Reclaiming Indigenous Wisdom: A Study of the Indian Knowledge System in The English Teacher
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/Keywords:
R. K. Narayan, The English Teacher, Indian Knowledge Systems, Colonial Education, Alternative Education System, Spirituality, Pedagogy, Vedānta, Rabindranath Tagore, Gandhi, IndigenousAbstract
This research paper deals with the representation of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) in R. K. Narayan’s novel The English Teacher[1]. R.K. Narayan’s The English Teacher is often read as semi-autobiographical novel, but it is also interpreted as a novel that critiques colonial education system and simultaneously presents an alternative view on education system and advocates for indigenous education system. Through the protagonist Krishna’s disillusionment with the then colonial education system which was followed in his college, the text exposes the hollowness of colonial education system and the alienation produced by colonial modernity. The novel also presents an alternative views on education and the alternative model offered by the headmaster’s “Leave Alone System” or play-way method of learning reflects holistic, child-centered learning traditions rooted in traditional Indian education system and resonates with the ideas of Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi. Furthermore, Krishna’s spiritual transformation, especially his communication with his deceased wife Susila, illustrates epistemic modes beyond rational empiricism, echoing Vedāntic and yogic traditions. The English Teacher is an anti-colonial critique and it integrates educational and spiritual dimensions of IKS, foregrounding a holistic approach to life, knowledge, and self-realization. By situating Narayan’s narrative within the larger discourse of indigenous intellectual traditions, the paper contributes to the growing field of Indian literary and cultural studies that seeks to provide an alternative system of education which is rooted in Indian tradions but marginalized by colonialism.
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