BOOK REVIEW: 'My Friend, My Enemy'

The uniqueness of Ismat Chughtai is in her frankness and 'as a matter of fact' discussion on issues otherwise tabooed. Her controversial writings on human desires, needs and weaknesses brought her unequivocal recognition in literary circles irrespective of her leanings toward liberalism and association with the Progressive Writers' Association.
The concept of liberalism, which Ismat Chughtai advocates, is multidimensional. It is not only in her provocative short stories but also in essays, reminiscences and portraits, which she had been doing from time to time. 'My Friend, My Enemy' that is the title of her work translated into English by Tahira Naqvi, an US-based English teacher and writer of eminence, is a sample of her writings that have different moods and indicative of her sensitivity to issues of immediate nature.
The "Lihaaf" trial can be taken as a sample of her writings where she has talked about attitude of her colleagues, her husband Shahid Latif and two friends Saadat Hasan Minto and M. Aslam. The broad categorisation of the people who were there to advise her on how to deal with the trial that had threatened her fine as well as imprisonment for provocative and detailed description of two women in deep love for each other is enough to show her conviction that the truth must be told at all costs.
The short story "Lihaaf" brought into discussion female sexuality vis-à-vis indifference of the people toward this biological need. Chughtai has taken initiative in laying open a fact reasoning on which is forbidden in many cultures of the world. Though "Chacha Baray" the variant of which "Chabray" is another short story from Chughtai, not included in this translation, is another commentary on male sexual behaviour, usually noticed in chronic bachelors.
There is no similarity between the two writings as far as contents are concerned, but the theme has been artistically used to talk about males' aberration in matter of intimate sexual behaviour.
Apart from her short stories Ismat Chughtai has reviewed effect of communal violence in post-independence period during which reactionary writing came into being. In her opinion the effect of communal violence has dragged literature away from its basic purpose -entertain, inform and train readers in the art of tolerance, understanding and progress.
Going through "Humlog" translated as "We People" Chughtai takes you to places where she lived an experienced life and the circumstances that shaped her personality. "Humlog" provides a window through which a reader desirous to know something about Ismat can peep into her life pattern and find out the factors that went into the shaping of Ismat Chifghtai into a brave writer. Her early life in Agra and the reminiscences she treasured throughout her life matured her art of argument and reasoning throughout her writing career.
The book under review throws light on the personalities of Saadat Husan Minto, Rajindir Sign Bedi, Kirshan Chandar, Josh Malihabadi, Ali Sardar Jafri, Khwaja Ahmed Abbas and her association with people in politics, film industry and fine art.
"My Friend, My Enemy" is divided in three broad categories: essays, reminiscence and portraits. In all there are twenty-one pieces. "From Here to There" is a recommended reading for those who had the good fortunate of meeting Ismat Chughtai when she visited Pakistan in 1976. This article contains loving memories she carried after her visit to Pakistan. Had she been alive she would not have agreed to the proposal that visiting Pakistan was like revisiting her home. But Since she is not there an honest assessment of her frame of mind at the time of partition of the Indo-Pak sub-continent, and following violence and resettlement of displaced people can be read in between the lines of this article.
"Bombay was calling out to me, Karachi was holding me back. It seems as if I'm leaving one world to go to another. The journey is an hour and a half long. I tied the safety belt. I unlocked it. My eyes flew open. What sweet dreams and what languor - It's as if I have just awakened from a long dream. Those meetings, those Mushairas, those conversations that have the power to enrich memories - when will they all be realised? Those three brothers who are buried in Pakistan - how can I sever the bond I have with them? Mixed in with that earth is the earth of my mother's sons. A part of my existence is entombed there. A young brother, who is also my most beloved brother, is the only one alive now and there is also my older sister, Apa, who showed me how to read the Baghdadi Qaida and taught me how to brush my teeth. She's a part of my body. How long the road that stretches from here to there! How great the distance!"
This book will provide sufficient insight into the work of Ismat Chughtia. It has been translated in simple and effective form. The book is equally beneficial for the beginners or new readers of Ismat Chughtai and for those who relish in reading translations of the writings that they have already read in some other language. Kali for Women first published it in India in 2001. This 2004 edition by Sama is for sale in Pakistan only.
