JANUARY 18 was marked as the 57th death anniversary of Saadat Hassan Manto, the greatest and equally controversial short story writer ever produced in Urdu literature.
Manto jumped into the realm of Urdu fiction in the early 1930s. In the wake of the Progressive Movement, when all writers inclined towards realism were ardently following the ideology of the movement, Manto was the only exception. He was a movement unto himself.
With his unique treatment of the subject, and psychoanalysis of human behaviour, Manto turned the whole course of Urdu fiction which until then was mainlyunder the influence of Prem Chand’s realism and Sajjad Haider Yaldram’s romanticism.
Urdu literature has hardly produced any fiction writer of Manto’s stature who peeled off the layer of dishonesty, falsehood, prejudice and hypocrisy and exposed the moral decay of his society.
Manto fearlessly touched upon certain subjects which were until then considered social taboo across the subcontinent. The conservative section of society couldn’t grasp the inner meaning and thoughtprovoking ideas of his short stories and subsequently he was accused of obscenity.
Most of his short storiestruly reflect the savageness and brutality of human beings. At many occasions they express the fact that no beast on this earth is as savage as man.
Prostitutes who have over the yearsbeen shunnedby society find a special place in Manto’s short stories.
Unlike other fiction writers, Manto shares the sorrows of this rejected class of human beings.
He delves deep into the inner self of prostitutes and discovers the woman in the darkness of her wounded soul. With his distinguished presentation he universalised this subject.
Today, even after a lapse of some six decades, his stories are as fresh andrelevant as were in the past.
The characters that appear in Manto’s short stories seem to be the part of our presentday society.
‘Sakeena’ of ‘Khol Do’ is the metaphor of the womenfolk of our society which is still vulnerable to male chauvinism. She is the symbol of the women who are relentlessly falling victim of honour killing, acid attack and other forms of physical and mental torture.
Likewise, ‘Sultana’ of ‘Kali Shalwar’ is the symbol of chronic sexual servitude of women which is still prevalent in our society. She is a faceless woman narrating the sorry tale of hapless women who inexorably turn to theforbidden institution of prostitution to make ends meet but are still uncertain about their future.
Communal violence is another theme that attracted Manto’s attention. The menace is still common in our society in the form of sectarian rift which has plagued the interfaith harmony across the country.
Although the themes of ‘Siyah Hashiay’ are written in the perspective of partition, also rightly reflect the current socio religious scenario of our times.
Truly speaking, Manto was a perfect humanist who stood for the dignity of humanity. He raised his voice for social justice and considered women, evenprostitutes, as an equal part of society. His greatness lies in the fact that with every passing day his writings are gaining more freshness and relevance in society.
FAZAL BALOCH Govt Atta Shad Degree College, Turbat