialism’ in place of each other, but the fact is that both are entirely different from each other. Colonialism is the policy and practice where one nation physically exerts complete control over another nation; on the other hand, imperialism is generally regarded as a formal or informal political domination of one country over the other country. But, the objective of the both is same-exploitation of natural resources and human resources of the colonial nations. In brief, it can be stated that colonialism is the practice of domination, but imperialism is an idea behind the practices.
In other words, colonialism refers to when one country exerts physically its domination on other through war and diplomacy as well as its domination over on other countries or other territories with a view to exploit its natural and human resources. In other words, the objectives of imperialism are economic, cultural, moral, political and exploratory gains by military forces, diplomacy, use of modern weapons, religion and trades.
According to the Marxist theoreticians- V.I. Lenin and N.I. Bukharin, capitalism and imperialism are identical. Lenin had propounded that’ imperialism is a highest stage of capitalism.’ According to Marxist theory, when a national capitalist economy acquires monopolistic nature, it requires new outlets to sale it over production and surplus capital. It leads to great competition among different capitalist nations. It is this competition which leads to imperialism. However, Marxists ignore the communist imperialism which was spread in the Eastern Europe by the former USSR and communist China in Far East-Asia. In other words, this theory does not adequately explain “pre-capitalist imperialism and communist imperialism.”
After the World War II, the process of decolonisation began. The decolonization is a process through which the colonies under the imperialist powers get rid of the colonial exploitation and acquire freedom through peaceful as well as non-peaceful methods. After the World War II, the allied powers- England, France and Portugal emerged out weak militarily as well as economically. They did not enjoy the support of their own people as well as inside the colonies .
Though the Allied powers emerged as victorious during the World War II, but could not suppress peaceful as well as non-peaceful popular movements in the colonies. Additionally, the United States of America and erstwhile Soviet Union were in favour of granting freedom to the colonies and protected islands. The axis powers–Germany, Italy, Japan and other were defeated and the process of decolonisation accelerated. Korea got freedom from the clutches after it defeated Japan in 1945.
The USA had to relinquish its control over Philippines in 1946. The Great Britain came out of war militarily and economically weak power and greatness began to diminish. Therefore, it had to grant freedom to India (1947), Palestine (1948), Egypt (1956, Africa (1950s and 60s), various island protectorates (1970s and 80s) and Hong Kong (1997).
The French had to liberate Vietnam (1954), North African colonies (by 1962) and Indian Territory puducherry. (1 November, 1954) India had to liberate Goa from the clutches of Portugal through military action. (19 December, 1961) Portugal had to quit African colonies (1970s); and Macau was handed over to China (1999). After World War II, it took 55 years for annihilation of colonialism and the process of decolonisation was completed by 2000.
It has been witnessed that because of some projects of global political solidarity like non-aligned movement which proved instrumental in the decolonialising efforts of former colonies coupled with the United Nations setting of special committee on decolonization in 1962 to instigate this process.
In the history of human civilization, we come across diverse types of colonialism that have been practiced throughout the ages. The first and the foremost among these is settler colonialism. In this type of colonialism, political, religious and economic factors play a dominant role due to which immigration takes place on large scale. The result of this immigration is the replacement of local existing population. Agriculture purposes are the main reasons on the basis of which there is exploitation of masses. The significant examples of settler colonialism include the erstwhile colonies of Australia, USA and Canada.
In another type of colonialism, exploitation colonialism, the main focus is on the ruthless exploitation of natural resources. The local population of such a country is used as cheap labour for the benefit of mother country from the economic point of view. The most important example of this type of colonialism includes local labour in India and South East Asia. Here, the indigenous population was used as slave labour to produce cash crops-indigo, tea and rubber.
Surrogate colonialism is another form of colonialism in which settlement project is supported by colonial power. The settlers in case of surrogative colonialism are not from the same ethnic group as the ruling authority. Modern Zimbabwe and Zambia, formed from South Africa and Rhodesia can be included in this type of colonialism became the dominant group, even though they were in minority in comparison to the local indigenous population.
