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IS INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH
A GENRE OR NECESSITY?

Dr. M. MADHUSUDANA RAO
Department of English, Nagarjuna University

Now that the Indian writing in English has come to stay, a need is felt to examine its significance and position in the larger body of English literature. Its evolution from the incipient attempts of the Great Indian Renaissance of the last century to a period of relative achievement, and after the Independence, to a position of “major� “genre� of English literature on a par with, or as a contributor to or component of, the Commonwealth Literature, is the well-known course of its progress. After this development or “evolution�, perhaps, the time has certainly arrived for us to take a hard look at this new and “stable� body of literature for assessing its potentialities and weaknesses and notice its further course of development. For this, we have to study the Indian writing in English in its four literary forms - of Poetry, Fiction, Drama and Prose.

As graphically traced out by Prof. V.K. Gokak, Indian poetry in English travelled and matured itself, partly though, in the course of about one hundred and fifty years. The three divisions of Prof. Gokak are quite obvious: the earlier phase of “imitation� in the Great Renaissance of the last century; the second phase, before and around the First World War culminating in the Second World War or for emotional purposes, upto Indian Independence; and the “New Poetry� of the Fifties and afterwards. This “division� is quite understandable and defines the natural course of develop­ment of any creative process. After accepting this division, an attempt should be made at studying the genuine poetic achievement of this “genre�. Of the three “divisions�, the “early poetry� of the Indian Renaissance is commitedly (or confessedly) imitative. The acid test of “Indian sensibility� is not to be justifiably applied here. Next, we shall concentrate our efforts on appreciating and analysing the “middle poetry� from the beginning of this century to the achievement of Indian Independence. In this period, we come across such great writers of poetry as Tagore, Sri Aurobindo and Sarojini Naidu. Perhaps, these are the most fruitful and nearly complete attempts of Indian poetry in English. The intimate poetic appeal of Tagore is certainly matched by the deeply emotional and profusely sentimental strain in Sarojini Naidu’s poetry. In the poetry of Sri Aurobindo, the thematic focus of perceiving a spiritual experience in a poetic medium spells a new meaning and indeed, places the Indian poetic experience in English on a par with the achievement of such universal poets as Homer, Dante and Milton. The poetic achievement of these three Indian poets, in their cumulative effect, vitally constitutes the real sustenance and purpose of the Indian poetic experience in English.

But, our concern is with the total achievement and effort at transferring a genuine Indian experience in an English medium. To this extent, perhaps, the New Poetry after the ’Fifties, does not measure upto any test of authenticity either in theme or structure. Though these poets aver to think and write with their “manifesto� for “Indianness�, in mind, curiously enough, the poetry of these writers only transfers the “echoes� of an occidental experience for a fashionable, semi-cultured Indian elite. Honestly, what is obviously missing is a genuine creative talent at work. The poetic sensibility is sadly replaced by artificial innovation. In their poetry, the themes are neither Indian nor universal. What is painfully accepted is not a poetic statement of the Indian mind at crossroads after Inde­pendence, but bald cynicism, often garbed in certain poetic devices, which are often misconstrued as Irony and Paradox.

Like the Indian poetry in English, the Indian novel in English also suffers from the same quality of a lack 6f quest for “Indianness�. Taking its origin at the beginning of the century, the novel form is occupying an important place along with poetry, in the overall body of Indian writing in English. Apart from the three earlier Indian novelists in English, (as Raja Rao, M.R. Anand and R.K. Narayan) there is little of genuineness of fictional meaning in other writers. But even here, the classics of the Indian novelists in English are very few. Only a Guide or Untouchable manifest a certain amount of complexity. A Bakha or Raju are fewer examples of living characters, considering the vast production of the Indian novels in English. Sri Aurobindo’s poetic achievement, and Raja Rao’s fictional effort recreate a central aspect of the Indian mind; that is the philosophical and speculative aspect of the human life. If we compare the Indian novel in English, with such other Con­tinental novels or prose discourses (such as those of Sartre and Camus) the level of success is all too obvious. As in poetry, what is basically missing is the genuine and sustaining creative talent at work. The complexity and creative vitality gradually thin out, in the course of a novel. The difficulties with regard to the lack of Indian novel in English are two-fold: the themes do not originate from a native situation or even for that matter, they do not fictionalize a universal situation. What is totally and painfully absent is that creative vision to synthesize and transmute a human situation into viable and convincing fictional art. As a result, most of the fictional efforts either become journalistic, or lack in a sustained creative activity. The “documentation� of detail is the ruling dictum here.

