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Monday, May 30, 2011

Thanda Gausht; a Controvesial Urdu Short Story by Manto

Saadat Hassan Manto (Urdu: ‏‏سعادت حسن منٹو) (May 11, 1912 – January 18, 1955) was a short story writer of Kashmiri heritage. He is best known for his short stories , 'Bu' (Odour), 'Khol Do' (Open It), 'Thanda Gosht' (Cold Meat), and his magnum opus, Toba Tek Singh'.

Combining psychoanalysis with human behaviour, he was arguably one of the best short story tellers of the 20th century, and one of the most controversial as well. When it comes to chronicling the collective madness that prevailed, during and after the Partition of India in 1947, no other writer comes close to the oeuvre of Saadat Hassan Manto.

Thanda Gosht [Cold Meat) is one of his most famous Urdu Short Stories and it is considered to be a controversial one due to vulgarity. I think this type of pieces are making Urdu literature ashamed. I m going to post it here and letting you decide whether this kind of things should be considered a piece of literature or something which satisfying the taste of sexually frustrated  and mentally sick people. Here you go Thanda Gosht by Manto!!

18 comments:

  1. I think this type of pieces are making Urdu literature ashamed. I m going to post it here and letting you decide whether this kind of things should be considered a piece of literature or something which satisfying the taste of sexually frustrated and mentally sick people.
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    Typical conservative idiotic thinking
    this is a masterpiece
    a piece of pure art
    it's awesome

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    1. you think wrong but it deserves . i salute for this master piece

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    2. its master piece in urdu ... what is wrong in this ... nothing.

      manto zinda baad

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    3. i think its the best the best the best this is master piece salam to Manto n its literature

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    4. Manto was a brave writer who unleashed the pressures that people were suffering during the pre-or post partition period ! this is REALITY. this is the TRUTH. sexual molestation happens everywhere in one form or the other. It isnt sick mentality. Its the pain, suffering and frustration that many people around us go through. It is a masterpiece for sure. I am sure had it been some porn story and men would have loved to read it. FOR GOD SAKE PEOPLE ! GET THE REAL MESSAGE BEHIND HIS WORDS.

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    5. Fully agree with Michelle Adnan

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    6. it is not showing taste is gives message porn is that which gives us taste but it is showing pain of society once the manto said i am not vulgure i shows society society is vulgure repair it i shall write that

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  2. @...You should have written your name down...

    Any ways, I respect your opinion but I believe what I have written.

    Thanks for your comments!!

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  3. every woman in society is facing daily some or other how some how or somewhere they become thanda gohast. A salute to manto for making our problems known to people. Good work

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  4. Siddharth ShastriMay 17, 2012 at 2:55 PM

    Where can I find an English translation of this and other stories by Manto? I can understand spoken Urdu but cannot read the script.

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    1. Khalid Hassan has translated most of Manto's short stories (and other writings) including Thanda Gausht. The book is titled Bitter Fruit and it is published by Penguin.

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  5. hindi ya roman script me yeh kahani mil sakti hai kya? urdu muje padhni nahi ati... maine Toba Tek Sing bhi padhi hai Manto ki... acchi lagi mujhe....

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  6. Well well i,think the,story was not based on social discriminates, it was a,pure phyco analysis of the human mind towards libido, we maybe Muslims or Hindu but the,science is totally secular

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  7. In order to convey an idea, the means whereby it is done, requires absolute freedom of expression. The sentiments people express tantamount censorship. Great art cannot live in a constrained environment.

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  8. Manto has written a very beautiful story.I think that its not bad,its a masterpiece.

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  9. Manto has written a very beautiful story.I think that its not bad,its a masterpiece.

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  10. its amazing story. I mean there are many and different ways to analyse it but the main thing is , it is true replica of what was happening back then in society, muslims were getting kills and their girls were getting abducted and raped. And then those killer used to release their frustration by visiting their girl friends and enjoying physical intimacy. And tit for tat.

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  11. all the Three major characters i.e SIKH, His Wife, rape-to- death Muslim Girl represent Men, Women and innocent girls of that society when Indo-Pak partition took place. these are not individual characters. Now, read again the story and you will have no option but to get impressed and admit its richness of meaning.
    What a wonderful and recommendable piece of writing this is, indeed!

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