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One
of the most significant features of the post-modernist movement in
India is literature dealing with the social outcast, or dalit
(downtrodden). Marathi,
Gujarati, and Kannada writers started the dalit movement under the
leadership of B. R. Ambedkar (see AMBEDKAR, BHIMRAO RAMJI).
Marathi writers including the poets Namdev Dhasal and Narayan
Surve and novelists Daya Pewar and Laxman Gaikwad reflect the
anguish of a community. They
demand the shaping of a just and realistic future for the
underprivileged and the outcast in society.
The
Kannada novels of Mahadev Devanur and the Gujarati novels of Joseph
Macwan deal with the experience of violence, protest, and
exploitation. Dalit
literature introduces a new world of experience in Indian
literature. It widens
the range of expression and makes use of the language of the
outcasts and underprivileged in Indian society.
Contemporary
trends. Writers
throughout India have used mythology or folk legend to highlight the
problems of modern society. The
acclaimed Kannada novel Samskara by U. R. Anantha Murthy portrays a
spiritual search against a background of the pressures of day-to-day
living.
A
number of novels look at neglected regions of India and their spoken
dialects. For example,
Jayamohan, writing in Tamil; Debes Ray, in Bengali; and Shivprasad
Singh, in Hindi, provide portraits of contemporary Indian village
life. Such writers also
demonstrate that India is a country of many religions and cultures.
A
central theme in much modern Indian literature is the change from a
rural, traditional life to an urban, modern one.
Some writers examine this theme by portraying a romantic view
of village life. Others
describe the cruel and harsh realities of the impersonal city.
Feminist
literature is represented in all Indian languages.
Writers challenge the values of male-dominated society and
create an alternative mythology in which the perspective of women is
emphasized. Authors
from this movement include Kamala Das, who writes in Malayalam and
English; Krishna Sobti, in Hindi; Ashapurna Devi, in Bengali; and
Rajam Krishnan, in Tamil.
Contemporary
Indian authors who write in English include Amitabh Ghosh, Shashi
Tharur, Vikram Seth, and Upamanyu Chatterjee.
For such authors, English is no longer a colonial language.
They are able to express their heritage while remaining
committed to the modern reality of India.
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