An Image Journey into Carnivalesque and Representation: The Case of the Postcolonial Indian Mainstream Narrative

Abstract

Carnivals in pre-independence India had a medley of episodes—sometimes fascinating and sometimes marred by violence as such hostile incidents were mostly due to the feudalistic fabric that it worn. British ruled India presented some respite. Postcolonial India indicated a return to modernity but it was not to be. Regressive elements ducked in with myths and superstitions which stemmed the progress. Amidst this milieu, the postmodern and postcolonial elements of carnivalisation and representation have become a contested site. Mikhail Bakhtin’s carnival theory assumes significance in that the problematization of carnival in the Indian scenario has resulted in a unique syndrome wherein the carnivalistic discourse is being subverted and appropriated by the forces by virtue of their dominance in power, class and the quite primitive social structure called caste. By deconstructing Mikhail Bakhtin’s carnivalesque, this research attempts to explore issues like carnivalisation and its relation to hegemony, demystification, representation and social change. How far has carnivalisation affected and effected the Indian society? What are the other forces that dominate the spectrum of India’s landscape? Do these elements point towards an exclusive or an inclusive India? The present discussion assumes significance due to the volatile social and political climate since 2014 due to the divisive forces in power. Some of the findings from this research pose a humungous concern, aptly aided by the postcolonial and postmodern elements coupled with the likes of corporate cannibalism. Consequently, Bakhtin’s idea of carnival has been reduced to a farce here. Plurality has been sacrificed at the altar of unitary centralized structure. With regard to the notion of representation too, a similar phenomenon has struck making this postcolonial conundrum into a sham.