Locating Indian Imprint in Contemporary Indian English Literature

My paper enquires into the nature of Indian ethos that supposedly guides Indian English literature and gives the genre its name. Most studies conducted on this subject are focussed on formalistic aspects like language and narratology. Also it is observed that most novels belonging to this category represent Indian identity through apparent cultural traits like dress, food and lifestyle or social norms, practices, traditions, etc. Even the fiction dealing with political issues relevant to India are subsumed under this category. My contention is that these dimensions do project the Indian identity but only partially. There is the not-so-obvious part at the base of this superstructure that is the most important element but has not been explored seriously and judiciously by most writers due to prejudices or disinclination. The Indian ethos is reflected in Indian philosophy, values and worldview which are not adequately represented in Indian Writing in English. I have analyzed a number of novels to make the point clear which makes this study unique and promises to be helpful to future researchers.