Khuda Ki Basti / خدا کی بستی

by Shaukat Siddiqui

Recently serialised on Pakistan television, God's Own Land is set in the slums of Karachi and Lahore. It is the early 1950s, shortly after partition with India.
The story concerns a poor but respectable Pakistani family which has fallen on hard times. Corruption and degradation take over their lives. Jobless, and without any real hope of a better life, they find themselves in the clutches of unprincipled entrepreneurs who exploit each of them - totally. The tragic, but deeply moving finale, is inevitable.
The author, Shaukat Siddiqi, is considered one of the most talented of modern Urdu writers. The translator, David J. Matthews, points out that for those who know Pakistan they will realise that little has changed in the last forty
'The bright lights of Karachi and Lahore, the smart shops and hotels mask the fact that so many of our fellow human beings are still dying of hunger through no fault of their own. It might be ascribed to the will of Allah, to fate or destiny, but suffering is normal in the course of life.'

Genres: Fiction, Novels, Historical Fiction, Classics, Pakistan, India

480 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2014

About the author

Shaukat Siddiqui was a Pakistani writer of fiction who wrote in Urdu. He is best known for his novels Khuda Ki Basti (خدا کی بستی) (translated as:God's Own Land) and Jangloos.

Siddiqui was born on 20 March 1923 in a literary family of Lucknow, India. He gained his early education in his home town and earned a B.A. in 1944 and a M.A. (Political Science) in 1944. After the partition of India, he migrated to Pakistan in 1950 and stayed in Lahore but soon permanently settled in Karachi.
He was an active member of Pakistan Writers' Guild and a partisan of progressive writers association. He worked at the news-desks of the Times of Karachi, Pakistan Standard and the Morning News. He finally rose to be the editor of the Daily Anajam, the Weekly Al-Fatah and the Daily Musawat Karachi, before bidding goodbye to journalism in 1984.

Shaukat Siddiqui’s first collection of short stories was `Teesra Admi’ (1952). The collection earned him fame across the Sub-continent and placed him in the ranks of literary giants like Quratul Ain Haider and Joginder Paul. Subsequently, other collections of short stories, `Andhere Dur Andhere’, (1955), `Raton Ka Shahar’ (1956) and `Keemyagar’ (1984), followed.

His magnum opus is `Khuda Ki Basti’ which went through 50 editions; has been dramatised time and again and translated into 26 languages. Other novels of Shaukat Siddiqui are `Kamingah’ (1956), `Jangloos’ (1988) and `Char Deewari’ (1990)

Reviews

[Sara Saif · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fondness with which my parents still remember this show had lead me to believe that the book would be all smiles and contented sighs. My parents don’t remember the ending and it was not.

The people in this book were MESSED.UP. They were achey bhaley one second and went bonkers the next. I was disconcerted by this abruptness and it happened all the time. The writer would establish one character as an educated and civil individual and the same character would go on to become a filthy ingrate. People did things out-of-character all the time, it was either that, or the people were just all bananas and it was the author’s manner of explaining that was so odd.

Salman is the best example of this I can think of. Introduced as a nice, suljha hua young man that is sophisticated but also has no value for money and time and thus spends his allowance on wine, brothels and card games, stops receiving financial support from this father due to his carelessness, he then goes to work for social welfare and during this period he is the very model of compassion, devotion and kind-heartedness. He then leaves this noble cause, marries and proceeds to be the most beghairat aadmi on the planet, recognizes the error of his ways and returns to his social welfare cause.

There is a significant lack of consistency. Sure, people do stupid things when faced with shit life throws at them but through all of this you should be able to point your finger and say, that is quintessentially this character or that is so like this person. I couldn’t do that with these people. Except for maybe Sultana who was the dumbest, most chapair-worthy character in the book. I did not feel an ounce of sympathy for that girl. Actually, I did not feel an ounce of sympathy for anyone but she was the worst of them all.

Soney pe suhaga, every man and woman in the book was unfaithful, lecherous and wretched. Without fail. Every. Single. One. They lead each other on, get each other in shit and then swiftly, remorselessly look the other way.

The climax wasn’t really a climax? It seemed as though the writer just stopped there. There was no sense of foreboding like “oh-this-is-gonna-end-in-blood-and-tears” even though it ends exactly on those two things but the whole book was like that and it just felt like the next pile of shit the people in it were going to be put through and then it suddenly ended? Like what? Why end there?

Nosha, possibly, of all the asshats in the book, I felt for and it was astounding how much crap he took over literally everything. I was getting the impression that he and a bunch of others were being buried under heaps of troubles for no good reason. Now that professor he was living with. I had begun to have hopes. It was as I said, the men and women in this book deliberately provoked each other and when the other responded, all hell broke loose and the provocateurs just became goongey andhey and behrey. It was in line with people who were in reality vermin, but in this situation, the person opposite Nosha was supposed to be a good person.

It’s not a bad book, it’s just a book in which bad, awful things happen to bad, awful people and it has a bad, awful effect on you. And if there was a real message in there somewhere I failed to get it.

