Things have changed now. We are now living in a relatively more open society.
LAHORE: Yaqoob Khan Bangash’s article of May 22 titled “Manto’s Pakistan” was of interest to me. It seems that behaviour patterns which fit into the existing sociocultural design are the only ones that are socially acceptable. This applies to oral as well as written communication. Many topics often cannot be discussed openly with elders, especially parents. Likewise, in the past parents/elders were extra careful and societal dos and don’ts had to be strictly observed.
Things have changed now. We are now living in a relatively more open society.
Had Saadat Hassan Manto been alive in 2012, things would have been different for him and for those in his socio-cultural environment. The concepts of liberty and freedom are not new but since society has always defined its limits, its boundaries have changed over the years. As a result, their definitions have changed. It is good that Mr Bangash reminds the people of a person who is forgotten and cursed but who we should all remember.
Iftikhar Ahmad
Former director, National Institute of Public Administration
Published in The Express Tribune, May 28th, 2012.
