The Changing Idea of India in Twenty-First Century Indian English Fiction

The Changing Idea of India in Twenty-First Century Indian English Fiction Dr. Shantanu Singh* The traditional “Idea of India”—rooted in Nehruvian secularism, pluralism, democracy, and a commitment to social equity—has undergone significant transformation in the twenty-first century. Indian English fiction of this period registers these shifts through representations of neoliberal globalization, rising inequality, urban transformation, Hindu majoritarianism, ecological crisis, and the assertion of marginalized identities. Drawing on works by Aravind Adiga, Arundhati Roy, Amitav Ghosh, Kiran Desai and others, this paper examines how contemporary novelists interrogate, critique, and reimagine the nation. The fiction moves beyond earlier postcolonial concerns with colonial legacy and hybridity toward a sharper engagement with internal fractures, the ‘India of Light” versus “India of Darkness,’ and competing visions of belonging in a rapidly changing polity. *Assistant Professor, School of English and International Languages, Maa Pateshwari, University, Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, India