Another window on the world: English for creative expression in the indian context

Abstract

The use of English language for creative expression in the Indian context raises questions of a complex nature. English in India is a language that has understandably been viewed as imposed from outside, as part of the colonial baggage, and as a language that is learnt more for material and practical motivations than for integrative purposes. Over its 150 years of co-existence with regional languages and Bhasha literatures, English begins to inspire creative energy in bilingual or trilingual contexts; it problematises the being of the creative self in multiple ways-it affects the sociocultural nodes of the creative voice; it riffs on the originating sources of artistic expression; and it struggles for cadence and gains a measure of it. The critics of Indian English Literature argue that the dissonance that a 'foreign' language injects into the indigenous culture and traditions affects and distorts creativity not just in the area of linguistic ease but also in the authenticity of the creative voice. This essay, 'Another Window on the World: English for Creative Expression in the Indian Context', counters such arguments, arguing that English language in India is uniquely positioned now and that it has become a part of the Indian landscape, having been dynamically engaged with the multilingual and multicultural traditions of India over a long period. In its forging of the creative energies of its near-native writers in multiple genres and in its diverse and colourful uses by over 50 million speakers, English continues to deliver rich dividends in terms in original expression as well as in translations from and into Bhasha domains.