The Debates: Pakistani literature in English

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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Red Birds: A critical review

By
Ullah, Inam Gul

Brilliantly written by Hanif, the novel draws a critical sketch of US addiction to the venture of war and destruction, its twofold strategy of destruction through war and reconstruction through its agencies, the plight of the refugees camps, the sorry state of refugees’ children and a detailed mention of pilots ,jets and raids and all pertaining thereto.

Ali’s father is over obsequious to whitemen, he works for them as logistic officer, although the base, Hanger, is deserted by US, yet he hopes for their return to pay off the standing dues against them. He hands his son Ali to them who has an aptitude for technical things. Mother Dear remains down in dumps for her son, but Father Dear has no qualm about his act. Ali’s brother Momo is a born entrepreneur who always weighs the values of things around him. Father Dear has no interest in the salt of the earth, as manifested in his act of selling out his son to the army, whereas Mother Dear always asks for it.

A very interesting character is Mutt, a dog by class, but too philosophic by nature who even outwits the other members of the family in terms of his rational and mental approach, it is Mutt who sees the red birds and accompanies Momo all the time. Mutt equally mourns the loss of Ali with Mother Dear. Mutt’s every word is full of wisdom and based on rational and critical approach.

Ellie is a pilot who has got his jet crashed, and is finally rescued by Momo in the desert. Lady Flowerbody visits the camp to study the mind of young Muslims, Momo develops contact with them with a view to get access to his brother Ali through them. Mutt observes all the people and analyses their feelings and reactions through his own philosophical lens.

The novel gives a detailed account of the modern warfare and the consequent surge of refugees. The double standard of Western world, US adventure of waging wars and displacing communities around the globe and establishing its bases abroad, are few of the major the themes. Hanif, a pilot turned novelist does not forget to make mention of jets, flying, landing etc , they recur in the novel like his first work A Case of the Exploding Mangoes.