Saadat Hasan Manto

Sadat Haasan Manto was born in 11th may 1912 in Punjab British India. Saadat
Hasan Manto was an Indo Pakistan writer who was well known for his Urdu
literature wiring. In his short-lived life of 42 years, he has produced over 22
collections of short stories, three collections of essays, five series of radio plays,
two groups of personal sketches, a novel, and also a chunk of film scripts. His
finest of short stories were held in high regard that not only brought him success
but also put him behind bars. He was a man who dared to talk about societal
issues and hard truths that no one dared to do and created awareness regarding
them through his words and creations. He was painfully affected by the partition
of India and vehemently opposed it. Most of his short stories and plays are based
on the atrocities and molestation faced by the countrymen, especially by women
and children in the days preceding the fateful announcement of the partition. His
graphic and realistic portrayal of societal issues cemented his reputation to being
one of the finest Urdu writers of the 20th century.

Manto as a Controversial Poet

I agree to that Manto was a controversial writer. Because Manto always uses
words phrases and quotes in his writing that are not accepted in the society for
the image of a woman or any other person. He was too bold in the society where
people don’t like that type bold character.
Example from his Writing
I was reading a short story by one of the most controversial Urdu writers, Saadat
Hasan Manto, written during the partition era about women being raped during
the same. Women often committed suicide or were killed by their family in order
to avoid rape. Manto was much ahead of his times in analyzing society and
writing about the hypocrisy existing within it. 
In one of his non-fictional short stories, Thanda Gosht (Cold Meat), set in the time
where there is an ongoing battle between the Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, a man
rapes a woman out of hatred for the other community. He later finds out that he
raped a corpse. After coming home to his wife, he is not sexually aroused by
her when she tries to seduce him. He keeps thinking about the woman he raped.
The wife is enraged and kills her husband. 
In Thanda Gosht, Kalwant, Eeshwar’s wife is seen as the woman who uses her
agency to avenge. She is not portrayed as helpless and cowardly. The rage in
Kalwant’s reaction shows her power to challenge the husband. Instead of being
submissive and subservient she uses her power to punish him for his infidelity.
The story also shows how women were seen as an object and their honour is an
extension of the honor of men. Rape therefore was used as a tool to rid the rival
community of their honor.
In another short story Khol Do (Open It), a girl who is abducted from East Punjab
(now in Pakistan), is finally discovered by her father in a hospital. She lies there
raped by her abductors as well as rescuers, wronged by men of every community.
His depiction of the violence against women was an actual representation of
society at that time as rapes were committed in silence, hushed up from the
mainstream society. Women at that time, felt suicide was an easier prevention to
rape. The idea of honor which can be seen as a reflection to society is prevalent in
this story as well.
Manto Controversial Famous Quotes
“If you cannot bear these stories then the society is unbearable. Who am I to
remove the clothes of this society, which itself is naked. I don't even try to cover
it, because it is not my job, that's the job of dressmakers.”
“If a man has to make a woman the center of his love, why should he integrate
animality into this sacred human emotion? Is love incomplete without it? Is love
the name of physical exercise?”
Controversies
Manto’s characters became famous because of the humanitarian
features that were embedded within them. The women in Manto’s
writings had diverse personalities and held their own individualistic
grounds. He was arrested for depicting ‘obscenity‘ in his stories. A
common theme used by him was to call out acts of misogyny
committed in the name of communal honor and ‘nationalism’.

Saadat Hasan ‘Manto’ is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest short story writers in the
world. He died at the age of forty three.  He was an Indo-Pakistan short story writer who got
fame as the most celebrated screenwriter, playwright, and novelist. He lived a very young age
from 11 May 1922 to 18 January 1955. His short stories not only gave him provocative success
but also brought his life into trouble. He was the man of societal issues who created awareness
through his bare writings.

Manto was labelled as being crude and vulgar since his stories addressed topics that were often
considered taboo. He openly talked about women’s sexuality and didn’t shy away from using
terms like ‘breasts‘ which was considered to be quite bold in those times, that too by a man.
Rather than treating women as sexless objects or having repressed their sexualities, Manto is
known to have portrayed women as he saw men without creating distinctions in their morality
or making judgments about them despite their roles.
Mozail, is another story about a Jewish woman who risks her life to save others. She can be
perceived as a heroic character of sorts. It portrays how a woman is valued in society in
accordance to her appearance. A Sardarji falls in love with her but she declines him. Later,
when the Sardarji’s fiancee is in fear of attack by religious rioters, Mozail becomes the saviour
and gives the fiancee her robe, so as to help her escape. Mozail then, completely naked,
confronts the Muslim rioters, who seem to be distracted by her. One of the rioters offers her
his sheet to which she replies ‘Take away this rag of your religion – I don’t need it.’
Mozail is a free-spirited woman who has control over her life. She puts aside her religious
leanings to save lives of two individuals of a different faith. She is intelligent, courageous,
independent and far-sighted – unlike several men that surround her.

In the story Hattak (Insult) which depicts a sex worker Saughandi, who is repudiated by

a seth following which she is infuriated and intends to free herself from exploitation. She kicks
another man out (who claims to be in love with her but is after her money), she refuses to be
further victimised by the way men treat her and resorts to the company of her faithful dog
instead. She is presented as a woman who is conscious of her own rights and takes a stand for
herself.
Saugandhi’s character was far more powerful than that of many righteous wives portrayed in
his stories. Manto’s portrayal of Saughandi was what earned him criticism from
conservatives. Standing up against exploitation in the workplace is quite uncommon even in
contemporary times due to the repercussions that may follow for women but Manto’s
characters were doing this much earlier than us, by fighting the harassment and even the
economic exploitation they were facing. 