Internal colonialism is an idea that takes its takes place due to the uneven or even discriminative power structure between different areas of a state. How the control and exploitation may pass from white from the colonised country to a white immigrant population colonizing within a newly independent country is the central concern of internal colonialism.
It is a fact that the study of the aftermath of imperialism on the nations due to conquering and settlement of European countries is generally termed as postcolonialism. It also traces the impact on the native people who were treated inferior by the colonial hegemony in diverse parts of the world that resulted into one of the biggest chapters in the history of mankind. The concept of postcolonialism also studies the changes and development of culture, history changes and development of culture history and literature of European imperialism.
The idea of postcolonialism can be traced back to fifteenth century with the urge of European countries to illustrate the world and to set their authority on unmapped terrains. Since that time period, the resolution ‘the colonizers and their domination’ resulted in sea changes in political, social and cultural spheres of the colonized countries. Subsequently, many revolutions and struggles broke out across these countries against the colonial powers in order to gain freedom from their sovereignty. The time period, after these countries acquired freedom from toiling and the struggles of masses after great sacrifices, is generally hailed as to be the postcolonial period and, hence, its study is known as postcolonialism.
As far as the concept of postcolonialism in Indian sub-continent is concerned, there is no doubt that the time period between 1947 till the 1980 is considered as post -colonial era. There is no denying the fact that India witnessed a big change and variation from regional scattered power to global player after it established as a new sovereign democratic Republic in 1950. After the independence of India in 1947, it was in a ragged condition, but after that it has been tremendously developed into a super power.
It is an established fact that in postcolonial literature, one finds a strong opposition of what has been propagated by colonial period. Simultaneously, it also studies the impact and aftermaths of liberalization, globalization and privatization since the last decade of the last century after the dismemberment of the erstwhile Soviet Union (USSR—Now Russia) and study the procedure of the growth, evolution and political- cultural independence of the masses who were the victims of the colonialism. Besides, this literature also analyses the works and books written on colonialism and ethnic tendency.
As far as the growth and development of Indian Writing in English is concerned, we find tremendous development in this direction. In the Indian scenario, it is beyond doubt that with its new themes and techniques in the post colonial writings, it has made its presence felt in the English speaking environment. In this direction, subaltern study is also a major concern of the contemporary postcolonial practices as can be witnessed through the works of Kancha Iliah, Ranjit Guha and Gayatri Chakraborty Spivak coupled with many more focusing their attention on the subaltern concerns in their writings.
The major issues dealt in the works of colonial nationalist writers comprise marginalization, widow re-marriage and widowhood. Anandmath by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay is the first work based on the idea of national movement and patriotism. This tradition was subsequently adhered by Shri Aurbindo Ghosh, Rabindranath Tagore and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. Gora by Tagore is a work published during the colonial period which focuses on the concept of nationalism. Whether nationalism is an illusion or reality, is the matter of discussion for the readers.
Indian Writing in English in general, and Indian fiction in particular, can be divided into two periods-Pre-Independence and post-independence novel. The major thematic concerns in their works focused on some of the social evils, customs, traditions, rites and rituals poverty and illiteracy on the one hand, and the exposure of East- West encounter that resulted in the inculcation of nationalistic zeal and struggle for independence.
The Indian English novel started with three notable writers-Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao and R.K. Narayan who form the trilogy of Indian novel in India and presented the radical and nationalist issues in their works. So, the point of convergence in their works was on the changing socio-political environment coupled with the radical social and national subjects.
But, during the postcolonial independence era, one can witness a radical and paradigm change both and style and content. In the works of Mulk Raj Anand who broadly and extensively deals with some of the burning issues and social abuses-exploitation of the untouchables, the landless peasants, tea garden workers and the evils associated with industrial labour. He has been hailed as a social reformer by virtue of his vivid and graphic delineation of the above evils portrayed through his works-Untouchable, Coolie, Two Leaves and Bud, and The Village.
