Depiction of Culture and History in Nayantara Sahgal’s Novels

Abstract

The Indian National Movement was one of the largest and most popular mass movements in world history through which entire country for united bringing independence and restoring civil rights. Education, the boycott of foreign clothes and liquor, the promotion of Indian industry were some of the issues in the nationalist movements. Compulsory primary education, the lowering of the taxation on the poor and middle classes, the reduction of the salt tax were some of the major demands made by the Indian National revolutionaries. It mobilized the youth, women and men of different castes and classes into political action and brought a mighty colonial empire to its end. The country struggled to free itself from the shackles of colonialism. National leaders like, Surendra Nath Banerji, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Jawaharlal Nehru, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Lala Lajpat Rai and Mahatma Gandhi Accepted that India was not a fully structured nation and thus their objective was to promote the growing unity of the Indian people through a common struggle against colonialism. Keeping in view this political and historical scenario, and attempt is made to interpret the past, culture and history in the two major novels of Nayantara Sahgal, Rich like Us and Plans for Departure. Both the novels adequately deal with these major themes.