INDIAN FICTION AND MULTICULTURALISM

India is a construct that defies rigid definitions, classifications and strict categorizations. It cherishes centuries-old values of diversity and cultural pluralism. Its unifying principles of sense of belonging and dialogic co-existence have been recognised for long, but the intriguing aspect of how these multiple cultures and conflicting ideologies could co-exist for so many centuries is a question that attracted the attention of scholars, thinkers and leaders. In the process, the ‘idea of India’ or ‘what constitutes Indianness’ has been visited and revisited by many. The concepts of multiculturalism and Indianness have also been debated for long which, in fact, constitute the subjects of scrutiny in this anthology, in the light of Indian Fiction scene. Since the whole ethic is based on different identities, it enables every segment to make a meaning of itself. In a mutually beneficial manner, the whole offers space to its parts and the mini nations sustain the whole, strengthening the idea of India and the spirit of multiculturalism. This anthology presents the question of Indianness from multiple perspectives. It offers a rich mosaic of essays dealing with fiction vis-à-vis contested issues of plurality, multiple identities, and the supposed inauthenticity or otherwise of Nationalism as well as NRI writers. Besides, the articles on different fictional works attempt to focus on issues of violence, migration, class, gender and caste distinctions. In addition, an attempt has been made to show that the concerns of Indian English writers mostly centred around macro issues such as freedom movement, political developments, alienation, middle-class mores, familial trauma, re-presentation of history while the regional fiction writers concentrated on micro issues, the ground realities. The inclusion of bhasha fiction in the anthology is aimed at driving home the point that Regional Fiction in English is complementary to Indian English Fiction with proliferation of good translations of classics from Indian languages.