This trend got strengthen with some works by other novelists-G.V. Desani’s All About H. Hatter, and Bhabani Bhattacharya’s So Many Hunger. In All About H. Hatter, Desani’s primary concern is on the frontier of social realism and stresses that need for social reforms. Bhattacharya’s focal issue in So Many Hunger is the study of socio-economic effects of Bengal during the early forties.
In the postcolonial era, many female novelists have also carved a niche for themselves in UIndian English fiction in which Anita Desai, Arundhati Roy, Shobha De, Kiran Desai and Nayanthara Sehgal are worthy of detailed consideration. R.K. Narayan’s novel, Swami and Friends, Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, and Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things, and Raja Rao’s Kanthapura are some works which deal with postcolonial consciousness.
In the same way, Amitav Ghosh’s fictional works-The Shadow Lines, In An Antique Land, and The Calcutta Chromosome are some notable works dealing with a diachronic space wherein Indian identity is constructed through history, myth, memory and present. Another work, The Glass Palace releases the burden on Rajkumar’s to search a family where none exists. Rohinton Mistry and Nayantara Sehgal explore the life of a community in hard and horse circumstances like emergency. Besides, the fictional world of Chitra Banerjee Devakaruni is concerned itself with the subject- matter where in ethnicity gives way to multiculturalism, indigenous to hybridity and postcoloniality to the postnational globalization.
In past, as India suffered at the hands of British hegemony as well as its present postcolonial culture, so the subject of postcolonalism and its impacts is apt. In India, the real import and importance of postcolonial literature lies in the concept of freedom from the period that it covered under British regime coupled with enlightenment and new intellectual concepts where self-expression is considered at priority.
The result of the postcolonial period in India is that it has shaped new identities and cultures. It has been possible only through studying and surveying the colonial period attempt to re-define and re-examine their marginalized identities and cultures. It has also helped to constitute or establish a modern society by creating new mental and analytical structure based on Indian culture.
There is no doubt that the credit goes to the Indian writers who challenged the postcolonial definitions and parameters. In addition to it, even though in the majority of the British colonies, the English language, is no doubt, the language of the literature of the postcolonial stage, the Indian authors have been able to cultivate their indigenous languages follow along with it. The representation of attempt and development symbolically suggest the evolution of the post colonial literature in India.
Dinesh Kumar’s paper, A Postcolonial Image of Females in Anita Desai’s Fiction: A Critical Study is an exploration of how the female writings have been receiving academic and disciplinary recognition in the globalised world. Like the postcolonial literature that deals with the hegemony of the colonizers, in the patriarchal society, the situation of the women is the same as they are repressed and suppressed by the males in a male-centred world.
They do not enjoy equal rights even in the democratic environment. The present paper is an honest portrayal to define and re-define the role of women in the postcolonial Indian English literature. Through Anita Desai’s works, the author has drawn parallel between the colonisers and the position of women in a male-chauvinistic world where they are colonized.
The paper titled Postcolonial Writing: Trends in Indian Drama by Subhash throws ample and considerable light on the postcolonial concerns through one of the important genres of literature, drama. The Indian dramatic activities were suppressed during the British administration. It is a fact that the real growth and development of Indian drama took place after European drama. The streaks of postcolonial modernity can be witnessed in the plays of Mahesh Dattani and Manjula Padmanabhan who produced significant and important works in the arena of English drama written in English.
The author has focused readers’ attention how the Indian nature of the subjects, conflicts, character and performance reflect the genre’s hybrid identity. Indians are facing complex and complicated situations with the blending of Western and traditional Indian culture in the modern English drama.
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie: A Study of Hybridity and Postcoloniality, a paper by Dr. Monika Khurana deals with some of the major thematic concerns in a postcolonial world- the construction and telling of history, the creation of and telling of nation and the individual’s identity. Through Salman Rushdie’s work, Midnight Children, the author has tried to focus on how people in postcolonial environment acknowledge the ways in which colonialism has shaped their identities. Consequently, the postcolonial citizen is empowered to forge or develop his identity coupled with shaping the history and character of his country. Through the character of Saleem Sinai, the author has been able to draw parallel between different religious mythology and his character.
