Progressive Cultural Movement in India: A Critical Appraisal

The All India Progressive Writers’ Association (PWA) and Indian Peoples’ Theatre Association (IPTA) have completed 75 and 70 years respectively. The formation of these organisations in 1930s is a landmark in the cultural history of India, as they heralded a new sensibility in depicting the contem- porary social and political realities. They brought about an intellectual break which led to a qualitative transformation of the creative realm, resulting in the production of some outstanding works of art and literature. For some time at least, they represented the cultural avant-garde, which foregrounded radical and progressive cultural practices by taking cognisance of the prob- lems of the oppressed, and by confronting feudal conservatism and capitalist imperialism.