Manto Zinda Hai (Manto is Alive)
“And it is also possible, that Saadat Hasan dies, but Manto remains alive” these words of Saadat Hasan Manto have proved to be true over the years. 2020 will mark the 65th death anniversary of one of the most controversial writers of his era. He was born on 11 May 1912 in a middle-class Muslim family based out of Ludhiana. Manto started his career by translating short stories written in English, French, and Russian to Urdu.
Manto's stories were based on untouched subjects and his apt analysis of human behaviour, which changed the course of Urdu literature. His stories showcased the moral decay of the society and took off the masks of prejudice, hypocrisy, dishonesty and falsehood. He was sued for obscenity several times. His stories and their characters are even relevant today.
The dark world of outcasts of our society held an important place in these stories. Saadat Hasan Manto took his readers on a voyage into the world of pimps, prostitutes, Waifs and debauchees. He shared the sorrow of this abandoned section of the society and with his extraordinary skills was able to universalise these subjects.
Manto moved to Pakistan from Bombay after the partition, which transformed him as a writer. Most of his darkest stories were written in Pakistan, where he faced a lot of criticism and legal troubles. He wrote about the violence that he witnessed at the time of partition and explained the consequences of violence on humanity, human beings, and their minds and conscience.
His storytelling was so expressive that the language and the form didn’t hold any relevance. Some of the stories forced readers to create a savage image in their mind and left them disturbed. In the story ‘Khol Do’, Sakeena was sexually assaulted numerous times, that she unties her Shalwar when her father is asked by the doctor to open the windows. Sakeena from ‘Khol Do’, can be related to many rape victims and the horror that they witness in today's times.
Communal Violence was also covered extensively in the light of partition by Manto. This threat is still prevalent over our society in the form of rifts between various sects which have affected the inter-religious peace across the nation. The story ‘Siyah Hshiay’ was written after partition, but it reflects the current scenario of our society.
Manto was vocal about social justice and advocated the equal treatment of women in our society. Ismat Chugtai quoted,” Manto picked out pearls from the jilted squalor and refuse of life.” He has been referred to as the 'undisputed father of the modern Indian short story' by Salman Rushdie.
Today, even after over six decades of his death, his work seems so modern and admissible. The characters are largely relatable with the people we come across daily. His genius lies in the fact that with each passing day his work seems more and more relevant.