Mom Akram’s paper, A Postcolonial Study of the D.H. Lawrence’s The Plumed Serpent describes how the concept of postcolonialism has been very instrumental in illustrating the argumentation between the Western self and non-Western others. The author has shed light on postcolonial concerns embodied in the present work. Here, the writer pays minute and close attention to point out postcolonial aspects.
Dhanesh Ram Sinha’s paper, Postcolonial Concerns in Amitav Ghosh’s The Shadow Lines throws ample light on some of the key-postcolonial elements in Amitav Ghosh’s work, The Shadow Lines. The present novel is an honest portrayal of colonial impacts on the Indian culture. As the title suggest, the lines are the symbolic of blurred lines between nations, families as well as one’s identity. Besides, the novel is an illustration of nationalism and the aftermaths of colonialism that further leads to the other concerns-displacement, identity, cultural deviation as well as political turbulence. The author has shed light on colonial events. The colours and shades depicted by the author are also the colours and shades of a postcolonial society.
In her paper, A Postcolonial Perspective of Amitav Ghosh’s The Shadow Lines, Manju Bala delineates beautifully Ghosh’s works through the lens of postcolonialsim. Ghosh’s novel, The Shadow Lines is not only faithful account of partition of Bengal, but also an illustration of the exploitation and torture to which the people were subjected to by the colonizers. Besides, this work focuses on readers’ attention on social, cultural, mental agony and inferiority faced by the people.
They were struggling hard with the question of identity under the colonial hegemony. In an era of partition, the aftermaths faced by the colonized are the central concern of the text. Throughout the work, a deep sense of decolonialisation can be perceived in the lives of masses as its maps their hardships and suffering as the consequence of the colonization. Apart from it, the novel epitomizes postcolonial approach with its attentedant traits-hybridity, identity, crisis and diasporic concerns.
Dr. Raunak Rathee’s paper, Reimagining Colonial India through Child Narrative: A Study of R.K. Narayan’s Swami and Friends is an endeavour to depict the picture of pre-independence Indian society under the British Raj in a vivid and graphic manner through R.K. Narayan’s novel, Swami and Friends. The author has illustrated how the child in Swami and Friends is an imitation of India under British hegemony. Through the character of Swami, R.K. Narayan has focused on the colonial environment in India under which millions of Indian were suppressed and repressed.
The idea of decolonization is the crux of Dr. Anshu Chaudhary’s paper, Indian Sensibilities, Culture and Ethos in Postcolonial Literature by Indian Writers in English. After the colonization, one cannot witness only geographical, political, and economic changes, but also the changes in the mindset, psychology, culture and way of life can be seen. But, among other ideas, the idea to decolonize education is of great importance as it is instrumental in colonizing the minds, thoughts and opinions of natives.
The central concern of the postcolonial writers is to throw ample light on the sufferings of the under privileged for their upliftment. This viewpoint largely and immensely contributes in the growth of a nation from both social and cultural point of you. The author also pin points the dangers from the internal colonization which is far dangerous than the British colonization.
Influence of the Ramayana on the Literary Tradition of the Indian Subcontinent: A Comparative Analysis, a paper by Pradeep Singh recounts the influence of Indian Epic, the Ramayana. The influence that it has exerted on the literature and culture heritage of the India as well as adjacent countries-Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia is the focal point of the discussion in the present paper. Besides, the author’s main concern is to describe the influence of Jhatka Tales and depiction of the past life of Gautam Buddha. The Ramayana has been source of inspiration for the literature of many languages-Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Marathi.
Identity: Thorough Theoretical Perspective, a paper by Dr. Sandeep Kumar Sheoran is an honest delineation of the idea of Identity as the key-issue of debate and deliberation in the whole history of human civilization. The concept of identity of an individual or a group requires justification when we are discussing it in a broad context. But, according to the author, the process of identification is not as smooth as one finds it on the apparent level.
