Stepping Towards Progress: The Progressive Writers’ Movement in Late Colonial India

Abstract

The emergence of the Progressive Writers’ Movement brought about a qualitative transformation in the literary sphere of India in the 1930s. Having been a part of a society full of exploitation due to the poignant impact of colonialism, feudalism as well as imperialism, they refused to be neutral and raised their voices in the support of the downtrodden common people. Profoundly influenced by the Marxist ideology, they made the ‘have-nots’ the central figures of their stories, plays and poems. Extremely critical of the escapist nature of the traditional literature, they made the contemporary socio-political realities the principal themes of their literary endeavours.