The Salient Features of Pakistani Literature in English

The Salient Features of Pakistani Literature in English

                                    By Muhammad Awais Mahmood

Literature reflects the spirit of the age in which it is written. It also influences the age in which it is written and vice versa.  The saying comes true in the case of Pakistani writings in English.  Dr. Alamgir Hashmi introduced the term "Pakistani Literature in English" with his "Preface" to his pioneering book Pakistani Literature: The Contemporary English Writers (New York, 1978; Islamabad, 1987) as well as through his other scholarly work and the seminars and courses taught by him in many universities.

Here underneath are some salient features of Pakistani Literature in English:

Religious Element and Impacts

Pakistan is basically an Islamic state and Islam encompasses the every activity of all the walks of life. No area of the life, individual of collective, can trespass the boundaries of Islam. Men and women think, do, and say keeping in mind the stand-point of Islam. Though there are deviation from religious code of conduct yet openly no one dare so, if one may, he or she does so taking some cover. The stamp of Islam is upheld to be proved valid. So, in this respect, the literature depicts Islamic values, Islamic culture and civilization etc.

There are other religions in Pakistan like Christian, Hinduism, Sikhism and Parseeism. They have their own beliefs, rites, traditions and festivals. These are depicted in the literature. 

Sectarianism is also a prominent feature of the literature. People are shown feuding with the opposite sect. Sectarianism causes extremism in the country. Extremism gives way to anarchism and terrorism. Pakistani society is suffering the deadliest blow of terrorism.

Religious rites, festival, traditions and customs, offerings and days hold their due share in the literature. Eidain are the very special occasions that are commemorated with full religious zeal and zest. There are number of local festivals and days too.

The worship-place holds a prominent place in the Muslim community and likewise the Molvi does. The non-Muslim communities also have their sacred worship-places which are revealed in the literature.

Political Scenario

Pakistani Literature in English depicts the Political Scenario of the country. Since 1947, more of the time, Military has been in power. A time more than forty years, Pakistan sees an army general as the state head. Intra-Pakistan clashes, based on economy, language, territory, caste, ethnicity, sectarianism and provincialism, have been the root-cutters of the state. Divide and Rule, the ancient strategy to be in power perpetually, has knocked down the national integrity, peace and progress. The corrupt leaders extort what they can from the masses by hook and crock. Politics shares a vital part in the literature because a man of conscience can never close his eyes from this deplorable condition of the country. Pakistani pen men of English write the decaying political conditions of the state. In Pakistan, there are number of political parties and every party partakes in election with its own interest. Every party is running a rule-race. Democracy is a modern term and in Pakistan democracy is the best tool to befool and extort the people. This aspect of politics is shown in the literature.

Family structure and Shift

In Pakistan, traditionally, there is Patriarch cal family structure. A male member of the family runs the family affairs while others obey him.  Most of the families live as joint families and more than one families live in a big house. Grandfather, Grandmother, Father, Mother, Uncles, Aunts and brothers and sisters live together. The upbringing, looking after, and schooling thought to be the business of the either Grandpa or Grandma but Father and Mother also are responsible for that. The matter of the marriage of the children, most of the time, is considered to be the only business of the Grant-parents where the Grand-parents may please to tie a knot the Grand-children dare not disobey. In the joint family system the member shares pains and pleasures.  The clashes of Bhabi-Nand, Saas-Bahoo and Devar-Devrani are also the bane of joint family system. Nowadays this system is crumbling down rapidly and the separate family structure is emerging. The big joint family is now dividing into small and individual family. People start living in separate houses with their wife and children. These both family structures, joint and separate, have the one of the main theme of Pakistani Literature in English. The writers have dealt with this shift in their writings.

Values

Every society has its dearest values, religious, social, ethical, political, cultural, traditional economical, and geographical. Pakistani society has its own particular values too. The dominants are Muslims so the dominant values are those that belong to Islam. There are non-Muslims with their due values. Since Values have relative importance so they are, sometimes, controversial. The literature reflects these relative values in there due spheres. The pen men present them from different angles and with new meanings.

Caste System

In Indo-Pak, Caste System plays a very vital role in the life of the people. People are judged by their caste or Linage not by their character or deeds. A high-born has almost all privileges of the world whatever sort of human he or she is. On the other hand, the world is a hell for a low-born. The low-born is born to serve the high-born. The high-born does not merry a low-born because the former is Nakami and the latter is Kami.  Even the Jatt does not marry the Butt. This aspect of the society has evoked the writer to writer on caste system prevailed in Pakistan and India.

Economical Issues

Unequal distribution of wealth has been one the most major issue of the Pakistani economic system. On the one hand, there are those who have so much money that they are at loss to find places to spend it. On the other hand, there are those who starve to death. So the whole strata is divided between ‘’Haves and Have-Nots’’. Land lords, aristocrates, high official, businessmen, politicians, mill owners, industrialists and capitalists, who are the frictional part of the population, suppressing the low class, which is the majority of the population. Banks issue loan on high interest rate. Unemployment eggravates the situation. Jobians are at the stake of their jobs at the hands of upper class’ least displeasure. Earning a just livelihood is becoming a Hercules’ job. The literature also depicts vividly the economic issues of Pakistan.

