RaagDarbari: An Analysis of the Post-Colonial Political Scenario in India

Abstract

In the novel, RaagDrabari, Shrilal Shukla explores the little nuances and complexities of the largest democracy in the world, India. This creative work as a political satire explicitly presents the pathetic condition of India by metaphorically presenting a typical Indian village called Shivpalganj. It is a microcosm of Indian villages which are alienated and neglected in terms of modern material outlooks and developments. In India, politics and government are the two important factors that decide the fate of the country. As Gillian Wright points out in her introduction to the translated version of RaagDarbari, ‘politics and government’ are the two integral aspects of this novel. Therefore, the first part of this paper traces the evolution of these two strong pillars of India by focusing on the ideas presented in the novel. And the remaining part elucidates how much India changed since independence in terms of the socio-political and cultural perspectives envisioned by the visionary leaders and shared by common men.