Topi Shukla By Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza. Review on Topi Shukla - Rahi Masoom Raza

Topi Shukla By Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza

This is second book of Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza which I read in past. One of my close friends recommends me and gave this book to read. I am very much thankful to dearest friend to inspire me to read this Gem Book. This book inspires me to start to read the literature also. Dr. Rahi Sahab really changed my mind and taste of heart. Now, I am taking interest in reading literature, mostly Indian literature.

Firstly I come to the point about its title “Topi Shukla”. Firstly I thought that this book is a biography based on satire of someone. Yes, this book is a satire, but a satire loaded with insinuation. This book is a biography of a person named “Topi Shukla”, but this not only biography of “Topi Shukla”. It will be injustice to the message of author. Author wants to show an image of every human being of India using this character. Every Indian or every person is Topi Shukla in present or in perspective of story.

Topi Shukla is a Hindu Indian who studied in Muslim university due to this he did not get the job. You can understand the circumstances at the time of partition of India in 1947. Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza sir represented at many place that there is two India living in India after partition – Hinduism India and Muslims India. According to Hindus, India belongs to Hindus and Pakistan belongs to Muslims. While in entire book author shows that Muslims were struggling, fighting and trying to ensure that Hindustan also belongs to them. “Topi Shukla” is not the story of an individual who provoked or reunite Hindu and Muslim religion. While “Topi Shukla” is a character who tries to show us that we do not want to see.

“Topi Shukla” is not a Jansanghi, congressman or communist, he is just a human being who wants to show us the real image of politician and political party. He joined many university political parties in college life and leaved them after collision of some thoughts. Author presented him as mirror image of Indian people who sometimes became congress man or communist etc.

“Topi Shukla” is a friend, a true friend who wants to carry his friendship rest of his life. When he listened that Iffan and Shaqeena were leaving Aligarh, he was sad. He also want to go but he does not want to leave Aligarh and its university area.

“Topi Shukla” is a lover, but he was not able to say a word about his love to his lover. But he was infamous in whole Aligarh for his Love. Peoples say that Topi has some affair type relationship with his friend wife Shaqeena. That is not true at all. The friendship of Topi and Iffan is holy and pure like Ganga and deeper like ocean. Similarly, the love and affection between Topi and Shaqeena (wife of Iffan) is beautiful like rose and holy like Ganga. The contention between Topi and Shaqeena shows that how much they love each other. To protect his-self and Shaqeena from defamation of society, Topi suggests Shaqeena to tie Rakhi. But Past of Shaqeena does not allow her to do so.

While Topi got such defamation after interacting with Iffan family then why not he left the Iffan family. Because Topi founds himself alone without Iffan family despite he have his parents and brothers. Topi Shukla alias Balbhadra Narayan Singh was born in a Hindu family. Topi Shukla has 2 brothers. But no one loves him from family. Topi got the love and affection from Iffan family. Topi love to sit with the grandmother of Iffan. Now Topi likes the interruption of Iffan while pronunciation of correct Urdu. Now Topi like to argumentation with Shaqeena and he love to learn English from Shabnam daughter of Iffan and Shaqeena.

“Topi Shukla” is none other than it is our image. I felt that I am reading own biography. I felt that I wrote autobiography in just 24 years. Friends, sometime, somewhere, Topi Shukla is alive in our heart and mind but we are not able to see him. Really, it is a satire or a spoof on Indian people who can see Topi Shukla at everywhere like in street corner, in bus, in train, in public meeting, at home, in neighborhood, on tea-stall or himself become a Topi Shukla. In present era, there are some Hindus and Muslims who gave senseless and ridiculous statements which the society. Author shows the real image of India. After sixty years of independence, India looks like same as was in “Topi Shukla”. The changes came in only life-style, high-tech and skyscrapers buildings, big universities and computers etc but human was same as was sixty years ago.

This is just a short summary or short review of this book. I hope that you will read this book and enjoy and learn from it more and more. “Topi Shukla” is a emotional and practical book of life which is bigger in scale and maybe I am not able to put this in some pages or in words. Every character of this novel is strong and somehow related to Topi Shukla. So why I mentioned few names which was very important in his life. Dr. Sahab presented the life of Banaras and Aligarh in one book very perfectly. He just put the whole Aligarh University life in this book. Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza Sahab crafted the character of “Topi Shukla” as a common man but he is patragonist of this story. Dr. Rahi Sahab knows very well that where the nerves of people are.

Friends, I tried my best to give review of this book. I don’t know I did a justice or not. But, Truly, this book inspires me to read the Indian literature.

Regards

Rajeev Roshan