KARACHI:
I have borrowed this title from the celebrated book by Justice MR Kayani, though I have replaced the word judge with person. The spirit behind it, however, belongs unmistakably to Shaukat Thanvi — a man whose wit continues to echo with laughter across generations.
The month of May is associated with this pleasure-loving writer, who was born in 1904 in Thana Bhawan, District Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. Though he was never tied to any rigid ideology, he enjoyed immense admiration among writers, progressive intellectuals and ordinary readers alike. His humour crossed literary boundaries and reached the hearts of the masses.
The legendary novelist Qurratulain Hyder often recalled listening to his comic radio programmes when All India Radio established its station in Lucknow. As a child, she even participated in one of those broadcasts — a testament to Thanvi’s popularity and cultural influence.
Thanvi began his journalistic career with the newspaper daily Hamdam. Alongside journalism, he wrote literary essays and poetry, but it was his comic fiction Sodashi Rail, published in 1928 in the prestigious literary magazine Nairang-e-Khayal, that brought him overnight fame throughout pre-Partition India. From that moment onward, there was no looking back.
The brilliance of Sodashi Rail lay in its imaginative premise: what drastic and often absurd changes people might make once India attained freedom from British rule. Thanvi expressed this idea through the lens of the railway system, creating satire that was both entertaining and deeply perceptive.
After the creation of Pakistan, Thanvi migrated to Lahore and joined Radio Pakistan, where he continued writing columns, producing radio programmes and composing poetry. His famous character ‘Qazi Ji’ became immensely popular among listeners and readers. His autobiography Ma Badolat remains a delightful and engaging read, while his collections of literary sketches, including Shish Mahal and Qaida Be-Qaida, brilliantly display his sharp wit, graceful humour, and keen observation of human nature.
Thanvi was, above all, a joyful soul — someone who believed that making people smile was itself a noble service. Once, when asked whether he considered himself a progressive writer, he replied with characteristic humour: “Who does not like progress? In that sense, yes, I am progressive.”
Today, the world is burdened with wars, poverty, health crises and the uncertainties of climate change. Anxiety, frustration and hopelessness have become part of everyday life. In such troubled times, there is an even greater need to remember writers like Shaukat Thanvi, whose mission was simple yet profound: to offer relief, laughter and humanity through the power of words.
Dr Qamar Abbas
Houston, Texas
