Daily Times

Title: Ghulam Bagh (Garden of slaves)

Author: Mirza Athar Baig

Publishers: Sanjh Publications, Lahore

Pages: 878, Price: Rs. 600/-

A lot has been written on Mirza Athar Baig’s novel ‘Ghulam Bagh’ (Garden of slaves) since it was published. About philosophical angles approached in this fictional piece, he says that it is about the condition of dominance. It tries to deal with all aspects of dominance; interpersonal, intrapersonal and inter-civilisational. One can even say it is about our postcolonial condition.

I decided to read the 878 pages of the novel and give the gist of characters introduced in each chapter first, as much symbolic as these could be. But before doing that it is pertinent to mention that Abdullah Hussain complemented Mirza Athar Baig in the words that Mirza dared write a novel in the present age when readers do not find time to read even a short story. Critics say that the novel has acquired cult following among the youth and prestige among Urdu language critics. Five editions of Ghulam Bagh have been published in Pakistan within two years. Mirza Athar Baig is a Pakistani novelist, playwright and short story writer. He is associated with the Philosophy Department at the Government College University in Lahore.

The novel is based on the post-colonial impact on the natives where Britain looted all the treasures of India and left behind the legacy of slavery for the natives

Story, events, related philosophies

In the first chapter of the book, Dr. Nasir and Kabir Mehdi, two friends who are regular visitors to the café ‘Ghulam Bagh’ come across a German, Hoffman, an archeologist who is amused by their discussions on hash, its bio-chemical elements. The café is a place where intellectuals, university and medical students come for a cup of tea (Page 17). It reminds this reviewer of Pak Tea House, The Mall, Lahore. Originally attempts were made to declare it a part of archeological importance and even Nawabzada Suraiya Jah Nadir Jung tried to establish this café as property of his forefathers (Page 16). Another character Maddad Ali enters the scene half dead as he had gulped a gold coin. He is a professional hired for stealing the expensive novelties of archeological importance. Dr. Nasir comes across Yawer Attai, another patient in the hospital where Maddad Ali was taken. Yawer explains to Nasir that he was called ‘Attai’ in the same manner Luqman, Jalenus, Seena and Raazi were called as such. He confides that his daughter Zohra and servant think that he had gone mad (Page 45).

The second chapter tells the story of Yawer Hussain and refers to a book on mythology of low cast generations by Gilbert Walton published in London in 1892 where a few friends appreciate the suggestion of Lord Ashley that after returning from India, the royal forces must be trained to bring back their etiquette that they put aside while in India. Friends who are also adventurers discuss low cast generations. Such generations ate everything; snakes, insects etc. Such generation lived in ‘Inamgarh’. They discuss brown fever at MongerJaati and found a patient talking of everything that seemed brown to him, brown King, brown flower etc. He was postman Khadim Hussain, Yawer Hussain’s father; the last postman of ‘Inamgarh’. Yawer could not continue his studies but on the day before his death he summoned Yawer and disclosed that they were not low cast.

Chapter 3 is reserved for Kabir’s office which looks like a nest (ghonsla). His conversation with Najam us Saqib, the editor of ’Asari Digest’ is hilarious like much to the disgust of the editor, Kabir finds frames more interesting than the paintings inside the frames. Nasir calls Kabir and mentions Yawer Attai’s case. Najam us Saqib get perturbed when the name of Yawer Attai is mentioned during the telephonic conversation. He makes phone call to some acquaintance and is disturbed to know of Yawer’s condition. Back in the nest Kabir and Dr. Nasir discuss Yawer’s condition and Nasir informs that the substance discovered from Yawer’s mouth was unidentified organic matter of vegetative origin (Page 102). This stuff must be having hallucinogen in it.

Chapter 4 relates to Zohra, daughter of Yawer Attai who had purchased a building in Kamal Town, a locality of relatively affluent people. Neighbours initially reluctant to accept Yawer now started yearning for his company when influential and educated persons were seen visiting his house. During conversation, Yawer advises Zohra to get married. He had made his sons businessmen who had grown bellies such that they could buy anything they desired to buy. Dr. Nasir’s visit to Yawer’s house and his meeting with Zohra ends up in a disaster when he tells her of his suspicion that Yawer was involved not only in taking but in giving poisonous drugs to some other people.

While developing a character, Mirza Athar Baig also goes into the way of living and history of the place that character hails from. Like Kabir’s village Sanmeyaal in Pothohaar mountains where a natural huge stone cavity existed. Kabir’s description of this cavity now filled with water is exhilarating. He drinks water from the banks and thinks that after May when the water is vanished, slight cold shall also vanish with it but the nights shall still be cool He writes to Dr. Nasir a seven page letter with details of ‘Jal Pathari Pahari’. He discloses Nasir of his love being rejected by Zohra when he had gone to inform her of her father being an imposter. His inquiries about ’Chitta Saeen’ (white saint) from the locals and came to know that he lived in a cave. The story goes that this child born in Nurdad’s house inherited green eyes and white skin due to his grand grandmother being a white skinned lady in 1857 war of independence. His father left him in a cave and after one month when the villagers visited the cave he was found alive despite the presence of insects and snakes (Page 169).

