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South Asian Literature: The Identity Politics of Iqbal, Manto & Lahiri Omer Bajwa Cornell University [email protected] 1947 Partition of India & Pakistan Creation of India & Pakistan on August 15, 1947 from the British Commonwealth Struggle between factions in Indian nationalist movement, especially Indian National Congress, for control of movement Muslims felt threatened by Hindu majorities. Hindus felt that nationalist leaders were coddling the minority Muslims and slighting the majority Hindus 1947 Partition 1930 All India Muslim League (AIML) convention: Muslim poet Muhammad Iqbal said he felt a separate nation for Muslims was essential in an otherwise Hindu-dominated subcontinent: “Two-Nation Theory” 1937 Hindu nationalist Veer Savarkar said, “India cannot be assumed today to be Unitarian and homogeneous nation, but on the contrary there are two nations in the main - the Hindus and the Muslims.” 1940 AIML convention: Muslim politician Muhammad Ali Jinnah said, "The Hindus and the Muslims belong to two different religions, philosophies, social customs and literature…To yoke together two such nations under a single state, one as a numerical minority and the other as a majority, must lead to growing discontent and final destruction of any fabric that may be so built up for the government of such a state.“ Creation of Pakistan (8/14/47) & India (8/15/47) “Orgy of Violence:” millions died in riots / massacres & millions more displaced Largest population movement in recorded history Major traumatic event in South Asian history Muhammad Iqbal Greatest Muslim philosopherpoet of 20th century Born in Kashmiri family in Punjab in 1877 Studied philosophy, Arabic & English Lit. Influenced by Nietzsche, Goethe & Rumi Wrote religious & political philosophy & poetry in Urdu & Persian Proponent of political & spiritual revival of Islamic civilization Muhammad Iqbal Encourages political rejuvenation and empowerment of the Ummah (global Muslim community) Colonized by West, the Ummah suffers from inferiority complex, slavish mentality & learnt helplessness Teaches spiritual direction and development of human society Laments West’s loss of spiritual & religious values because of its selfish materialism & secular capitalism Free Ummah from shackles of sect, caste, race, gender to unite Wants to restore original dynamism of Islam’s universal message of peace with justice through reforming fossilized theological thinking Concept of “Khudi” or Self: Strong will & healthy selfconscious; Self-realization & self-knowledge = Independence Offers universal message of hope & revitalization of civilization Sadaat Hasan Manto "If you find my stories dirty, the society you are living in is dirty. With my stories, I only expose the truth." Most widely read & controversial Urdu short-story writer of 20th century Born in Muslim Kashmiri family in 1912 in Punjab Lived in Bombay as screenwriter but moved to Lahore, Pakistan after 1947 Partition Published 22 collections of short stories, 7 collections of radio plays, 3 collections of essays & 1 novel Died in poverty in 1955 of liver cirrhosis Wrote about social taboos in South Asian society: socio-economic injustice, love, sex, incest, prostitution, hypocrisy Manto’s writing Exposes hollowness of middle-class morality Characters usually from fallen & rejected lower strata of society Characters condemned to sordid existence but transcend it; he doesn’t lament their loss of innocence Unmasks hypocrisies of conservative “custodians of society” (i.e., religious establishment) that oppress & degrade women with their moral homilies Holds “mirror of life” before reader But not preachy or didactic because he takes no sides Depicts pathos of communal strife from Partition; women usually victims of rape & murder Manto’s Writing “Toba Tek Singh lay in the middle, on a piece of land that had no name.” His subjects & themes marked by originality & scathing criticism Focused on story’s structure & finely thought out details Influenced by Guy de Maupassant, so shocking & surprising endings His stories branded pornographic & lewd so he’s charged several times with purveying indecent material “Toba Tek Singh:” masterpiece about tragic theme of horrors of separation (Partition) that uses lunatics between India & Pakistan Jhumpa Lahiri Contemporary Indian-American writer Born in Bengali family in London in 1967, but raised in Rhode Island BA English Lit. (Barnard College); MAs in English, Creative Writing, & Comp Lit.; PhD Renaissance Studies (Boston University) 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for “Interpreter of Maladies” 2003 Acclaimed & bestselling 1st novel “The Namesake” (film release Nov. 2006) “Interpreter of Maladies” Collection of 9 short stories about Indian-American life Themes: marital difficulties, class conflict, gender roles, disconnect between 1st & 2nd generation Indian immigrants in US; set in Northeast Essence: “the dilemma, the difficulty, and often the impossibility of communicating emotional pain and affliction to others, as well as expressing it to ourselves.” Absence of belonging & idea of exile Effects of displacement in Diaspora Issues of alienation, loneliness & identity Characters exist simultaneously in two cultures: the American reality and the sphere of Indian tradition Study Guide Recommended Resources Exploring South Asia: Physical & Cultural Geography South Asian History: Colonial India Allama Iqbal Academy “The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam” (1930) by Muhammad Iqbal “Kingdom’s End and Other Stories” (1987) by Sadaat Manto “The God of Small Things” (1988) by Arundhati Roy “The Kite Runner” (2004) by Khaled Hosseini Film “Earth” (1998) by Deepa Mehta South Asian Web Guides at UC Berkeley South Asian Literature Sources at Columbia South Asia Program at Cornell