MAY 11 marked the birth centenary of Sadat Hasan Manto, one of the greatest short story writers of the 20th century.
Manto’s progressive vision, delicate sensitivity for societal equity, and love for humanity made him a writer ahead of his times and his contemporaries.
Manto chronicled the social, political and economic trials and tribulations of ordinary people in the process of writing the truth.
Manto’s stories covered a wide spectrum of topics dealing with societal inequities and injustices, British Raj issues, and geopolitical realities. His stories reflected his strong sense of observation of human behaviour. He used simple but powerful language. His vivid description of characters, embedded in well-structured plots, brought them to life and made them immortal.
Manto was a well-dressed person. He always wore immaculately clean crisp kurta-pyjama and kept himself neat and clean.
Manto was a loving, caring and hospitable person. He would invite friends and let them stay overnight at his flat in Bombay.
Sometimes all his beds and floor spaces would be occupied by his guests, so he would sleep quietly on the wooden planks outside his bathroom.
Manto tried to show a mirror to society about the issues which were considered taboo at the time. His writings were challenged in courts in India and Pakistan. But he was never convicted. He wrote about the injustices and social issues, but society at large was not ready to accept the harsh realities.
During one of his court hearings, he told a judge: “A writer picks up his pen only when his sensibility is hurt.” After partition, in January 1948, Manto returned to Lahore and faced a number of financial and professional challenges. He went into depression and started to drink heavily and, eventually, his excessive drinking claimed his life at the tender age of 42.
Manto, the king of Urdu short story, passed away on January 18, 1955.
Manto started his career by translating literary pieces from other languages. Today, half a century after his death, his literary creations are being translated into other languages all over the globe. Like Ghalib, he too is being discovered globally after his death. Indeed, Manto was right when he said: “Sadaat Hasan will die but Manto will live on.”
DR. A. KHAN Chicago, US