Chapter 6 is reserved for ‘Nanga Aflatoon’ (nude Aristotle). Kabir discovers the cave and smells rotten meat and ‘Gur’ (raw brown sugar) in the vicinity. Though behind iron bars in a cave many visitors came to see ‘Chitta Saein’ but he was nude, being ‘Majzoob’. According to Nurdad he must have been ninety now who told Kabir that he wished him dead such he (Nurdad) made a proper grave for him rather than getting embarrassed as women also visited him. Kabir returned to his friends in ‘Ghulam Bagh’ the following day. Kabir gave the letter written to Nasir and as a slip of tongue in the presence of Hoffman, he mentioned that he had seen a nude Aristotle. Then their conversation wandered over the thought that civilization and culture would have been much different if humans did not wear any dress (Page 186). Then Hoffman started giving his views on Kabir’s love for Zohra and Yawer involved in giving herbal drugs to people. The intellectuals’ conversation then drifted to Dante and Goethe and latter’s Divine Comedy, the art of self-intoxication and Black Thursday. So far as the stories progress in the novel, the self-evaluation of the topics covered by the author can be quoted “Ghulam Bagh is an attempt to synthesize everything I have felt about this region, of which Pakistan is a part, at this moment of history. I have tried to capture the ethos of the ordinary person of this region, of someone who can both feel and imagine. The main character of the novel is a failed fiction writer. It is about his defeat and the defeat of this region in dealing with so many things. At some level, when I am writing about a failed fiction writer, I am writing about writing. It becomes a certain type of met fiction”.

During his research, Hoffman had named ‘Ghulam Bagh’ as ‘Janam Khandar’ (born ruins) and he kept on wondering about combining the two words in his article. Resolving this paradox made Hoffman refer to Chandergupt Moria era when post Sikandar the Great’s demise his empire was cut in many pieces by his generals. When General Salukis attacked Chandergupt’s land in connivance with Mahapadam, Chandertgupt’s deputy, he lost the battle. Chandergupt killed Mahapadam because of his betrayal but his wife gave birth to a huge sized baby. History is quiet as to whether this giant took revenge from Chandergupt or not (Page 202). The place ‘Janam Khander’ is reputed to be built on a huge treasure guarded by a yellow snake. Admitted in hospital, Maddad Ali remains quiet as to whether he had seen the snake or not. A paranoia patient Mahpara informs of discussion of Dr. Nasir and Zohra on aphrodisiacs.

Chapters 8 and 9 comprise drawing room discussions in mixed parties in Yawer House. Invitees are poets, retired army personnel, landlords, businessmen, smugglers, newspaper men, politicians, bureaucrats etc. Yawer is intrigued to find new faces including Hoffman, Nasir and Kabir who had gone there to remove their inquisitiveness and get information on ‘Ghulam Bagh’ and the hidden treasure. Zohra while peeping through curtains misses Nasir and catches glimpse of Nawab Suraiya Jah Jung. Zohra by now knows that Nasir, a junior psychiatrist after treating he father had fallen in love wither. She knew German archeologist but kept on wondering about Kabir. She had yet to discover him. Ambar Khan slipped on the vomit of somebody and fell over Najam us Saqib, the editor. In chapter 10, Najam under the influence of liquor starts shouting that Yawer had made all his friends addicted to his medicines (Page 280). Reaction of all present in the drawing room could be called anything but an orgy.

Zohra had in disgust found refuge on a sofa till she came out to see the moonlight. She dreams of Dr. Nasir wanting to come in to inform of Kabir’s death despite that she knew that Kabir was alive inside the drawing room. The rest of the dream sequence establishes many characters in each other’s shapes. Chapter 12 starts with the preparation for the burial of Yawer Attai. Zohra’s brothers came who were totally oblivion of their sister’s existence till their father was alive. They appoint three or four fat women to keep an eye on Zohra. Chapter 13 is a dialogue on love.

As a matter of fact, this novel revolves around four characters; Kabir Mehdi who desires to publish his book, Dr. Nasir a psychiatrist, German archeologist and Zohra who is in search of her own identity. As deciphered from the above submission and the one to follow, the readers must have judged that this novel manifold of: psycho-dramas, existential-encounters and philosophic-experiments, contrived in a comical settings, ready to haunt the reader with its bewitching absurdity. Humour is seen in abundance in situations and characters, especially in Kabir Mehdi.

Chapter 13 comprises dialogue on ‘Ishq” between three men and Zohra in the café. Zohra is wondering as to what she was doing there at midnight. Kabir is funny as usual as to what are the concepts of January 13 on love and for that matter October 22 on spiritualism, June 06 on democracy, July 03 on feudalism and April 01 of nation’s future etc. (page 345). Kabir dares Nasir and Hoffman that they were in love with the same woman (Page 352). Long discussion, changing physical effect on the brains of the participants made Zohra declare that one among the three was enough for her individually and that she only love the combined existence of the three. The three men were dumbstruck. The author now opens up with real work carried out by Kabir Mehdi (chapter 14).