In The Price of Freedom, Manto talks about women who took part in the revolutionary fervour against
the British, post the Jalianwala Bagh massacre. This included a boycott of imported cloth, women
throwing their imported silk saris from their balconies into bonfires and getting cheered on for it. The
very fact that his fictional pieces depict women in roles where they participated in revolts against the
British, presents a counter narrative to the deletion of women from the partition narratives. It also
deconstructs the absence of many forgotten women like Begum Hazrat Mehel or Uda Devi from history
books.
Toba Tek Singh
Toba Tek Singh is the story about the Muslim, Hindu and Sikh lunatics that were
left behind during the time of 1947 partition. This short story is written by
Saadat Hasan Manto in 1995. Toba Tek Singh is the story that revolves around
the Bishan Singh.
After three years of partition between India and Pakistan the government of both
the countries decided to exchange the lunatics as they exchanged criminals with
each other. So they decided that Muslim lunatics will be sent to Pakistan and
Hindu and Sikh lunatics will handed over to India. It was also said that those Hindu
and lunatics those families are in Pakistan will be allowed to stay in the Pakistan
and rest of them will be handed over to the India. Same condition was applied to
Muslim lunatics that if their families are in India then they will be allowed to stay
and rest of the Muslim Lunatics will be handed over to Pakistan.
So when this news was brought to the lunatics asylums (mad house) in Lahore all
the Muslim, Hindu and Sikh lunatics were in tensed that what is going on because
none of them know that where they will be sent and what will be the right place
for them is that will be Pakistan or India. Everybody was discussing this topic and
asking from each other that where Pakistan is and where is India.
One lunatic asked the Muslim lunatic that Molvi Sahib what is Pakistan then he
replied him that it the place in India where razors are made. One Sikh asked
another Sikh that why they are sending us to India where we don’t know the
language of India he replied that I know their language they are devilish people.
One Muslim Lunatics shouted long live Pakistan and he get slipped on the floor
and knocked himself. Some of the lunatics where murders and they are sent to
the mad house to keep them save from being hanged. They understand the
reason behind the creation of Pakistan and India but they don’t know deeply.
Nobody knew that much even not the guards because they were illiterate. All of
the lunatic just knew that there is some guy whose name is Muhammad Ali Jinnah
and he created Pakistan for Muslims. No lunatics want to move from that place
because they were scared that where they will be sent. A crazy lunatic climb into
the tree and he claims that he don’t want to go anywhere neither to Pakistan nor
India and he wants to stay at tree so he gets down after some time from the tree.
Two lunatics who claim themselves as Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Tarah Singh
were sent to different quarters to avoid any kind of disturbance.
A Sikh whose name was Bishan Singh had been an inmate for fifteen years. He
spoke a strange language of his own, constantly repeating this nonsensical
phrase: "Upri gur gur di annexe di be-dhiyan o mung di daal of di lalteen. He
never slept even a wink in 15 years at night. He just get himself relax by sitting
beside the wall. He refused to sit even his feet were swollen from standing all the
time. He listen carefully to the people when they discuss about the India and
Pakistan but he never give his opinion and just say "Upri gur gur di annexe di be-
dhiyan o mung di daal of di lalteen. He keeps asking from the people that where
is Toba Tek Singh and to which country it belongs whether Toba Tek Singh is in
Pakistan or India. Toba Tek Singh was the place where he came from. He owned
land in Toba Tek Singh district. Having been a prosperous landlord, he suddenly
lost his mind. So his relatives bound him with heavy chains and sent him off to the
madhouse. He did not remember that where was Toba Tek Singh and their
relatives also stopped visiting him so was worried that where is Toba Tek Singh
and he just keeps asking the same question from every one. Though his name was
Bishan Singh but people call him Toba Tek because that was the only name that
keeps rotating through his tongue. A few days before the day of the exchange,
one of Bashan Singh's Muslim friends came to visit from Toba Tek Singh. This man
had never visited the madhouse before. After conversation with that friend
Bishan Singh did not get his answer that where is Toba Tek Singh so he walked
away and keeps repeating the same dialogue which he says all the time.
So the time came for the exchange of lunatics all the lunatics were brought to the
border and Bishan Singh was also there weather was too cold. It was not easy to
unload the lunatics and send them across the border. Some of them didn't even
want to leave the trucks. Those who did get out were hard to control because
they started wandering all over the place. When the guards tried to clothe those
lunatics who were naked, they immediately ripped the garments off their bodies.
Some cursed, some sang, and others fought. They were crying and talking, but
nothing could be understood. The madwomen were creating an uproar of their
own. And it was cold enough to make your teeth chatter. Most of the lunatics
were opposed to the exchange. They didn't understand why they should be
uprooted and sent to some unknown place. Some, only half-mad, started
shouting "Long live Pakistan!" Two or three brawls erupted between Sikh and
Muslim lunatics who became enraged when they heard the slogans.
When it was turn of Bishan Singh he asked the guard that where Toba Tek Singh
he did not is replied well so Bishan Singh ran away Pakistani guards caught him
and tried to bring him back to the crossing point, but he refused to go. "Toba Tek
Singh is here!" he cried. Then he started raving at top volume: "Upar di gur gur di
annexe di be-dhiyan mung di daal of di Toba Tek Singh and Pakistan!"
The officials tried to convince him that Toba Tek Singh was now in India. If by
some chance it wasn't they would send it there directly, they said. But he
wouldn't listen.
Because he was harmless, the guards let him stand right where he was while they
got on with their work. He was quiet all night, but just before sunrise he
screamed. Officials came running from all sides. After fifteen years on his feet, he
was lying face down on the ground.
There was India on one side and Pakistan was on the other side. Toba Tek Singh
lay in the middle of both the borders where the land had no name.