The Debates: Englis novel

Our Lady of Alice Bhatti: A critical review

Ullah, Inam Gul.

Hanif parts with his usual motifs and recurrent scenes of jets, flights, engines and life of cadets and professional soldiers, which are common features of his two other novels: ACase of Exploding Mangoes and The Red Birds, in Our Lady of Alice Bhatti. The novel centers on the Christian community and the challenges it confronts in its social milieu in Pakistan, especially the lower class Christians working as janitors, the malpractices of doctors in medico-legal complications in accomplice with the police, and the corruption of police force in Karachi metropolis.

Alice Bhatti, daughter of a poor janitor, after having spent fourteen months in prison for a sin she had never committed, joins the Sacred Hospital as nurse. She was made a scapegoat for a surgeon’s negligence during a surgical process. The hospital is frequented by police in connection with medico-legal process, and in most cases they manipulate the nature of such cases. Alice succumbs to a lovesick attitude displayed by Teddy, a police tout working privately for police especially in illegal and extra-judicial practices like fake encounters etc. The relationship ends up in tying the knot between Alice and Teddy. Soon Teddy’s mind is welled up with suspicions about Alice’s character coupled with his sudden unemployment, he throws acids on Alice and she departs in a miraculous way.

Alice is blessed with certain miraculous powers she displays during her professional duties at the hospital; a strange miracle takes place at the moment of her demise. She is a tower of strength against all the odds and adverse moves against her religion, profession, caste, social and economic standing. She figures and ideal woman neither confined nor discouraged by the adverse circumstances around her. She moves ahead fights her way and finally stands triumphant. She does not give in to the fanatic students during her college life, although she suffers yet she resists and defends her religion and point of view, during her professional duty at the night shift in the Sacred, she splashes penis of a spoiled brat and resist his sexual advances. She comes from a janitor class Christian family, but it does not hinder her way forward to a decent position of income. Despite the plethora of challenges she ties the knot with a Muslim without any family support, her mother working as a janitor was found dead in the house she was working on, a rape cum murder case, and an aged father lives alone.

The novel depicts corruption and malpractices among Karachi metropolis police, inspector Malangi resembles todays Rao Anwar (ex SSP Karachi, indicted in Naqeebullah Mehsud murder). They are involved in manipulation of cases on medico-legal ground and serving their own vested interest. The idea of throwing acids on Alice also comes from inspector Malangi.

The novel also shows the role of mafia in religions, like Mullah the clergy dominance in Christianity. Alice miraculous powers and especially the miracle of the throne of the holy mother are not accepted by the clergy class and they question Alice’s character instead because she belongs to the lower class of Christian community.

Hanif interestingly adds and epilogue to the novel, a literary device very rare in modern fictions, a plea by Alice’s father to the Vatican, explaining the miracle during Alice’s death and highlights the biased decision of the local committee.

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Kamila Shamsie's A God in Every Stone: A review

By:

Ullah, Inam Gul. iukhan233@gmail.com

A God in Every Stone is an elegantly written prose work by Kamila Shamsie, a renowned postcolonial Pakistani writer. The novel is set in different countries such as Turkey, France and India (Peshawar). The novel gives a vivid description of the colonial India, the days the British Empire was at zenith and its subsequent collapse and rise of the freedom movement in India. The novel especially describes the Pashtun’s contribution to the Indian freedom movement, the sacrifices Pashtun people have made in their anti-colonial resistance they offered to the Empire culminating the Pashtun massacre at the Kissa Khani in 1930. It also gives us a profile of the history of Peshawar and the Pashtun people way of life popularly called Pakhtunwali.

The opens with operation at an archeological site in Turkey led by Tehsin Bay, who is soon joined by Englishwoman Vivan Spencer Rose, a English young girl with extrovert personality. In the meanwhile the First World War breaks out, and the scene is shifted to Brighton where we see Indian soldiers fighting on behalf of the Empire. Among the soldiers, Qayyum Gul and Kalam Khan are the prominent ones. Qayyum Gul receives injuries in the war, loses one of his eyes and is admitted into hospital Brighton. Qayyum becomes much more loyal and an admirer of the Empire, however, he is afterwards discharged and he heads back to his hometown Peshawar. On the train he meets with the Englishwoman Vivian Rose who is also on her way to Peshawar to execute an archeological project at Shah Ji Dheri near Peshawar. She had been motivated by Tahsin Bay to dig out the circlet left by Scylax the noted Greek explorer. Qayyum and Viv develops a nodding acquaintance during the journey, however they part in different directions at the station. Najib Gul , Qayyum ‘s younger brother, who had come to receive his brother at the station, misses to see him and gets hired by Vivian Rose as her guide.

Najib gets closer to the woman and becomes her guide, Viv in turn teaches him lessons in history and English language. Najib gradually develops interest in archeology and history and finally receives a degree from the Islamia College Peshawar in history. Qayyum Gul in the meanwhile receives his ex- colleague Kalam Khan. On his return to his Peshawar, Kalam khan turns totally against the Empire and its control over his land. Both Qayyum Gul and Kalam khan join the Indian freedom movement in two different modes.

Kalam Khan joins the armed resistance, called Jihad, against the British colonial rule , led by Haji of Turagnzai. In their fight in the beginning, the British forces suffer losses during the tussles at various points in the Pashtun province (NWFP). The movement, however, does not last for long, and Haji Sahib, takes refuge in the Mohamand Agency and resorts to guerilla war.

Qayyum Gul on the other hand joins the Khudai Khidmatgar(Servant of God), a multi layered movement encompassing, social reformation, education, political awareness and purification of religion among the Pashtun masses, and unarmed resistance against the British. The movement is led by Ghaffar Khan popularly known as Bacha Khan. Qayyum Gul joins the movement as a teacher in one of the Azad Madrassas opened up by the Khudai Khidmatgar. Qayyum in the meanwhile tries to convince his brother Najib to abandon his services to the Englishwoman and join his own freedom movement instead. But Najib pays no attention to his words.

As freedom movement gains momentum and people across the India start to participate in the resistance movement under the All India Congress, Khudai Khidmatgar joins the movement and becomes a provincial chapter of the Congress. When the Congress gives call of the Civil Disobedience Movement across the India, Khudai Khidmatgar calls for a demonstration on April 23, 1930 at the Kissa Khani protesting against the arrest of their leaders. On the day of the demonstration, the British forces opens indiscriminate firing on the unarmed and peaceful demonstrators which results into loss of the hundreds of innocent lives of Pashtun people. Najib Gul, who had been averse to his brother activities and was more loyal to the Empire, finally participates in the rally and turns to be a volunteer of the Khudai Khidmatgar standing against the British troops in support of his own countrymen.

The novel gives a rich account of pre-partition Indian history, colonial administration, the British colonial mindset, the atrocities they had committed for maintaining their rule in India, the rise of freedom movement in India, and the contribution of Pashtun people to the freedom movement and losses they have suffered and sacrifices made therein.