Kabir Mehdi and Imdad are in conversation sitting on the roof-top of nest where Kabir lived free. Their job was to sort out old books. Kabir asked Imdad to fetch his register on which he used to write a line or two every other hour. All Imdad stated was that if Kabir was to carry out any special errand the next day, it better be a research piece or a novel but Kabir should have it printed in his real name – Page 377). Kabir realized that how well Imdad knew him. Kabir used to write his thought in the register before the moment of inspiration ended. This time his topic was knowing and not-knowing to reach surrealistic world. Hoffman and Kabir dared to explore the basement of ‘Janam Khandar’. Hoffman observes that old places kindle old feelings in a man. He did not need aphrodisiacs for this purpose as had been proposed by Kabir. He remembers the three trying to make Maddad Ali speak as he had opted to remain quiet after his visit to the basement. Each one of these friends had their theory about this happening; Nasir thought that perhaps a narrow vein had exploded in Maddad’s left side of the brain, Hoffman thought that perhaps a smell of poisonous gas had affected him adversely but Kabir thought it a case of Broca’s virus – Page 386).

Chapter 15 comprises the prose exercises on fiction and other philosophies. This chapter also gives the Kabir’s point of view on various events happened so far. Chapter 16 is his daily diary. On April 16 Kabir discloses that he shall now use another pen-name on his writings, ‘Geegla’. Nasir and Zohra laughed but Hoffman did not. He was disturbed that his embassy had been asked by the concerned first secretary that instead of working on his archeological site he was socially mixing with a sex club where Aphrodisiacs was distributed. So it was decided to inculcate with Nawab Suraiya Jah Jung who was a suspect of this complaint. Even Kabir’s editor warned him about certain complaints received against him. Kabir too started feeling that some faces were following him. Nasir said it was paranoia (Page 417). The rest is loud thinking of Kabir on Zohra and topics of his articles till he starts writing in red pen like Alexander Dev. Ma. Chapter 17 comprises the contents of Kabir’s diary in red ink. Zohra discloses that one of the fat women hired by her uncle and brothers came to her and said that she should get married. Her present life was like feet without slippers – Page 450). Zohra replied that slippers can also hit somebody’s head. Zohra got confirmation from Neeti, the fat servant that it was his Ambar Bhai who was behind all this nonsense; a member of her father’s impotent club. Zohra decides to open her father’s room. Neeti again confronts Zohra and while leaving the job says that Zohra was all out for a bad end. In Chapter 18 Zohra asks Kabir to take her to Inamgarh. Zohra and Kabir now explore Yawer Attai’s room.

Chapter 23 describes the accidental death of Hoffman in the basement of Ghulam Bagh where he along with Maddad Ali and Nawab had gone for exploration of treasure. It was post-flooding scenario. Some white skinned people visited Zohra with a half-finished manuscript of Hoffman desiring to know more about the people his mixed with and activities he was involved in. Zohra confided that Hoffman had become a part of the group in their mad but passionate adventures (Page 827). When Nasir comes to know of this issue, he reacted that the unwritten dilemma of Ghulam Bagh was their script (Page 833). Important event of visit to Inamgarh is given in Chapter 27. Kabir and Zohra were perturbed when they stopped the car and asked for Mangerjati and Mangerju from a passerby. The young lad seemed surprised as he responded that these people hardly existed now. Even if some did, the women went for prostitution and men did any dirty job for money. The last chapter ends up in death of Kabir at ‘Jal Patheri’. Zohra gets a copy of Hoffman’s manuscript from Woods and Nasir, the blue register.

Concluding remarks:

This novel according to a critic is about nothing and by another is about everything. However the superseding element is devotion, passion and madness in every character introduced in this book. It has been rated as third biggest novel after Aag Ka Dariya and Udaas Nasalain. As a matter of fact among all the literature in the world, almost all are born accidentally whether pertaining to first or second world wars or the largest migration after creation of Pakistan. The after-effects of some of the happenings in the world still echo in today’s world. For example in the backdrop of Britain’s colonial system, pre-colonial and post-colonial impact, great literature was born from India to West Indies; as a matter of fact in areas where ever Britain occupied territories. Mirza Athar Baig’s novel ‘Ghulam Bagh’ is based on the post-colonial impact on the natives where Britain looted all the treasures of India and left behind the legacy of slavery for the natives. It left inferiority complex in the locals. They still look towards for any decision making or pat at their back from Western lords. At micro-level we feel proud to used imported material. We are not proud of our cotton clothes and food and opt for junk food instead. The mental slavery is still seen in the present generation. Although post-modernism is in vogue now but Mirza Athar Baig has thrown light on such a ‘Bagh’ (garden) where mental degradation/slavery still exists and it seems shall remain for some time to come. Mirza Athar Baig says about his characters that all of his novels try to grapple with some conceptual problem. He tries to deal with that concern in a fictional space-time. He makes his characters wrestle with that philosophical problem. That struggle generates the texts of his novels. The characters are the agents which act out the main issue he is trying to explore.

Published in Daily Times, May 28^th 2018.