On the other hand, it embodies confusing sense of paradoxes, strains and politics. If one claims his/her identity, he/she can fit his or her life story into some well-defined spaces which is the evaluation of what kind of person he or she is. The author takes into consideration Sturt Hall’s two types of identifications-identity as being, and identity as becoming. The former distinguishes people as well as unite them with their fellow beings, while the latter projects the process of discontinuity in the process of identification.
How the Tamil Dalit literature can be examined from the postcolonial viewpoint is the sum and substance of Dr. E. Justin Ruben’s paper, Tamil Dalit Literature: A Postcolonial Prospective. There is no doubt that Tamil Dalit literature provides a powerful platform for the expression of Dalit voices and experiences. The writer has tried to draw a comparison between the injustice and exploitation meted out to the Dalits and the natives who are colonized by the colonizers. If in Dalit literature, there is discrimination on the basis of caste, in postcolonial literature, there is biasness on basis of factors including race and culture, but the situation seems to be similar. The present paper is a vivid and graphic analysis of Tamil literature through the lens of postcolonial perspectives.
The protagonist’s venture of self-discovery and defiance of culture norms raise questions of identity formation coupled with how people navigate their sense of identity within the greater nationalistic narrative. At the same time, the author describes the present work as a commentary on the present social issues and the need for a more inclusive and empathic society. The author has also taken into account the tribal identities or adivasis as the symbol of backwardness for their identities constructed within the Hindu paradigms of caste-ideology that has facilitated people in a colonial system.
Dr. Anupam Vatsyayan’s paper, Postmodernist Ambiguity in the Cinematic texts of Bulbbul and Pari is an illustration of postmodern ambiguity connected with uncertainty and indeterminacy as the key elements of postmortem thought and culture. In the domain of literature, philosophy, art and other cultural expressions postmodernism challenges the traditional notions of truth, meaning and identity which results in blurring of boundaries as well as the celebration of multiplicity and complexity. The present paper is an exploration of Indian cinematic texts Bulbbul, and Pari. It is this element of ambiguity in these two texts that keeps engaging the audience intellectually as well as emotionally.
In her paper titled, Postcolonial Resistance and the Struggle for Agency Among the Marginalized Communities: A Study of Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss, Dr. Anju Mehra has tried to focus and examine the long-lasting effects of colonialism on oppressed groups that is a notable work in the annals of postcolonial literature. The present work is an amalgamation of political and psychological conflicts that the protagonist against the backdrop of a society that struggles to deal with the effects of globalization and the lingering affects of British colonial control. The author has captured the complex form of resilience and resistance where one yeans for agency among those confined to the margins of privilege and power.
The intricacies of postcolonial resistance and the need for autonomy are embodied by Desai’s characters. Through an incisive and in depth study of The Inheritance of Loss, the author provides the readers a comprehensive examination of postcolonial resistance and the fight for agency among underprivileged groups. Desai sheds light on the lasting effects of colonial legacies and the tenacious spirit of people who persist in fighting for respect and autonomy through the lives of her characters.
A co-paper by Dr. Archna Sharma and Meha Pillai, The Colonial Aftermaths: An Insidious Inheritance explores beautifully colonialisation as a scourge on civilization since times immemorial. The author(s) deal with colonial legacies when it is compared to all of its manifold cruelties. The author(s) have projected the idea that the relentless reinforcement of the colonial ideology of inferior natives that led to the progress and wisdom through European benevolence was responsible for inculcating an inimical distrust among the colonial people regarding their fellow men aptitudes and capabilities as well as their insecurities which can still be witnessed today in the form of global parameters for judgment regarding any reforms or changes in national polity inherent compared and contrasted with the Western yardsticks.
Nationalism as responsible to colonialism is another aspect that finds its truest expressions in the present paper. It has been governed that nationalism is the direct result of the people’s revolt against imperialism. The author(s) have also shed considerable light on the postcolonial identity and cultural consciousness as the key elements in this paper.
