Indianness

The English language has become to the Indian Subcontinent as a' reminiscent' and much prized reward of the British Colonial experience which spans nearly all of the 'History of India in Becoming a Unified nation'. And it is in the same understanding that one cannot refuse to accept that English as a language has played a pivotal role in igniting the nationalist spirit in the minds of the Indian citizens who were divided on the basis of regional identities. Quoting from the famous essay of A. K. Ramanujan-'Is there an Indian Way of Thinking?' the parable as told by Buddha and reiterated by Ramanujan in the same context goes as follows: " …Once a man was drowning in a sudden flood. Just as he was about to drown, he found a raft. He clung to it, and it carried him safely to dry land. And he was so grateful to the raft that he carried it on his back for the rest of his life ". Thus, it is agreeable that invasively so, but the English Writing has been the rescuer of the Indian Civilisation after the Partition in 1947 and ever since has become the reflection of the 'Voice of the (New) Formed Nation'. Amongst all the writings in English the short story form enjoys a special affection amongst the members of the 'Intelligentsia' like Mulk Raj Anand to the modern day writers like Salman Rushdie. After all, the short story is an art form staunchly Indian in origin of which the examples are the Vedic texts like the Puranas to the epics like Mahabharata. Yet the paradox remains that Indian short story in English is but a product of Western Influences (M.K.Naik). But remarkably so, even then " English is borrowed into (or imposed on) Indian contexts " (A. K. Ramanujan) which subdues the existence of English as an alien language and makes it all the more " Indian ". And when issues concerning the Indian Nation form the core of the Writing in English the product is but an expression of the lives of the Indian common folk in a more universally read medium. Such colourful " Indianism permeates in the diction, idiom and imagery in dialogue " of Mulk Raj Anand. One of the 'triumvirate' in the 1930s who established the Indian English Novel, Anand has since then written eleven novels alongside many short stories that reflect on the issues that were prevalent in then India, suitably justifying the Indian English short stories as the " Breath in the Mirror ". The short story: Two Lady Rams (part of the short story collection The Tractor and the Corn Goddess) is typically what Anand defined as " highly developed form of folk tale " that included " psychological understanding of the contemporary period ". The short story comes as a social satire on the " Angrezi Sarkar of India " and highlights the tussle between the colonial subject and the colonial master. The story follows the same theme at two levels, where for one, Lalla Jhinda Ram is the colonial subject to the " department that acted on His Majesty's Behalf " and the second are the wives, Sukhi and Sakuntala who are the colonial subjects to (the agent of the patriarchal society) i.e. Sir Jhinda. As the story unfolds one can understand the satire that stands to highlight how poorly the 'colonial master' governed over its subjects of whom he knew and cared the least. The apparent honour of Knighthood which is cunningly bestowed on Jhinda Ram (mark of his sly 'sundry' services to the Empire) and supposed to raise his social status helps to bring forth this negligence of the British State; and as for the wives the selfish decision of Lalla Jhinda to take the second wife to his investiture ceremony because otherwise she would abstain from entertaining him, shows the lack of regard and respect towards wives that were then treated as mere objects of the household. Another theme shadily addressed in the story is the tuft between on setting modernity and fading traditions. Thus even when Jhinda Ram enjoys a siesta and his mansion had an " English style gol kamara or, living room " he was acquitted to marry two wives on the grounds of Hindu Mitakshara Law and demanded for his wives to dress in a traditional sari for the Ceremony. In all, the household of Jhinda Ram was on the margins of traditional and the cusp of modern. And when the Modern (the Kinghthood) merged with the Traditional (the two wives of Sir Jhinda) (amusingly enough) the Colonial Anxiety is surfaced. It is in the same light that one can imagine the last gravely serious comment " the three staunch pillars " said with respect to Jhinda Ram and the Lady Rams as a drawing its symbolism to the state of the Indian common folk (Jhinda Ram) which struggled to obtain an identity through the modern (Sakuntala) but could not afford to lose the traditional (Sukhi) that had formed the whole truth of their survival. Another facet of the issue of Identity comes through the tussle of Sakuntala and Sukhi both of whom wish to be Lady Ram since the women of colonial India were recognised by the name of their husband, Anand comments on the lack of individual identity of women in marriage and through his female characters attempts to inspire revolution in women to fight for their 'rights'. The Two Lady Rams runs as a comical account of the day of a shopkeeper's life who is bestowed the highest honour in British Raj, only to add misery to his life. A misery which does not come from poverty or exploitation (as in the other short stories of Anand) but whose cause is 'over abundance of undue credibility'. Thus, even when the story is not the whole truth yet it is derived from the truth of the lives of the 'Indians'. In addition the story places a satire on the 'sleeping Indian spirit' and the so called 'collaborators' of the British Raj who out of selfish motives served the Colonial Master. By extension, the story therefore, comes with the hidden message of the agony involved in the service of the British than the 'Homeland' which came with the loss of one's integrity and common sense which Jhinda Ram idolises when he seeks the advice of his Chauffeur

