Celebrating Rahi Masoom Raza: A Tribute to His Literary Legacy
Honoring a Literary Icon
New Delhi, August 2 – “I am time. I never stop; I always move forward.” These famous lines from the television series ‘Mahabharat’, penned by Rahi Masoom Raza, resonated in the hall of Anjuman Tarakki Urdu (Hind) on Saturday. This event marked the commencement of celebrations for Raza's birth centenary, reflecting on his creative legacy and unique secular ideology.
The occasion kicked off a series of programs dedicated to Raza's centenary. Various events will be organized, including the re-publication of his works in their original Urdu script and discussions on his literary contributions, aiming to reassess his impact on literature and intellectual history, ensuring he receives the recognition he truly deserves. The literary organization also announced plans to correct a long-standing error regarding Raza's birth date.
It has been widely believed that he was born on September 1, 1927. However, Athar Farooqi, the General Secretary of Anjuman Tarakki Urdu (Hind), stated, “The celebration is intentionally starting on August 1, as this is Rahi Masoom Raza's actual birth date. For unknown reasons, the misconception of his birth on September 1 persisted for a long time.”
Correcting this mistake marks a meaningful beginning to the centenary celebrations.” Raza, renowned for his dialogue writing in the 1988 series ‘Mahabharat’, gained a strong foothold in Indian literature with his first novel ‘Aadha Gaon’. A key event in the centenary celebrations will be the publication of ‘Aadha Gaon’ in its original Urdu script, which was first released in Hindi in 1966.
Farooqi mentioned, “The original Urdu text of ‘Aadha Gaon’ reached the Anjuman's archives in Rahi's own handwriting. This manuscript was preserved by his family, leading to a significant academic endeavor.” He added that the novel, set against the backdrop of Gangouli village in Ghazipur district, portrays the lives of Shia Muslim landlords during the partition, providing an opportunity to spark new discussions about Urdu literature in the context of Khadi Boli.
During the event, Congress leader and lifetime trustee of the organization, Salman Khurshid, remarked that publishing Raza's works in Urdu would honor not just the author but also the shared cultural heritage depicted in his writings. He expressed, “For a long time, I felt we have not done justice to our Ganga-Jamuni culture and naturally to Rahi Masoom Raza. Today, it seems we are on the path to rectify that.”
Khurshid emphasized that the events during the centenary year would further strengthen the spirit of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb. Notable attendees included former Lok Sabha member Subhashini Ali, Professor Harish Trivedi, Vibhuti Narayan Rai, Professor Shafi Kidwai, Professor Asim Siddiqui, and Professor Mohammad Sajjad.
Vibhuti Narayan Rai, a former Indian Administrative Service officer and a close associate of prominent Hindi and Urdu writers like Kunwar Pal Singh and Kamleshwar, noted that Rahi Masoom Raza faced significant challenges in publishing ‘Aadha Gaon’ in Urdu. Rai explained that the novel's content, influenced by Bhojpuri, included colloquial terms that Urdu publishers were hesitant to accept.
He recounted, “Once, I sent the manuscript to a publisher who removed all the colloquial words. This upset Kunwar Pal Singh greatly.” He shared that later, Kunwar Pal Singh worked with Raza to translate the entire book, with Raza personally reviewing the proofs. Subsequently, Akshar Prakashan published it in Hindi in 1966.