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I was recently exposed to the wonders of the legend known as Saadat Hassan Manto. Everything about him, from his acerbic wit and remarkable ability to detach himself from emotion while commenting on the state of the society, to his use of minimalist words, his extravagance in indulgence and his legendary self-reflection intrigued me. However, what struck me most was the timelessness of his words, through which I saw the stagnation of society.
While the timelessness of a maestro like Manto is a universally celebrated fact, I personally felt confused while devouring his words. Were we supposed to celebrate a maestro from our land who had the uncanny ability to see far ahead of his time or shall we mourn the stagnation of man; his thoughts, world-views and attitudes that have remained unchanged even decades after those words were first written?
The feuds that Manto describes in pieces such as “Sahay” which found basis in religion and nationalism sound vaguely familiar, even as the subcontinent raves about the six decades of ‘independence’.
Narratives like “Coward”, a commentary about the hypocritical attitudes of men towards sexual experiences and how they seek solace by colouring their cowardice in shades of so-called morality, is another bitter reminder of how as a society, we still have not learnt to deal with our sexuality and how liberally religion is used as a protective shield for all the grey areas in our lives.
Sketches like “In a Letter to Uncle Sam”, a letter by a nephew to his prosperous and capitalist uncle in America, showcase the imperialistic divide and dominance of minds, culture and economy that stands true, even today.
All the above-mentioned pieces are commendable works of literature and leave one with no option but to rave about the greatness of this man who denounced propriety and societal expectations in favour of naked honesty. However, one cannot help but grieve the trajectory that society has taken, where we are still battling the same archaic attitudes, vices and mind-sets that Manto wrote about decades ago.
I can’t help but wonder how Manto would feel if he knew that we were still trapped in the vicious cycle that he battled with his pen ages ago. At the end of it, one cannot help but wish that a day would come where our future generations would pick up writings like those of Manto and wonder what a Pakistan not scarred with identity politics, gender divides and corruption could have been like. I am sure Manto would be delighted to have the timelessness of his words pave way for the progress of minds.
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
