Published Paper Details:

Kamala Markandaya (1924-2004) stands as a major voice in Indian English fiction, known for her insightful portrayal of the clash between traditional Indian values and the unsettling rise of modern forces. Her novels, mostly situated in post-independence India, address issues such as industrial growth, Western influence, class disparity, and spiritual upheaval. This study examines how this tension unfolds in four of her significant works -- Nectar in a Sieve, Some Inner Fury, The Coffer Dams, and Possession. Through close attention to characterization, cultural environments, and narrative structure, the paper contends that Markandaya avoids simplistic binaries: she neither idealizes the past nor blindly endorses modernization. Instead, she envisions a human-centered mode of progress that must be anchored in cultural continuity. Her fiction highlights both the damaging consequences of development--displacement, exploitation, cultural loss--and the sustaining force of tradition--community, identity, and moral grounding. Ultimately, her novels advocate a thoughtful and compassionate negotiation between heritage and change, a perspective increasingly relevant in the contemporary global world.