Urdu Short Story and Protest

Abstract

Protest in Urdu short story refers to the intellectual, social and literary attitude through which the fiction writer raises his voice against social injustice, exploitation, oppression, class differences, political intemperance, religious hypocrisy and violation of human values. A protest fiction is actually a conscious expression of the problems and contradictions of his era.

In early Urdu short story, there was a reformist tendency, but gradually social and political conditions persuaded the fiction writers to adopt a protest style. In particular, the progressive movement provided a strong foundation for protest consciousness in Urdu fiction. Writers associated with the progressive movement made poverty, class exploitation, the capitalist system and social inequalities the subject matter. In the short stories of Saadat Hasan Manto, there is a strong protest against the riots of the Partition of India, human cruelty and social hypocrisy. Stories like “Toba Tek Singh”, “Khol Do” and “Thanda Gosht” are laments for the destruction of humanity. Rajendra Singh Bedi made human deprivations, women's issues and social oppression the subject of his stories, while Krishna Chandra protested against economic exploitation and class conflict.

Protest was also prominent in Pakistani Urdu short story. Intizar Hussain presented the decline of civilization, the tragedy of migration and the spiritual crisis in a symbolic manner, while Anwar Sajjad's stories are notable for their protest against the meaninglessness of modern man and social oppression. Topics like the partition of India, dictatorship, wars, urban isolation, exploitation of women and political corruption gave Urdu fiction a protest color. Modern-day fiction writers also presented protest effectively through symbolism, abstraction and internal style.

In short, protest in Urdu short story is not just opposition or reaction but a literary attempt to establish human freedom, justice and better social values, which gave Urdu short story intellectual depth and social significance.