A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

Hindi novels which talk about specific
concerns related to ‘untouchables’ in Indian
society. Nagar rejects caste system in this
novel. He creates a story of a Brahmin
girl who is married to an old man. The
Brahmin girl falls in love with a scavenger
boy and elopes with him from the toilet
space since her suspicious husband locks
her while going out. She becomes a part
of the scavenger community after marrying
the boy. Here she dedicates herself for
the upliftment of this community. Likewise,
in Parishishta, the novelist picks up the
problem of a Dalit student who couldn’t
bear the brunt of the hostile atmosphere
in a premier educational institution and
ultimately commits suicide . This is
a typical Indian problem arising out of
caste based Indian society in spite of all
provisions of Indian constitution to give
every individual an equal opportunity
barring caste, creed and religion.
After independence many women
novelists got prominence by depicting so
far an untouched problem of Indian society.
A great novelist of post independence India
Mannu Bhandari came into prominence
after the publication of her novel Aapka
Buntee (Your Bunty/1971/). She depicted
the problem of woman who is separated
from her husband and lives with her only
son Bunty. Here one comes across the
trauma of a child who loves his father
and doesn’t approve of his mother’s relation
with another man. This is a new problem
of growing middle class in urban India.
Scores of Indian women novelists like Usha
Priyamvada, Krishna Sobti,Mridula Garg,
Manjul Bhagat, Prabha Khetan,Chitra
Mudgal, Chandrakanta, Rajee Seth,
Geetanjalee Shree, Maitreyi Pushpa etc.
created novels which depicted the problems
of Indian society in different ways.
Concluding this paper it can be
summarized like this— The Hindi novel
is a protest literature as well as replica
of Indian culture, psyche, development,
aspirations of different classes and
communities which is unique in its content
and form. In fact the novel transcends
boundaries and it is not only difficult but
almost impossible to put the creative
expression in watertight compartments.
Here, I have only tried to say in a few
words how the genre novel flourishes in
India and its main characteristics. No doubt
It is unique in its content and form and
its linkage with the past is evident but
basically it talks about humanity which
links it with the novels being written all
over the world.
Thank you very much for listening
to me patiently. I wish to convey my
thanks and gratitude towards Prof. Dr.
Eva De Clercq and Prof. Dr. Rishikalp for
inviting me in this International Hindi
Conference at Ghent and giving me the
honor to present my views here.
References
1) Early Novels in India, Meenakshi
Mukherjee, Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. 2002
54 :: January-March 2012