India, English and an inferiority complex

There still exists the need to be recognised and commended by major powers before a country can stand on its own merit By TANVEER AHMED

Recently a major writer’s festival was held in the city of Jaipur. It was hosted in the historical grandeur of its Pink Palace and organised primarily by the English writer and historian who spends much of his time living in the subcontinent, William Dalrymple. It was meant to be a celebration of Indians writing in English. There was great controversy in the lead up to it after a prominent columnist from the Times of India lambasted the fact that a white man was the key member of the judging panel.

What followed was an interesting national debate, at least among the middle classes who might actually buy books in English. Does India’s self esteem still depend a little on gaining approval from its old colonial masters?

Australia has often been accused of what is known as the “cultural cringe”, whereby we automatically perceive our own creative output as inferior until it is recognised in either the “motherland” Britain or the United States.

It was captured somewhat by former Booker Prize winning Indian author, Anita Desai. “It’s like Indian writers can always export the pashmina shawl story; we can always export the arranged marriage story. It’s always in fashion. But certain bestselling American authors are never accused of continuing to produce the exotic American novel,” she said.

“There is sadness in India that literature has to be commended by New York or London,” added British-Indian novelist Rana Dasgupta in response. “Many writers feel insignificant, and we can blame the West, but this dispossession is not post-colonial anymore, but a product of globalization.”

This wouldn’t be unique. Australia has often been accused of what is known as the “cultural cringe”, whereby we automatically perceive our own creative output as inferior until it is recognised in either the “motherland” Britain or in the United States. It is seen as a sign of our perceived insignificance and irrelevance in world affairs.

But India is now far from insignificant. It is being dubbed as an emerging superpower and was singled out by Obama’s recent State of the Union speech alongside China as the countries that might dominate the upcoming century and challenge American hegemony.

Socially, I have always found the way status is projected in South Asian communities enlightening. There are certainly elite sections of all countries in South Asia where being Anglicised is a sign of high status. It is a trend in all the old colonies, for the best schools, universities and jobs were often linked to the Raj and Anglo-Saxon power. The term for it is, “more English than the English”. It is transmitted through accents, taste in wine and fashion, and even ability to play culturally foreign sports like golf or tennis.

It takes some unique turns within South Asian communities, both expatriate and local, for there is no society in the world more status-conscious than Indians. The combination of caste and colonialism see to that.

India has some unique potential for what is known as “soft power”, more so than China, for its cultural exports of Bollywood are globally popular, especially in the developing world.

Back to the Jaipur writers’ festival. The conflict relates some interesting questions about modern Indian power. Will India project power much like European powers may have in the past, by for example trade negotiations, more political clout and a muscular military? India has some unique potential for what is known as “soft power”, more so than China, for its cultural exports of Bollywood are globally popular, especially in the developing world.
And will the emerging, younger middle class, despite being English-speaking, look towards acting more like Westerners to show off their status or will they attempt to find what they might consider more authentic to the native culture?

The answer is likely to be a mixture of both. And it is interesting that, arguably, one of the most influential Indian writers, listed in Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world list in 2010, Chetan Bagat, writes in a very simple Hindi aimed at the masses. Furthermore, his writing is not about grand narratives on partition or history, but at simple but engaging stories about young people working in a call centre or wanting to rebel against traditions that do not seem to suit the modern world anymore.