'Intelligence beyond artificiality' - Postcolonial Robotics in Satyajit Ray's fiction

Etymologically, the word 'robot' has been derived from Czech word 'robota' that means 'drudgery' or 'servitude'. Thus, the invention of robots or it's literary representation can't be discussed without referring to forceful labour or slavery, an important part of colonialism. Astonishingly, thus robot narratives in the west have always been dealt with a sense of domination and fear of overturn. In this literary milieu, it is interesting to note how Satyajit Ray, in his science fictions provides a postcolonial critique and alternative to the western treatment of machine. Keeping this in view, this paper discusses the postcolonial robotics of Satyajit Ray's fiction, primarily focusing on two of his works: "Anukul" and "Diary of a Space Traveller".