realistic portraits of struggle and hardship, with endings as abruptly sudden as life itself. While the themes are weighty, the plots are gripping and particularly interesting in what they reveal about human nature.
Mastur was no stranger to poverty. In early childhood, her family went through a period of financial hardship after the unexpected death of her father. As the translator Tahira Naqvi points out in her introduction, the event was to have a definitive impact on Mastur’s development as a writer. Most of her characters are from the working classes and often react unexpectedly when faced with economic choices. The young servant girl in “Suriya”, for example, would rather starve than accept charity from her mistress. “Lost and Found” explores the complex moral implications of a man kidnapping another’s child so that he can demand a ransom to feed his own children. Situations like these highlight the fragile nature of the moral structures that sustain society.
Razia and Safdar, only to be followed by the inevitable betrayal. “In Stealth” deals with a similar
theme, boldly exploring a loveless marriage where the wife seeks solace in the arms of the servant boy. “Harvest”, on the other hand, is a compelling look at marriage as a purely business transaction. In this ironically titled story, Din Muhammad marries Kaneez for six months so that she can look after his ailing wife and their two children. When Kaneez demands the emotional, economic and sexual rights of a wife, she comes to realise that there is no harvest for her at the end of her travails.
Naqvi’s masterful translation of Mastur’s stories make Cool, Sweet Water a delightful read. Without the awkward sentences or archaic diction which mar many a translation, her sensitivity to the task at hand almost makes one forget that one is reading a translation at all. Her introduction to the text presents an impressive analysis of Mastur’s life and works in the context of the political and literary events of the time. But
EXCERPT
“The whirling smoke from the smoldering, soggy kindling was moving toward the small skylight in the kitchen and she was sitting on a stool nearby, trying to blow life into the flames with hot, hurried breath. Finally, youth’s simmering breath succeeded in fanning the flames. The khichri on the stove began to bubble and she leaned back against the stained, dirty wall. She was wet with perspiration. The smoke had made large tears quiver on the points of her lashes. In the tightness of the pajama across her thigh were wrinkles caused by the effort of constantly bending to blow the fire.
She let out a long sigh of satisfaction and slowly shut her eyes.”
Mastur attacks other aspects of our society’s moral code with equal precision and vigour as she analyses marriage, sexuality and societal double standards. “Springtime of Life” explores a young girl’s desire for marriage and the horrified reactions of family members when she finally demands that she be wed. A complex tale of jealousy and marital infidelity, “Trust” describes the ostensibly perfect marriage of
-From “Springtime of Life”
Mastur’s work needs no introduction to stress its importance to Pakistani literature: the past still speaks to us in the voices of her characters who are modern in their approach to life and, despite being placed in difficult circumstances, manage to impress us with their stoic acceptance of fate. Like Kaneez in “Harvest”, they quietly pick up their belongings and move on in search of a better life.
By Zohra Yusuf
Politics of Identity
I n the context of the present state of affairs in Kashmir and the issue of Muslim identity in India that it entails, C. M. Naim’s Ambiguities of Heritage: Fictions and Polemics is both timely and topical. Kashmir is seen, by many Indians and their leaders, as the physical embodiment of Indian secularism whose loss would challenge the country’s secular identity. In this collection of essays and short stories, the author, an Indian Muslim settled in the US, explores the theme of identity as it has evolved in the subcontinent.
Many Pakistani and Indian readers would contest the opinions and ideas expressed by Naim. However, since the author himself uses the term “polemics” to describe his collection, it appears to be his intention to start a debate on many of the unresolved issues of Partition and national identity. Consequently, he does not present answers or conclusions, but provokes the readers to think beyond the rhetoric of religion and nationalism. Naim’s is a rational and liberal point of view and even in disagreement one cannot accuse him of a narrow perception of events, both before and after Partition.
All the same, Naim’s perceptions may rufle scores of Pakistani readers. Contrary to popular belief in this country, for instance, the writer sees Allama Iqbal as an
The Herald, August 1999
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