Devki Pande novel explores diverse ideologies in India's freedom movement

Devki Pande depicts the diverse paths of India's struggle for independence in her debut novel, The Imitation Englishman.

The story follows 20-year-old Madhusudan, who travels from Uttarakhand to Germany in 1916 to study law while his brother serves as a sepoy in the British Empire's North African front during the First World War. While in Europe, Madhusudan meets Amir Farooqui, a man involved in the Hindu-German conspiracy to fund armed revolts against British rule.

Through their friendship, Madhusudan learns about radical nationalism and the Ghadar Movement, a diaspora-led effort to oust the coloniser. Although Madhusudan initially views these movements as extreme, he eventually develops a political consciousness after being assaulted by German soldiers. The narrative splits as Amir flees to America to join revolutionaries and Madhusudan moves to London to attend Axton University.

In London, Madhusudan navigates the social hierarchies of the British Empire, interacting with wealthy Indians who pledge loyalty to the Raj and working-class Indians who serve as domestic staff. He eventually founds an Indian Association to discuss domestic issues like famine and helps rehabilitate former soldiers of the conspiracy. Pande uses the novel to show that the freedom movement included various strands, from armed revolutionary struggles to internal political maneuvering.

The book explores the tension of Indians striving to become "Imitation Englishmen" while facing systemic racism and class divisions. Madhusudan returns home as a lawyer, having lost his brother and his original dreams to the Empire.