Name of the book: My Friends, My enemy
Writer: Ismat Chughtai
Publishers: Sama Editorial and Publishing Services, Imperial Court, Dr Ziauddin Ahmed, Road, Karachi.
Pages: 284
Price: Rs 395
- Wirasat Hussnain
'JEHAAT'
The former Director, Quaid-i-Azam Academy and presently Dean Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hamdard University, Karachi, Dr. Mohammad Ali Siddiqui is a well-known writer, educationist and journalist. He has 14 books to his credit. The book under review "Jehaat," is his new book, which has come out very recently. The contents of this book are divided into four sections. The first one consists of 12 essays. Of them six are theoretical and deal with the modern literary issues such as Maba'ad Jadeediat Aur Naya Aalami Nizam (The post-modernism and new world order), Marx Aur Maujuda Aalami Bohran - Aik Tajzia (Marx and present world crisis - an analysis), Adab aur Asri Taqazay (Literature and contemporary demands), Adab Aur Jamhuriat (Literature and democracy), Jadeediat Aur Hait Ka Vedio Game (Vedio game of modernism and form) and Sainisi Rawiya Aur Jadeediat Ke Wokela (Scientific attitudes and the advocates of modernism).
In his opinion Maba'ad Jadeediat is a tool of America's new world order. It is being used with full strength to dominate the whole world in general and under-developed countries in particular. It is basically connected with economic, political, and cultural issues.
Maulana Jamaluddin Afghani is also a good analytical write-up. In this article the author has gone a long way to find out the truth by comparing Afghani's thought, line of action, ideology and religious attitude, renaissance of pan-Islamism with the Sir Syed Ahmed Khan's religious and educational reforms as well as relationship with the then British Government of Indian subcontinent. He has tried logically and scholarly to give the real and authentic picture of the concerned era in the light of historical, social and political events and occurrences. He has proved that the criticism on Sir Syed Ahmed Khan by Jamaluddin was erroneous and to some extent baseless. The author pinpointed vividly that his hope and seeking support from Russia which was capturing the Muslim lands one after another was religiously, historically and politically wrong and in his assessment he was making a blunder. But he very smartly and logically proved that whatever Sir Syed Ahmed Khan tried to do for the Muslims of the sub-continent in particular and for Islam in general was far-reaching as well as the demand of the situation which persisted at that time. Likewise the other write-ups have also been written scholarly with reference to contemporary political and economic scenario. The remaining six essays of the said part are on the personages of world reputed men. Though the first part has no title, the second, third and fourth parts have been given titles such as Fiction, Shairi and Musawweri respectively.
The articles of the second part are on fiction-writers and analytical studies of their arts, style, subject matter and life-styles of the characters they created and introduced in their literary pieces.
A lot of articles and theses have been written on him and on his creative efforts in Marsia-writing. But the author has shown his new study in his essay on Meer Anees. He writes that he was not only a poet of Marsia but was a poet of civilisation. He is of the opinion that Marsia-writing of Meer Anees in the term of T.S. Eliot was of 'unified sensibility'. In "Jehaat", Dr Siddiqui has tried to enlighten the truth of life and literature. He neither praises any one unduly nor puts to shame unnecessarily. His criticism and analytical approach on the one hand is synonymous of truth and beauty, and on the other, it is antonymous of hypocrisy and abuse. To him truth and criticism are one and inseparable discipline.
The author of the book is of the view that the basic claim of literature is to achieve 'right knowledge'. He is not only achieving the 'right knowledge' for himself, but, facilitating others also for the same. The informative and analytical articles of "Jehaat" are covering the whole range and value of life as well as testifying to his extensive criticism in the realm of socio-economy, philosophy, history, psychology, science, technology, literature and culture. Dr Siddiqui's critical pieces in the book under review are precious addition to new contemporary Urdu criticism.
In these write-ups, he seems to be well acquainted with the burning problem of literature and socio-economic environment.- Shafique Ahmed Shafique