Indian writings in English have always presented India, its culture and people in most of the works. These works always had a sense of longing for one’s motherland. India can be seen presented with all its shades, bright or dull. The poetry of A.K. Ramanujan belongs to this tradition. Attipat Krishnaswami Ramanujan was a poet, translator, linguist and folklorist. His credit lies in his remarkable ability to maintain a considerable balance between tradition and modernity. This paper is an attempt to study how this poet looks back at his Indian past and presents it through his power of words.

Post independence era brought a change in mindset and number of poets in the field of Indian English Literature. New trends, new subjects, new forms are introduced and accepted. New poets  have different things to say. They have varieties-variety of approaches, fresh subjects & aspects. But one thing is common in them i.e. their Indianness - their attachment to land, people, culture , customs, rituals, moreover to problems and issues related with nation.  Their Indianness may  take several forms and shapes and may  appear in a work of art in diverse ways- sometimes obvious, sometime subtle. Modern India is a synthesis of many cultural cross-currents. And Indian English writers are conscious of it. Here in this paper, I have tried to focus on "Indianness" in one of the major Indian English poets i.e. Nissim Ezekiel (1924-2004)

Indian English poetry became popular with Dutt sisters, Tagore, Sri Aurobindo, Sarojini Naidu etc., still seems to flower its genius by its practitioners. Sri Aurobindo and Tagore inaugurated an era which could not sustain itself to a longer periodicity of time. Scriptural consciousness as reflected in both the poets is the key to Indianness. Dr. Charu Sheel Singh is a key to nurture the tradition and renews an old link that was broken in between but in poet's own style and language which magnifies his visionary approach. He invented a new kind of poetry. It is not the beautiful world of flowers, fairies, and nature; it is about the projection of social normative that has withstood various periods of time. Moreover, it is about the interior landscape that fore grows us as human beings. Through his poetic collections, the poet has suggested that only through peace one can restore life and rebirth of the barren land of our own making.

Postcolonial Indo-Anglian poetry is remarkable for its theme, style and poetic vision. It explorers Indianness in the colonial language. Modern Indian English poetry is a genre in itself. It differs greatly from contemporary British and American literature. However, its writers maintained a close link with the cultures of India and the west.

The paper has been drafted to search out the theme of Indianness and alienation in a number of Nissim Ezekiel's selected poems. He is one in every of the best Indian poets writing in English. His poetry created a form of awareness about Indian social problems. His poetry associated with "Alienation is Indianness" which might be seen in his most of the poems. He plays alienation together with Indianness as theme, technique and diction in his poetry. His Jewish background is that the reason for his alienation from the Hindu dominated society. The loss of identity within the lifespan is dispensed within the poetry of countless Indian poets writing in English before Ezekiel. But within the case of Ezekiel it's quite different. Alienation is that the prime feature of recent Indian poetry. Though he felt alienation his observation doesn't involve the rejection of the aspects of Indian society and life. Ezekiel always carries his alienation with an Indian Sentiment

Since ancient times Indians have been moving to the hostland for various reasons. Generally, this kind of concept is known as 'diaspora.' Though they settle there, live a better life, but they never totally disconnect from their roots and motherland. We can see these things in the writings of Indian diasporic writers. Attia Hosain was one of the remarkable Indo-British writers. Sunlight on a Broken Column was the first and only novel written by Attia Hosain. In the novel, she beautifully describes the lifestyle of the Indian Muslim taluqadar family; Indian customs, cultures, traditions, and lifestyles of different communities-upper class and lower class live happily together before the partition. It is a semi-autobiographical novel. In the novel, Attia expressed her memories through her words and fictional characters.

Les hindouismes hors de l’Inde posent un défi à l’observateur : comment cette religion perçue comme consubstantielle au territoire indien peut-elle s’exporter, s’adapter et s’enraciner loin de sa « terre-Mère » ? L’expérience particulière de l’île Maurice, une société créole dont la majorité de la population se reconnaît comme hindoue, offre un cas d’étude idéal pour une analyse historiquement contextualisée d’un hindouisme créole.

Cet ouvrage est une étude d’anthropologie religieuse sur l’hindouisme mauricien, fondée sur une enquête ethnographique approfondie. L’auteur prend soin d’intégrer à l’étude de l’hindouisme local l’histoire de l’engagisme et de la société de plantation, les phénomènes de créolisation, mais aussi le contexte national multiconfessionnel.

