The Mormons’ practice of posthumously ‘converting’ people to their religion caused a lot of controversy in the Jewish community when it was revealed that among the ‘converts’ were some Holocaust victims. This is essentially what the government is trying to do with Manto, a dissident writer who was penalised by his own government and once took a smaller amount than offered by the US government to write for a publication it sponsored just so he could humiliate them.
There are some who will argue that honouring Manto now is surely a case of better late than never and that by doing so the government is acknowledging and apologising for the past injustices heaped on the writer. Excuse me for being sceptical. The government honouring those who fight censorship is inherently absurd since a government that actually opposed censorship wouldn’t have anyone to hand out these medals to in the first place. This is why Baloch journalists have their websites blocked rather than being awarded a Nishan-e-Imtiaz. And if Manto was around today, I doubt he would be pleased with a government that has tried to block internet pornography en masse.
I would also argue that the government shouldn’t be handing out these civilian awards to anyone. Its sole purpose for doing so is self-aggrandisment and there is no reason for people, especially those whose work is defined by its antagonism to authority, to play along. Journalists, in particular, whose sole reason for existence should be uncovering government wrongdoing, should refuse all government honours and all credible artists should be careful of being co-opted by governments that are quick to abandon them if they cross certain limits. Soon after the party took power, armed goons from the PPP attacked the Shanakht festival in Karachi because a painting was not seen as sufficiently deferential to Benazir Bhutto. Artists are meant to be transgressors who critique society from its outer margins. That is certainly what Manto was and the idea that he would consider a government award anything other than a badge of dishonour is laughable.
If the government is serious about honouring those who excel in their chosen fields, it would quietly hand out funds to people involved in social service rather than staging photos with them; it would let our cricketers win matches without muscling in on their glory and scoring choice tickets to important matches and it would invest in sports at the grassroots-level, rather than sending as many officials as athletes to the Olympics.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2012.
COMMENTS (6)
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At least money and free pass that comes along helps the poor family.
What was the logic behind honouring Dr. Gopi Chand Narang, an Urdu critic from India, with Sitara-e-Imtiaz, can any one tell me? He has been accused of plagiarizing his works from well known European critics and written proof has been given about this daring swindle.
How many generals,writers artists we rememeber by virtue of their awards from govt?-None. Buleh shah, baba ghulam farid,waris shah never got awards.They are ruling the hearts of million throuhout the ages.They are survival of the fitest.They are true heros.
Government of the people, by people, honoring the segment of the people who stood up for a cause is not all that bad. Honors do not erase history but they memorialize it along with the reason for the honor for the future generations.
If the saints are not recognized by their own people, who else will revere them?
It is sad that the liberal, secular and nationalists like Manto, Josh, Faiz, Faraz and other progressive and nationalist were always disliked by the deep state and its rightwing goons. Some of them were even put in jail and were barred from radio and TV. While some who were on the scholarship (wazifa) of the British are regarded as the basis of Pakistani ideology these Titans were never dealt with fairness. Now it is time to acknowledge their services to the nation and the humanity. In addition giants like Mehdi Hassan have provided cultural services to the country and global audiences for many decades. These cultural icons are not dead but still listened to and read by millions around the world. In a country like Pakistan where a general could promote himself to army chief, head of the state, head of a political party and Field Marshall at the same time, what is wrong in honoring our cultural icons? We are the nation who is using Mr. Jinnah’s pictures (not teachings) and Iqbal’s poetry on every occasion without fail; why not honor some more nationalists? Either awarding of honor and medals be banned especially to the military officers who have never performed in the last 30 plus years in the battlefield, or we should include these cultural and literary icons and give them their fair share in history and our textbooks. The sooner the wrongs undone the better it is. It is never too late to acknowledge the past injustices and learn from them. The difference between the dictatorship of likes of Gen Zia and the elected govt is not to victimize the progressive and nationalist cultural icons and be fair with them instead of targeting them and prosecute them.