She says that she does not need the ‘rag of their religion’ to save her dignity.Saadat Hasan Manto – the writer that compared himself to God – was a master of short stories. When a man belonging to a group of Muslim rioters offers her a sheet to cover herself, she refuses.

She lends her robe to another woman which leaves her naked. Women’s bodies have been used to mark territories since times immemorial. It is a story about a Jewish woman who becomes a martyr to save a fellow woman. A disheartened Mumtaz leaves for Pakistan at the end, revealing how humanitarian bonds lose meaning under the influence of religion and politics. Even though he has nothing but deep love for his friend, Jugal casually replies that he might have to slaughter Mumtaz. When the political unrest is at its peak, Mumtaz and Jugal discuss what might happen when Hindus start butchering Muslims and vice-versa. A Tale of 1947 is a story about two friends-Jugal (Hindu) and Mumtaz(Muslim). These short stories by Manto not only focus on religion and politics but also on more humane aspects like friendships. By signing up you agree to our terms of use 4.A Tale of 1947 Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. This also highlights how incredibly unthinking and callous the killings were. We are left in the dark about which character belongs to what religion as it becomes irrelevant when it comes to life or death. As his knife reaches the victim’s genitals he realizes he has killed someone from his very own religion. Traditionally, unlike Hindus, Muslim men often go through the process of circumcision at birth. We read about a man slitting open the stomach of another, someone he thought is from a different religion. The characters (both the murderer and the murdered) featured in this story goes unnamed. Originally titled ‘Sorry’ in Urdu, this story is only a paragraph long. On his birthday (May 11), this article is my way of paying tribute to Manto- the real MVP of Partition Literature. So, here is a list of short stories by Manto that according to me would make great plots for short films (my listicle does contain spoilers, sorry!). He has not received his fair share of recognition from the global literary sphere as well. Sadly, he still is one of the most under celebrated writers of India. However, Manto has gone largely unnoticed. His short stories zeroes in on victims who were far removed from the insensitive politicians who decided their fates. Manto has humanized Partition by portraying it as a thoughtless political move.

The short stories by Manto expose the brutal truth of a society that was at its demonic best after Partition. This incident is carefully guarded by politicians, but Manto is one of the pioneering authors who started a conversation about its dreadful aftereffects. Thus, communal riots between Hindus and Muslims wreaked havoc on its streets.

Liberation from British Raj came with a price AKA Partition- one of the most harrowing bloodbaths in the history of India. Saadat Hasan Manto was an Indo-Pakistani author born in Ludhiana, India.

Saadat hasan manto short stories