The Indian drama in English is conspicuously absent. For, its own problems of catering to the emotional needs of writing dialogues and “dramatizing� the human minds mostly limit the natural flowering of an Indian theatre in English. Even the few successful dramas (as those written by Nissim Ezekiel and Asif Currimbhoy) understandably lack in depth and complexity.

In contrast to the Indian poetry and novel in English, there is a greater amount of success in the Indian prose in English. Nirad C. Choudhury, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Raja Rammohan Roy, M.K. Gandhi, C. Rajagopalachari, and Rt. Hon. V.S. Srinivasa Sastry are some of the good Indian prose writers in English. Thematically, there is a rich diversity of topics discussed from the philosophical discourses and nationalist feelings in the earlier stages to the analysis of specific Indian and larger universal problems afterwards, in the works of these writers. Though there is not such a diversity in their structure as in the larger form of English essay, these Indian prose writings are well-structured in themselves. In significant contrast to the Indian poetry and novel in English, there is a greater degree of “authenticity� and genuineness of effort in the Indian prose in English. Sometimes, language is used with a consummate skill and ideal refinement. Thus, here the achievement is maximum and fruitful.

In the area of Literary Criticism, the contribution from Indian writing in English is much less. Quite unfortunately, an expression of the Indian mind in English is subjected to the Western literary variously different from those of ours. For instance, the British literature is justifiably understood and criticised by the compulsions and moral necessities of the British mind and likewise, the American creative spirit is not misunderstood and dethroned by the standards of the British and even Continental values. But, unfortunately, a genuine appreciation of the Indian creative mind in English is not based on our moral and ideological compulsions, but totally based on the Western and Continental value system. Perhaps, this is where the Indian creative effort in English is banefully “derivative�. Thus, there is a grave disjunction between the native values of our literature and imposing an alien set of moral and spiritual values on it.

In contrast to a lack of genuine talent and creative vitality in Indian writing in English, the regional literatures are variously rich and authentic in their theme and structure. The comparison between the regional literature and Indian writing in English may not be just and proper; but nevertheless, it serves its legitimate purpose. It underlines the undue emphasis being placed on Indian writing in English in total neglect of the regional literatures. The two problems impending a natural expression in Indian writing in English, namely “authenticity� and “competence� are absent here. In place of limpid expression for romanticizing (or idealizing) an exotic situation (as in the New Poetry of Indian Writing in English), there is a spontaneous and voluntary feeling of an Indian mind to a specific contemporary or mythological Indian situation. The regional novels overcome the two important problems of sustaining the creative tempo of a novel, and second, its themes and perceptions are about the contemporary Indian life or its “usable past�.

In view of the genuine lack of originality and authenticity, the credentials of Indian writing in English as a “genre� need to be questioned. Unlike the new and emerging areas or “genres� of English literature, the imaginative concerns of the Indian writing in English lack in strength and vitality. The comparison between such newly emerging areas as the Continental literature in English serves our purpose. Unlike the Continental literature in English serves our purpose. Unlike the Continental literature in translation, the Indian writing in English lacks in depth and profundity. Thus, Indian writing “in English is not a “genre� but appears a “necessity�. As a genre, it lacks in self-­sustaining creativity and its imaginative, concerns are vague and lack in strength and vitality. The creative spirit, if any is all too superficial and ambiguous. Thus, it appears possible to argue that Indian creative writing in English has not achieved much success and its recognition as a significantly “new� “genre� of English literature, is, indeed, questionable.

As a result of this failure of Indian writing in English, the regional literatures may be developed more profitably and productively instead of placing too much emphasis on the Indian writing in English. So long as there is no quest for “Indianess� in its creative mood, giving too much importance to Indian writing in English is highly mistakable and uncongenial to the growth of a free expression of the Indian creative mind. As the Indian creative experience in English is far from satisfactory in its approach and qualitative output, it is not a new “genre� but a mere, though an avoidable necessity.