Positioning Children's Literature in World Literary Canon: a Case

9ROXPH,,,VVXH;)HEUXDU\,661 Positioning Children’s Literature in World Literary Canon: A Case Study of India Ms. Madhu Sharma Research Scholar, Department of English University of Jammu (J&K) India Abstract: India is considered to be the birth place of children’s literature as it is the cradle of famous classical tales like The Panchatantra Tales, The Jataka Tales, The Hitopadesha, Kathasaritsagara, Ramayana, Mahabharata etc. that have gained popularity among children of all the ages throughout the world. Still, children’s literature has a long way to go to gain popularity and recognition as a distinct branch of literature in world literary canon. In India, in particular, due to the small profit margins on the publication and illustration of children’s books, children’s literature written or translated in English has never really reached to the top position. It is a much neglected area both in terms of publication and in the academic discourse. The contact of Indian literature with the European countries and especially with England and English language paved the way for the development and growth of children’s literature in Indian English studies as a separate genre and thus led to the development of modern globalized children’s literature in India. In my paper, I attempt to trace the genesis and evolution of children’s literature in English in India and contextualise it in terms of the western literary canon. Key words: Children’s Literature; Panchatantra; Oral literature; Western literary canon; Fantasy; Realism; Edification; Amusement; CBT; NBT. Children’s literature has not yet attained the rightful place in KWWSZZZLMHOOKFRP 9ROXPH,,,VVXH;)HEUXDU\,661 our society. Even though it is not neglected, to some extent it has been ignored. The character formation is very important aspect as far as children are concerned, and children’s literature has to play a very important role in this aspect (Venugopal 231). Children’s Literature has been a much neglected area and has struggled a lot to gain its popularity and footings in world literary canon. But, in the recent past, it has made its appearance as a well received and encouraging field of literary aspiration. Basically, children’s literature involves books that have been written, illustrated, published, marketed and purchased harmoniously and regularly by adults necessary for the amusement and education of our younger generation but now children’s literature has been turned over a new leaf as didactic literature which instructs the particular reading audience i.e. our children and making them an epitome of virtuous and good values and develops a sense of good character in them. Children’s literature, thus, becomes avant-garde and most compelling branch of literature which escapes and travels well beyond the bounds of the long- established portrayal and performances expected from it. In the contemporary literary set up children’s literature enjoys encyclopaedic and all embracing fame and aggrandizement due to bizarre and extraordinary production and sales of children’s books which consecutively has produced a remarkable level of enthusiasm and attraction towards the field. India is considered to be the birth place of children’s literature as it is the cradle of famous classical tales like The Panchatantra Tales, The Jataka Tales, The Hitopadesha, Kathasaritsagara, etc. that have gained popularity among children of all the ages not only in India but throughout the world. Many of the stories of The Panchatantra Tales before came to be written in Sanskrit by Vishnu Sharma for the education and edification for three young princes, had already been translated, adopted and adapted by west Asian and European countries. Aesop and other writers too were inspired by these tales and had incorporated them in their own work. Most of the tales of Uncle Remus in America are also influenced and based on our ancient Panchatantra Tales. As it is reflected in a chapter entitled ‘A Historical Survey in the book Children’s Literature in India that: Every publisher looking for material to publish draws upon this unquestioned resource material so that the Indian epics, ancient KWWSZZZLMHOOKFRP 9ROXPH,,,VVXH;)HEUXDU\,661 lore, classical tales, folktales, the Panchatantra form the bulk of children’s literature today. These stories are full of timeless worldly wisdom and play a recurring role in stimulating the imagination (Menon and Nair 24). Still, In India, Indian English Children’s literature, has a long way to gain popularity and recognition as a distinct branch of literature to study in Indian as well as in world literary canon and this is due to the small profit margins on the publication and illustration of children’s books and due to the pre- eminence of English language and western children’s literature on it. In India, children’s literature written or translated in English has never really reached to the top position. It is a much neglected area both in terms of publication and in the academic discourse. But at the same time, the contact of Indian literature with the European countries and especially with England and English language paved the way for the development and growth of children’s literature in Indian English studies as a separate genre and thus led to the development of modern globalized children’s literature in India. In India children’s literature has involved three phases of development and these are: Firstly, the tales and stories that are belonging to rich oral and traditional literature are particularly written and published for children only in order to enhance the popularity of children’s texts, and, secondly, the texts selected from adult literature are translated, compressed and summarised for children for their easy comprehension by them and the third phase of development of children’s literature is that it is only in the last century when the modern, original fantastical and creative literature for children has been developed. The focus of my paper is to trace the genesis and evolution of children’s literature in English in India and contextualise it in terms of the western literary canon. This is basically due to the fact that English language is a lingua franca and a major connecting language between India and west countries. The considerable portion of books produced in India is in this language and have catered the needs of that portion of society who have ability to buy and read books in English because it is estimated that 40% of our Indian population are deprived of literacy and well established financial status. Due to the hegemonic power dynamics of the west, literature and cultural dimensions of India are influenced and regulated by the west. The English language, in its initial stage in India, was passed on by the British missionaries and was used as a vehicle for transmitting power, and KWWSZZZLMHOOKFRP 9ROXPH,,,VVXH;)HEUXDU\,661 now, as an efficient means of communication between India and West. As it is rightly stated by Prema Srinivasan in her book Children’s Fiction in India- Trends and Motifs : “In the Indian, multilingual, multicultural, multi-religious context, the English language has provided the vital link in unifying heterogeneous elements” (25). British missionaries came to India with a mission to convert Indians into Christians and to acquaint them with their language. It is in this context that English language had its beginning in India. Bilingualism was slowly and gradually been established in India with the Macaulay’s minutes of 1835 which were followed by Bentinck’s educational policy as they tried hard to create a class of educated Indians who are able to speak English language and should be act as an intermediate between the English speaking British class and Indian people. Thus, it is only in India where the English literature and English language have gained popularity and dominance and helped in the process of inculcating English values into the heart and mind of Indian people. As it is quoted in Lord Macaulay’s minutes on Indian education 1835 that: We must do our best to form a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern- a class of persons, Indians in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinion, in morals and in intellect (qtd. in Leela 25). The minutes paved the way for the development of textbooks, stories and magazines particularly for children. In India, Children’s literature in English as a distinct branch of literature comes into existence only after Independence. Prior to this, there were no books written primarily for children. It is only after Independence that children were treated as target audience for various writers and sufficient amount of literature was made available for them. In spite of all these, India, under the influence of west and the English language, was still able to produce its own unique children’s literature with the essence of Indian-ness in it and thus encouraged national pride, literature and culture. Indian Children’s literature and Indian child both acts as a vehicle for transmitting nationalistic ideals to the coming generation. But at the same time it is also true that nationalistic inclinations cannot be achieved and transmitted through literature that is not our own but borrowed from other nations. It rather transmits western hegemonic ideologies. As it is well explained by Ravi Shanker as: [T]here was not enough Indigenous literature for children in KWWSZZZLMHOOKFRP 9ROXPH,,,VVXH;)HEUXDU\,661 India apart from epics and folklore and myths and legends. They were brought up on western writings...As a result these children were conversant with western life styles than with the way of life of children in other parts of their own country (260). Chota Henry which was published in 1814 by Mrs.

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