Female Class

In the Literature, female class is presented dependent upon males. A typical Pakistani female is one who bears the stamp of the concept of pure Easter Female (Mashraqi Orat). She is confined to the four walls of the house. At other lever she is dependent on her father, brother, husband and son. She is pictured as weak, humble and indecisive. But she is also depicted being something else. Someone who can influence and empower men. Chaste as well as seductress. She is honoured the status of mother, sister, wife, and daughter. People give life for them and kill as others as well. On the other hand, she is also depicted as victimizer and the male is victimized.  Sometimes it is she, not he, who is initiative taker.

Domestic Hobbies and Pastime

The literature shows the domestic hobbies and pastime of the Pakistani folk. People who have no ain in life kill their time in playing gambling and cards, running races, fighting dogs, drinking wine, flying kites and pigeons, and sittings in bazaars and on Thharras (Raise platforms) gazing passer-bys. Some people do the practice of Huqqas (Hubble Bubble) daylong sitting there idle.

Marriage and Death

Pakistani Literature in English brings both the aspect of life namely happy and tragic. Marriage is a special event for the Pakistani families which brings them close and happiness for them as well. It is the time when the newly-weds are starting a new life. Most of the cases the marriage is an arranged one but sometimes a love marriage is also acceptable. Firing, firework, Bhangarra, Luddi is favourite part of the marriage-celebrations.  Mehandi, being a high priority, is a special event of the marriage. Nikah and Vallema, from Muslim viewpoint, is very sacred event. Other communities celebrate marriage according to their norms and customs.

On the contrary, death is also the part and parcel of life.  When someone, near and dear, departs for good the relatives and the family members of the aggrieved and other acquaintance offer the religious ceremonies for the redemption of the dead.

A Mixed Society

Pakistan Literature in English exhibits the society of Pakistan as a mixed society. This societical diversity is prominent in every walk of life. The society is an amalgamation of the Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsees, Buddhas etc. Religious sects are also there to exercise their power on the society. The society is also divided on the bases of economy, politics, territory, ethnicity, language, caste, family-system and the high-born and the low-born. It is a male dominant society where females have lesser power of decision making and taking as well. But the female class is not altogether a submissive one. The literature also presents the initiative females in it.  

Here are some books from Pakistani writers in English   

Moshin Hamid – The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007), Moth Smoke (2000)

Kamila Shamsie – Burnt Shadows (March 2009), Broken Verses (2005), Kartography (2002), Salt and Saffron (2000), In the City by the Sea (1998)

Mohammed Hanif – A Case of Exploding Mangoes (2008)

Daniyal Mueenuddin – In Other Rooms, Other Wonders (short stories) (2009)

Ali Sethi – The Wish Maker (June 2009 US, July 2009 UK)

Nadeem Aslam – The Wasted Vigil (2008), Maps for Lost Lovers (2004), Season of the Rainbirds (1993)

Uzma Aslam Khan – The Geometry of God (2008), Trespassing (2003)

Shaila Abdullah - Saffron Dreams (2009), Beyond the Cayenne Wall: Collection of Short Stories (2005)

Azhar Abidi - Twilight (2008, US as The House of Bilqis, April 2009)

Musharraf Ali Farooqi – The Story of a Widow (2008)

Muneeza Shamsie – And The World Changed: Contemporary Stories by Pakistani Women (2005), Leaving Home: Towards A New Millennium: A Collection of English Prose by Pakistani Writers (2001), A Dragonfly in the Sun: An Anthology of Pakistani Writing in English (1997)

Moni Mohsin – The Diary of a Social Butterfly (March 2009), The End of Innocence (2006)

Aamer Hussein – Another Gulmohar Tree (May 2009 UK), Kahani: Short Stories by Pakistani Women (editor) (2005),Cactus Town and Other Stories (short stories) (2003)

Tahira Naqvi – Attar of Roses and Other Stories from Pakistan (1998), Dying in a Strange Country (linked stories) (2001)

Suhayl Saadi – Joseph’s Box (July 2009 UK), Psychoraag (2004)

Bapsi Sidhwa – The Crow Eaters (1978, Lahore), The Pakistani Bride (2008, originally published as The Bride, 1983), Cracking India (1991, originally published as Ice Candy Man, 1988), An American Brat (1993)

Zulfikar Ghose – The Murder of Aziz Khan (1967)

Sadat Hasan Manto – Mottled Dawn: Fifty Sketches and Stories of Partition (collection containing Manto’s unforgettable Toba Tek Singh  first published in 1955) (2004)

Ahmed Ali – Twilight in Delhi (1940). Pre-Partition portrait of New Delhi.

Khushwant Singh – Train to Pakistan (1956). The 2006 edition of Train to Pakistan, published by Roli Books in New Delhi, also contains 66 photographs by Margaret Bourke-White that capture the partition's violent aftermath.