Shaukat Siddiqui And Abdullah Hussain: Charles Dickens And Thomas Hardy Of Pakistan

By Dr Maqsood Jafri

Recently, the book of Dr Nisar Turabi has been published by National Book Foundation, Islamabad. He has mailed me this book. It is nice of him. The spell of the book seized me and with the dint of inspiration, I decided to briefly comment on it. It is the collection of his Urdu articles written on some of the eminent poets, novelists, story writers, literary scholars and on some travelogues.

The author eulogies and thanks the Managing Director of the National Book Foundation, Islamabad respected Dr Raja Mazhar Hamid for taking interest in publishing this literary book. I feel it my moral duty to pay tributes to Dr Raja Mazhar Hamid for his meticulous services to uplift the National Book Foundation, Pakistan and for publishing valuable books on mere merit. His conduct is very cordial with the intellectuals and writers and he is highly esteemed in literary circles.

The title of Dr Nisar Turabi’s book is: “تحقیقی اور تخلیقی زاویے”. In English language it can be translated as “Critical and Creative Angles.” By angles, it means aspects of the writings of the literary giants described in this book.

Dr Nisar Turabi is a literary legend and literary scholar. He enjoys great repute in literary circles worldwide. He is a poet, orator, author and literary critic. He is the author of some valuable books of poetry and criticism. His study of literature is very deep and extensive. He is like a florist. He sells the fresh and fragrant roses of literature. He is a sound and solid literary critic. As a critic, his unique, sublime and laudatory critical ingenuity has won him wonderful and wondrous laurels of lays. He is one of the first ranking literary critic and scholar. As a poet, he is a legatee of the classical genre and diction who diversifies melodious. mellifluous and passionate poetry embedded and saturated with modern images and thoughts.

So far as, his present book is concerned, it is a meritorious addition to Urdu criticism. There are 27 articles in this book. I have read all with much interest. The book is like a Panorama showing different colours and shades of literature. He has reviewed some books of poetry and prose and also opined on the creative work of contemporary writers. The specific trait of the book is that it mostly deals with the living writer who are our common friends and contemporaries. The book depicts excellent literary and critical style that engrosses, mesmerizes and captivates the reader’s attention and interest in the book.

I would briefly throw light on two novelists who attracted my attention much and are like firebrands. They are the revolutionaries and we need to promote their revolutionary message. One is Abdullah Hussain and the other is Shaukat Siddiqi. Both have unveiled the gruesome face of the exploitative forces of our wretched society. Both, have expressed their agony, anguish and annoyance against the destructive and devastating role of Pakistani bureaucracy, feudalism, capitalism, Mullah-ism, economic disparities, social injustice and political fascism.

The novel of Shaukat Siddiqui titled “خدا کی بستی” depicts the deplorable society of Karachi city in which the children of downtown and poor class are living immoral and miserable life of beasts and baggers. The social evils of deprived class are highlighted with the intent for social reformation.

His other famous novel is titled “جانگلوس”. In this novel he has presented the urban life style of the Punjab province, in which the feudal lords are badly exploiting the peasants and the bureaucrats are involved in immorality and financial corruption such as bribery and embezzlement.

The second revolutionary and social reformer, who captivated my attention is Abdullah Hussain. His novel titled “اداس نسلیں” deals with the saga of the partition of the Sub-continent in 1947. The Muslims were ruthlessly and brutally murdered and massacred by the violent groups of Sikhs. Particularly, in the East Punjab, the Muslims faced uncouth genocide. They were cut to pieces like carrots and cabbages. The ladies were gang raped and then killed. The kids were chopped into pieces in front of their parents. What a tragedy! Unprecedented in human history. It all happened in the outburst of religious extremism.

The writer mourns over the insensible, inhuman and insane attitude of the rioters and condemns religious extremism and racial discrimination. Vicariously, he gives the message of peace and humanity. His second famous novel is titled “نادار لوگ”.  This novel depicts the excesses, treacheries and accessories of the feudalists, politicians, and policemen of Pakistan.

Basically, it is the story of the ill-fated, and oppressed tenants, labourers and brick kiln workers. The workers of brick kiln and the young girls of the peasants are sexually exploited. These workers are illiterate and mostly immoral. Their life style is sardonic and sensuous. The author sketches the base, mean, immoral, illiterate, immodest and dirty life style of the lower and poor class of the Punjab.

Actually, both writers depict the horrible and pugnacious culture of lower strata with the intent of social reforms.

I would like to compare these two giants of Urdu literature with two literary legends of England. I find similarities in their writings and the same insightful intent of reformation. First is Charles Dickens (1812- 1870). His famous novel titled “Great Expectations”, vicariously preaches about the welfare of the spoiled kids of London. These kids are the scum and scourge of society. They are rogues and ruffians. Charles Dickens bemoans over the spoiled younger generation and writes on their low life style and yearns their reformation. His novels are the real depiction of Contemporary Victorian Society.

The second great literary giant and reformer is Thomas Hardy (1840- 1928).  He was a novelist and a poet. He wrote about the miserable life of the peasants and their being poor in a capitalist society. Besides, he has also portrayed the love, marriage, and the conflict between the rich and poor. Actually, he showed us the mirror of the life style of the elite class and of the poor class. Their mind-sets are altogether different and lifestyles are also antagonistic. They are the inhabitants of two different cultures and societies.

The people of the Third World are still facing the same problems which the Londoners faced four centuries ago. The novels of Shaukat Siddiqui and Abdullah Hussain have showed the Pakistanis the mirror which Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy had shown to the people of England.

I congratulate Dr Nisar Turabi who wrote such an excellent book and enlightened us. This book will live in the literary annals for ever.

Categories: Book Review

Tags: Literature, Pakistan, Urdu, Urdu Literature