The name of Saadat Hasan Manto is synonymous with Urdu literature as he remains the one of the scions of the language. The Pakistani writer, playwright and author was a genius whose turbulent life had little effect on his writings which have made sure his legacy lives on forever. Saadat Hussain Manto depicted harsh reality in work which was often too much to digest for a certain section of society. His work portrayed the struggles of the common man and the discrimination they suffered. The people who knew Saadat Hussain Manto spoke about his fearless nature. He was a writer who could not be suppressed by intimidation, court cases and the scorn of contemporaries. May 11 is the birth anniversary of Saadat Hasan Manto whose fiery writing skills shook up the conscience of individuals. We will look at some of this great writer’s quotes that reflected the socio-political situation of that time.
As a writer, Saadat Hasan Manto had a streak of honesty bout him, which defined his personality as a whole. Financial woes plagued him as distributors felt jittery tying up with a volatile figure who often wrote against the privileged. Drinking, which ultimately cost him his life remained another limiting factor. Despite the woes, his penchant for writing did not stop him from coming up with the goods. His 22 collection of short stories along with radio plays, essays and personal sketches are considered timeless wonders.
Saadat Hasan Manto lived the happiest of life of 42 years in Mumbai, which often was the setting place of his stories. He wrote about people that lived on edges of the community like pimps, gangsters and prostitutes. There was never a sense of calmness about him and his migration to Lahore post India’s division brought about painful stories as he scrambled to save his family. He lived in a cosmopolitan city of Mumbai but could not believe that religious identity will see him his lose his job and house. He was charge-sheeted six times for his books, deemed obscene by the authorities. Without further ado, let us look at some of Saadat Hussain Manto quotes.
Saadat Hasan Manto Quote: “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.”
Saadat Hasan Manto Quote: “I Feel Like I Am Always the One Tearing Everything Up and Forever Sewing It Back Together.”
Saadat Hasan Manto Quote: “I Wondered Why People Consider Escapism So Bad, Even the Escapism on Display Right Then. At First It Might Appear Unseemly, but in the End Its Lack of Pretension Gives It Its Own Sort of Beauty.”
Saadat Hasan Manto Quote: “If You Find My Stories Dirty, the Society You Are Living Is Dirty. With My Stories, I Only Expose the Truth.”
Saadat Hasan Manto Quote: “For Me, Remembrance of Things Past Has Always Been a Waste of Time, and What’s the Point of Tears? I Don’t Know. I’ve Always Been Focussed on Today. Yesterday and Tomorrow Hold No Interest for Me. What Had to Happen, Did, and What Will Happen, Will.
Saadat Hasan Manto Quote: “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?”
In a society where speaking your mind comes at a heavy cost, Saadat Hasan Manto thrived with his rebellious demeanour. He gave a voice to the voiceless whose pain the society did not want to discuss, at the cost of personal growth. Manto as he predicted in his lifetime, rightly lives forever.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 11, 2020 07:50 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).