Review - Message-Impact-Inspiration-Satire
Oas Ki Boond By Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza
When we get up in the morning, we find few drops on the leaf of Neem tree which is attached with parapets of our roof. When we wandering in the park, we find few drops on the flowers, grass etc. These drops are known as dew (Oas Ki Boond). But these drops of dew evaporated slowly-slowly due to heat of sun. If we see some drops of dew in the morning, there is no sign of them in the evening. These drops of dew look very nice and awesome and show the love and affection of nature towards human.
Today our society fully loaded with many kinds of taboos, evils and corruption. These taboos, evils are like dew of drops. When we wake up in the morning, we got in touch with these through print media, electronic media etc. These drops of dew got printed on our mind in morning, but in evening, we forgot these stories.
A drop of dew reflect us how a story begin, we read it, we consider it, we contemplate on it, we debated on it, but, we forgot it in last. A few drops of dew evaporated due to heat of sun, similarly, our thoughts of mind were also fly away in our daily activities, in the rush of traffics, in the race of heights and lack of time.
Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza Sir tried to give the same example of in this novel. He tried to awake to real man from the soul of man with this story.
The story depicts the events, when Mother India was broken in two pieces “India” and “Pakistan”. This division did not given any benefit to common man of 1947 India. Benefit was only for the Politicians. A father and son are in opposition in the context of formation of Pakistan. Father wants Pakistan and Son was against of his thought. But After formation of Pakistan, Father lived in India till his death and Son left India and settled in Pakistan. Son divorced his wife and leave for Pakistan. This thought will force you think in deep about the major side effects partition of India. According to this book Raza Sir mentioned in many contexts that this thing happened to many women. Husband just left his wife because he loves Pakistan rather than his wife. And in India, wife is fighting for the compensation in courts. What will be the life of a divorcee woman, when her and her children live without her husband?
A person is angry from his friend because his friend did not try and stopped of forming of Pakistan. While his friend was opposing the formation of Pakistan.
A person, whose ancestors were Hindu, had adopted Muslim religion, 7-8 generations ago. Before adopting Muslim religion, his ancestors were Hindu so they built a temple in their mansion and this a small mistake they did. Now this person wants to protect the Ancestral temple. The same temple was ruined and deserted since 100 of years, but, when one day someone sounded the conch in the temple, the whole area was came in tizzy. Some people of same area wanted that conch will be sounded in temple and worship will be done and it is right and some people are opposition of this work. The person, who played the conch, dropped the same conch in the well of temple. Due to this incidence, riot spread throughout the city. Curfew was imposed in the entire city. The temple was surrounded by soldiers. The person, whose mansion and temples were his ancestral property. The one, whose ancestors were Hindu, his conscience were awakened. He reached to temple and played the conch. Very soon, his body was on the temple ground due to bullets of army. After this again riot spread in the city.
What were the causes of Riots?
It is very difficult to find out the cause of riots in this novel.
Do you believe that, just playing Conch in temple is real cause of riot?
You can see the community who covered his face with the mask in this story. The society of present era and era of decades 50-60 were same. You can observe the mask on both communities. Despite of this mask people divide themselves in religion, cast and colour. Our society is very strange. Every businessman and politician is ready to bake bread in the fire of politics.
I salute to Raza Sir for writing this novel on such a sensitive subject. I am admirer of him.
Raza Sir told in his own word about this book “This story is not related to specific person or group of person or of a specific city. This is a story of whole India.”
I am agreed with the statement of Raza Sir. When all of you complete this novel, you will surely think that this is the real story of India. How the author represents real India by including some characters in a city.
If I think and talked about the main issue of this novel “communal riots”, every person of India, every Indian know, how much wounds these riots had given. Every citizen of India looked injured either directly or indirectly. Indian society faced many riots after 1947. They remembered it very well that how much they loses in these riots. People forgot these traumas and again start a new riot. The riots happened in society only harmed these society. Politicians used these riots as a ladder to reach at chair. They forgot these happenings because these illnesses just like drops of dew.
You can’t read this story “Oas Ki Boond” like a regular story; it will not right justice to this story. It is not a story; it is a report and essay on Indian society. This is not just a story; it is a satire on Indian society. It is not just a story; it is a history of Indian society.
It is a fictional story, I agree but it states the 99% of fact. Only 1% is a fiction, according to which I can say it is a fictional story. Now it is depending on us, which part is fictional or which is fact.
“Oas Ki Boond” Is a rare story and every Indian should have to read this.
Regards
Rajeev Roshan