Postcolonial Perspectives in R.K. Narayan’s Fiction: A Critical Study, a paper by Dr. Laxmi Kumari is an honest delineation of postcolonial concerns in the fictional works of R.K. Narayan. The author has tried to focus on colonial and postcolonial perspectives in the select novels by Natrayan-The Guide, Swami and Friends, The Dark Room, Mr. Sampat, The Bachelor of Art, and The English Teacher. Anand has depicted clash between modern and traditional values which lead to the theme of East-West encounter in his works. His characters- Shanta Bhai in The Dark Room, Raju and Rosie in The Guide, Srinivas in Mr. Sampat, Chandran in The Bachelor of Art, and Swami in Swami and Friends are some figures that can be seen reacting against the colonial rule. A close and incisive study of these works taken for examination throw ample light on how the anti-colonial movement affected the lives of almost all the Indians permanently, resulting drawn into it, some of them did not participate actively in it.
Through the poetry of Philip Larkin, a movement poet, Soumabha Chakraborty, the author of the paper, Uncommon Poetry for Common People: A Study of Selected Poems by Philip Larkin under the Critical Lens of Cultural Studies focuses readers’ attention of some of the uncommon aspects of culture viewed as common through the study of culture by the readers. The present paper delineates beautifully how Larkin’s poetry evolves to reflect a nuanced perspective on the blending of high and low culture. This is done by the author as he uses the theoretical of cultural studies with the help of which his poetry challenges the traditional distinctions between high and low culture, reflecting broader socio-political changes. Since its beginning, Cultural Studies has aimed to dismantle the hierarchical valuation of cultural forms imposed by the dominant class.
The Present Anthology is a drive to bring to surface diverse authors whose works have been analysed critically from the colonial and postcolonial viewpoint. It is a collection of thought-provoking scholarly works edited by Dinesh Kumar.
In today’s world, characterized by the imperative exchange of ideas and the exploration of diverse perspectives, this collection emerges as a testament to the power of scholarly inquiry and academic discourse. Through the lens of literature, the contributors to this volume delve into the themes and subject of colonialism, postcolonialism and decolonization each offering a unique vantage point. Papers on different genres- poetry, fiction and drama authored by esteemed academicians and writers explore the complexities of our shared human experience.
All the scholarly articles have been edited with critical acumen and critical bent of mind keeping in view the postcolonial aspects of all the works included in the volume.
The present volume is an honest and sincere reflection of colonial postcolonial aspects in the Indian sub-continent through the writings included in the present book. It is an amalgamation of scholarly articles contributed by intellectuals that focus on colonialism, postcolonialism and decolonization.
This book will be highly fruitful and meaningful for the academicians, professors and research scholars to satisfy their literary appetite as it offers fresh insights on the key aspects of critical exploration of numerous literary figures in English literature.
Besides, the book seems to serve the scholars who are keen to understand and interpret literature from different perspectives. It is, indeed, highly laudable work done by him. He has scrutinized critically works in which the literary works have been scrutinized with critical bent of mind acumen.
The chapters in this collection epitomize a synthesis of intellectual rigor and scholarly inquiry, showcasing the dedicated endeavors of contributors from diverse academic domains. Each chapter presents distinctive viewpoints and insightful analyses that enrich our comprehension of the intricate dynamics within literary and cultural studies. Serving as gateways to varied realms of literary exploration, these chapters beckon readers to embark on a voyage of critical inquiry and intellectual discovery alongside the authors.
In the present book, Mr. Dinesh Kumar has vividly and critically examined the mood and temper of different authors. I wish him all success in his mission and hope that he will continue his literary interest for his own intellectual development as well as for those who are interested in literature. I hope the readers will give their suggestions to Mr. Dinesh Kumar for further improvement which will be beneficial for the revised editions of the book.
It goes to the credit of Mr. Dinesh Kumar that he has analyzed and scrutinized critically the writings of different authors on the theme of colonialism and post colonialism. May the ideas encapsulated within these pages kindle curiosity, stimulate deep reflection, and enrich the perpetual pursuit of knowledge and understanding.
It is, indeed, a highly laudable work done by him. I wish him good luck and great success in the field of literature.
Dr. Ramji Lal
Former Principal,
Dyal Singh College,
Karnal
