Sadat Hasan Manto, one of the greatest literary figures of the Indian subcontinent, has been all but forgotten by the Pakistani nation. Perhaps, it were his short stories that laid bare the hypocrisy in the subcontinent’s society or his scathing denunciation of the violence that occurred during partition that led to his noticeable absence from the collective memory of the Pakistani people. After all, introspection does not come easy and self-criticism is rarely palatable. And Manto’s sardonic commentary painted a picture grossly different from the glorified past of the Pakistani collective imagination. Even Manto’s short stories, which boldly explored topics about sexuality — noticeably female sexuality — and prostitution offended the sensibilities of those who claim to be the guardians of morality and decency of Pakistani society. Perhaps, their outrage had more to with the fear of seeing their own reflection in Manto’s characters. Of course, a society so used to hushing up its ills while engaging in some of the most toxic and oppressive practices does not take well when someone brings them into the open. Even in his own day, Manto was charged with obscenity several times under the colonial law. But this did not make Manto compromise on his intellectual integrity and he continued writing what he wanted to write.
Manto also showed an incredible degree of prescience regarding the pitfalls of Pakistan’s alliance with the United States shortly after partition. In his “Letters to Uncle Sam” he predicted accurately that the US support for the ‘mullah’ in order to contain communism would lead to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the region. It is astounding that Manto at that time had the foresight and sharpness of mind to contend that the future of Pakistan would be one in which widespread censorship would be imposed under the garb of protecting religiosity. Or perhaps, for Manto it was the natural destination for a country that was already using its Islamic credentials to secure the support of the United States.
Interest in Manto might have been revived to a limited extent by the Pakistani biopic “Manto,” but the society that he criticised is far down the road that he feared the most. Where criticism is conflated with treason and sometimes even worse and where a large segment of society rejoice in the mere idea of forcefully curbing free speech, it is no surprise that writers like Manto have been relegated to the fringes of the literary discourse. As his death anniversary passed on 18th January, perhaps this year the writings of literary figures like Manto should be promoted, not for them, but for the sake of Pakistani society, which is increasingly falling deeper in the abyss of bigotry and intolerance. *