L’hindouisme mauricien est envisagé en tant que configuration (sociale, religieuse) singulière et valant pour elle-même, ni réplique, ni dérive ou sous-produit d’un « authentique hindouisme indien ». Il s’agit de comprendre les conditions de l’implantation de l’hindouisme à Maurice. Quels sont les milieux socioculturels, castes et pratiques religieuses des engagés ? Quelle a été l’influence de la rupture avec l’Inde sur ces pratiques religieuses ? Quels sont les enjeux actuels qui se cachent derrière la reconstruction de l’hindouisme à Maurice ?

En dépit de son évolution rapide tournée vers l’Inde, c’est bien un hindouisme avant tout créole et mauricien qui se dessine, soulignant l’héritage du système de plantation dans les lieux de culte, dans les pratiques et représentations religieuses locales.

Perspectives based on race or essentialized notions of ethnicity have had remarkable resilience in the study of Malaysia despite their rather dubious use. Undoubtedly, a racialized polity has arisen as a result of the preferential treatment given to those classified under the nativistic politico-legal category Bumiputera (indigene). Boundaries are nevertheless more permeable than often admitted by politicians. By turning to the case of Indian Malaysians, I explore how the dominance of racialized perspectives in public discourse in Malaysia renders inconsequential if not invisible the rich and complex interaction between different ethnic groups. I show how dominant representations of Indian Malaysians obscure the significant and distinctive efforts of popular musicians. The state, opposition politicians, and nongovernment organizations tend to represent Indians as a singularly disempowered minority. This concurrence of views affirms the racialized political and social order and diminishes the potential alternatives, if not the challenges, posed by transethnic, hybrid, and other forms of cultural politics. The complexity of Indianness and, indeed, Malaysian society resists racialized perspectives. This becomes especially clear when we turn to the cultural politics of popular music in Peninsular Malaysia. Young musicians produce work in the genres of rock, hip-hop, reggae, and so forth in Tamil–the most commonly spoken language of Indian origin-as well as in other Malaysian languages. An admixture of rebellion and commercial drive colors their efforts as they capitalize on the enabling aspects of globalization while trying to curb its damaging consequences. As a result of their exposure to–if not familiarity with–different cultures and languages, and through contact, exchange and partnership with musicians of other ethnic backgrounds, Indian Malaysians have forged a distinct musical identity.

This is the first major sociolinguistic work on Indian diasporic communities in Germany. It investigates accent perceptions and attitudes to variation in Indian varieties of English. The study shows that metalanguage allows to understand what sociolinguistic stereotypes are at stake in diasporic communities and what criteria are made use of in such discriminations.

BRICS is the acronym coined for the association of five major emerging national economies Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa accounting 43% of the world’s population and almost 33% of the world’s GDP. It is an emerging investment market and global power bloc whose combined power has the potential to increase opportunities for economic and political influence. This paper illustrates the trends and pattern in exports and imports of India and other BRICS nations and it examines the trade compatability between India and other BRICS Nation.

Abstract: In her essay, "Sex Between Women and Indianness: Vulnerable Casted Bodies," Antonia Navarro-Tejero examines the lesbian experience, using two heterosexual voices representing the lesbian abject: Shobha Dé’s popular bestseller novel Strange Obsession (1992) and Karan  Razdan’s Bollywood film Girlfriend (2004), as they espouse the dominant ideology of heteronormativity, rendering homosexuality as a western illness that taints the Indian culture. First, the author provides an  overview of the history of lesbian desire in India, and how it is rendered by Hindu nationalists. Then, following the postulates of Michel Foucault, she analyzes both cultural texts with respect to how same-sex desire
is represented in relation to religious morality. Both works deploy, and manipulate for dramatic effect, a repertoire of visual/textual stereotypes that have long been associated in misogynist and patriarchal  imagination with perceptions of lesbian (Christian) women as sexually abject and heterosexual (Hindu) partners as victims of their insanity. She concludes that, because women’s sexuality is deployed in the services of reproducing the nation, lesbianism symbolizes a threat to the Hindu family.

BRICS is the acronym coined for the association of five major emerging national economies Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa accounting 43% of the world’s population and almost 33% of the world’s GDP. It is an emerging investment market and global power bloc whose combined power has the potential to increase opportunities for economic and political influence. This paper illustrates the trends and pattern in exports and imports of India and other BRICS nations and it examines the trade compatability between India and other BRICS Nation.

BRICS is the acronym coined for the association of five major emerging national economies Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa accounting 43% of the world’s population and almost 33% of the world’s GDP. It is an emerging investment market and global power bloc whose combined power has the potential to increase opportunities for economic and political influence. This paper illustrates the trends and pattern in exports and imports of India and other BRICS nations and it examines the trade compatability between India and other BRICS Nation.