Secularism, Identity, and Oppression: A Critical Study of Minority Issues in Zauqi’s Novel Marg-e-Anbooh

Abstract

Musharraf Alam Zauqi’s Novel Marg-e-Anbooh (2019) critically examines the challenges faced by minorities, especially Muslims, in contemporary India. The novel highlights pervasive fear, identity crises, political oppression, and media bias, revealing how these factors create a sense of insecurity and marginalization in a state that claims to be secular. Through its characters, events, and narrative, the novel exposes the tensions between India’s constitutional ideals and the realities of majoritarian dominance, showing how systemic discrimination affects social, economic, and political life. Zauqi’s work functions both as a literary creation and a socio-political commentary, emphasizing the urgent need for awareness, resistance, and protection of minority rights in an increasingly polarized society.