Manto and Chugtai

..books, podcasts, belated birthdays and other assorted stuff

I bought Manto and Chugtai - The Essential Stories earlier last year but never got around to reading it until earlier this week. dair ayed durust ayed I’ll say because until now I had no idea what a force of nature both of them had been!

Ismat Chughtai and Sadat Hasan Manto were Urdu's most courageous and controversial writers in the twentieth century. They wrote fearlessly and irreverently on themes such as communal violence, Partition, women's rights, sexuality, relationships, and more. Writing on some of these topics especially during a time like the 1940s (or maybe even now) was a true act of courage because not only did the writings uncover the stark naked hypocrisy and misery of the society but it questioned a lot of toxic cultural beliefs, politics, religion, and dogma. In fact, one of Ismat’s story was brought to court on charges of obscenity. Ismat Chugtai REFUSED to apologize and eventually won the case. What a woman! (Readers look no further you’re searching for a powerful feminist icon from the subcontinent - Ismat was a force!)

“I have always thought of myself first as a human being and then a woman”
—Ismat Chughtai

This is a beautiful half and half book It has around 6-8 stories each of both authors (some of their best works). Some of these stories are very simple and short but they’re so powerful, raw and brutal that they came back to haunt me (such as Toba Tek, Open It, The Wedding suit). Ismat Chugtai’s work, in particular, had me reeling over with emotions and grief - especially those related to partition and women. The violence of partition is something that our generation has forgotten - it’s almost an afterthought because we have grown with other issues to contend with - but we must never forget the loss, the horror, and the misery. These stories are a window to that period.

If you’re apprehensive about translations especially of a rich language like Urdu - I am with you. Somewhere in the translations, the original prose loses its beauty and depth but I would tip my hat to the translators here because this book still managed to pack a punch to the gut.

Just so you know both the authors have stories on the theme of sexuality and those are not subtle at all. They will leave you uncomfortable. We have been accustomed to a lot of profanity and nudity through the western media/literature and you’d think it won’t unnerve you but somehow it still is VERY uncomfortable when you see or read it in South Asian literature. (something to think about why F**K or other obscenities are so easy to throw around in English but not in Urdu - I mean it physically rattles you no? Is it because maybe we feel more personally connected to Urdu than English - food for thought)

This book is a keeper for me. I feel a greater affinity towards the works of Ismat while on the other hand, I am a little conflicted about Manto. Irreverence in a particular manner is profound but excess of it grates on my nerves. However, I will read more. I have a few works of Manto at home in Urdu and I am definitely pushing them in my reading list queue.

If you want my copy for reading, drop me a message and I’ll see if I can brave the lockdown to deliver it.

Gentle Reminder and Disclaimer: You genuinely don’t have time to read books you don’t like. Don’t push yourself to finish something that you cant get into even if everyone loves and raves about.

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and onto other stuff

the road goes on and on…

lockdown is tough - here’s Gandalf and 8-bit remix to make it better

if you enjoyed that here’s another

The Podcast I am hooked to this week…

..is Family Secrets by Dani Shapiro (and it has no connotations to any saucy soap opera). Family secrets hosts memoirists and people who’ve had to grapple with mysterious and traumatic pasts or secrets and how those secrets shaped, healed, and uplifted them. From stories of Jewish holocaust survivors to the Unabomber - this podcast is riveting. Some of my favorite episodes are Cold People, What’s Wrong with Teddy, The Mysterious Boot Club, and Flying and Crashing.

I took this online course on a whim..

..and it was the best decision ever. Harvard’s Justice is not just one of the most popular courses on edx but also very engaging and thought-provoking (not at all esoteric). The best thing: each video is only 30 mins long with topics that get you thinking and questioning your thought process. What I really like is that most of the time Professor Micheal Sandel keeps interacting with his students (instead of droning over slides) and you feel like a part of the audience. Lastly, if you’re apprehensive about the legal jargon, this course is less about the law and more about the theory behind it such as moral and political philosophy.

Something on wellness & wellbeing (what worked for me)

I tried Yoga in Lockdown. Although I did not feel like some spiritual center was unlocked in me (too soon to tell anyway) it was great for stretching out. I highly recommend Yoga With Adriene Home - 30 days Journey to anyone who wants to start. She is fun and engaging and has a cute dog (hello what more do you want?)

A really great article I read during this lockdown:

Plan who you’ll be after this - something to get you thinking in the present for ahead

Speaking of lockdown..

..those of you who had birthdays during the lockdown as I did, here’s some cheesecake

……because

and lastly

I hope you enjoyed this chapter - I’ll be back next Friday with a book review and ‘other assorted stuff’. If you want to stay posted on each chapter as it’s published -you can subscribe below.

Thanks for Reading!

Saima

Stay well, Stay Safe, and…..