[13] PROVINCIALIZING ENGLISH: THE DECOLONIAL TURN IN ENGLISH STUDIES IN INDIA

ARTICLE INFO: Date of Submission: Mar 26, 2026, Revised: Apr 3, 2026, Accepted: Apr 6 , 2026, CrossRef d.o.i : https://doi.org/10.56815/ijmrr.v5i4.2026.152-157. How To Cite: Gourhari Behera, Sunita Murmu (2026). Provincializing English: The Decolonial Turn in English Studies in India. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research & Reviews. 5(4). 152-157.

Abstract

The study of English in Postcolonial India remains heavily influenced by colonial ideologies, academic structures and canon development. Post-colonial theory has been critical of colonial ideologies for many decades, but recently, academics and researchers have begun to re-evaluate their previous conceptual work, looking more towards what is called the 'decolonial turn' - a stronger, more revolutionary effort designed not just to critique, but also to take apart and substantially reshape the fundamental conceptual basis of English Studies. In relation to this re-evaluative process, this paper focuses on the decolonial turn in the field of English Studies with reference to India, emphasising how the decolonial turn shall impact canon development, pedagogy/teaching methods, language politics, and systems of knowledge development. By drawing on decolonial theorists such as Aníbal Quijano, Walter Mignolo and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o to interconnect the theoretical underpinnings of their writings to current developments in the field of English Studies, the paper argues that English Studies must not simply add to existing knowledge, but must move towards a new epistemic basis by including indigenous knowledge systems, oral traditions, Dalit and Adivasi literature and multilingualism as a means of achieving this goal. The paper concludes that the decolonial turn will provide a new location for English studies to engage with contemporary socio-cultural realities in India, as a site for resistance, critical discussion and activism.