[Khalil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Khuda Ki Basti is among one of the great novels of Urdu. Shuakat Siddiqqui has very truly portrayed a bitter picture of post Pakistan society and the struggle of have-nots like Nosha ,Raja,Annu,Shamil,Sultana in the cruel world of haves like Khanbahadur, Niaz,Jaffri.

Siddiqqui has very successfully shown us the hypocritical role of people like Khan Bahuadur and Niaz who left no stone unturned to exploit poor folks and make money by hook or by crook.

Character of Sultana is also picture of wretchedness and exploitation in a male chauvinistic society where poeple like Niaz & Fiaz play with creatures like hers.

Enthusiastic guys of Falak Numa ie Dr Zaidi, Muhammad Ali, Suleman ,Riaz and Jamshed are like the fragrance of Spring flowers in the autumnal world of exploitation in this novel. These guys are philanthropic, generous and kind to many depraved, poverty struck uneducated folks around them. These guys are ray of hope in our society. But the reward they receive from people around them is not so encouraging.But they keep on working with same zeal and zest for the betterment of their people toward the very end of the story.

Story is pathetic and tragic one.
The novel really deserves to be included in the list of best novels of Urdu.

[W · Rating 2 out of 5]

The supposedly classic status of this book and the PTV drama series based on it,surprises me.

It is about the lives of working class people in the slums of Karachi.Miserable,dull and drab lives.The pace is very slow,and I remember nothing much about the series.

But it was deemed good enough to be recorded again in 1974,after the original version in 1969 could not be preserved.Supposedly a favourite of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto,and Wikipedia dubs it "the mother of all drama series." Well,for me it ain't so.

The black and white series,from the 1970s can be seen on youtube.

[Sundus · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب میں بس جھانکنے کی دیر تھی پتہ بھی نہیں چلا کب ختم ہو گئ۔ معاشرے کی ان گنت برائيوں کونہايت ہی آسان الفاظ ميں بيان کيا گيا ہے۔ افسوس آج بھی ايسے ہی دردناک حقائق ہماری سوسائٹی کا حصہ ہيں

[Shabana Mukhtar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raziya Begum, a widow lives with her three kids – Sultana, Nosha and Annu. Her eldest daughter has passed away, who was married to Neyaz .
Nosha, Shami and Raja are three teenage 'poor' boys. Raja works with a beggar, Nosha works at a workshop and Shami sits on his father's shop. The three of them do everything from stealing to puncturing tyres to earn a rupee or two. At their age, they drink, they gamble and visit brothels. Really?

Neyaz is a scrap dealer primarily dealing with stolen goods. He eyes Nosha's sister Sultana, who is also his deceased wife's sister. Raziya is smart enough to sense his interest. Neyaz and Raziya also get involved with each other. Really, despite knowing what plans the other has?

Kale Sahab is an insurance agent, relentlessly working to make new clients for his commission.
Doctor Motu who doesn't hesitate to help Neyaz kill his future wife for insurance claim. Forming an alliance with Kale and Motu, Neyaz buys an insurance and marries Raziya.

Salman is a student, who is disowned by his family and is now addicted to gambling and alcohol and starts selling his belongings to Neyaz.

Heartbroken by the constant beating and insults, the three friends run away but Shami returns. Raja and Nosha are brought to Shah ji and after a theft and police case, eventually end up in jail.

The story spirals and spins new subplots, introducing new characters; some good and some evil. Mostly evil.

Safdar Basheer, a wealthy man with some good intent, forms a new organization Falak Paima for social services – adult education, health, cleaning etc. Salman associated with it, working for them. Doctor Zaidi and Ali Ahmed (two nice souls) also join the organization.

Falak Paima sounded like the ray of hope in the otherwise messed up world filled with messed up people. However, soon, they get drawn to the temptation of politics and Safdar suddenly turns into an evil, drinking, careless man. Falak Paima and its journey highlights the issues related to election and awful tactics that are deployed to win the election. It results in Safdar's death and many Skylarks (Falak Paima workers) end up in jail.

Raziya succumbs to the poisons being injected in her body and passes away. Despite her attempts of securing Sultana's future, she leaves her kids alone and at the mercy of Neyaz.

Nosha is released from jail and becomes part of a gang of pick-pocketers lead by Pedro. Raja was released from jail because he was sick and now working as a beggar at the railway station. Nosha wants to gather money for his treatment and tries to hide some money from Pedro. He is beaten up and kicked out.

Annu is kicked out of the house and runs into Nauroz, a child molester. After suffering for a few weeks, he runs away, only to end up with eunuchs and becoming one of them. Sultana gives birth to Neyaz's child, out of the noble union, of course.

Salman returns home, gets married and his wife gets involved with his boss, adding more torture to the already grave story.

The story continues, shit happens to all the characters from rape to murder to what not. When Nosha meets Sultana and finds out the truth, he kills Neyaz and ends up in jail, again.

Sultana is raped again by so-called relatives of Neyaz. Her butler takes her home, but his wife does not have a big heart. Sultana meets a few people and eventually ends up at the headquarters of Falak Paima, marrying Ali Ahmed.

The story stops just as abruptly as it leaves the other subplots in the middle. I was disappointed and relieved at the same time when it ended.
I just don't get it.
I mean, these kids, most of them, were young – about sixteen years of age. How and when did they start drinking, gambling and visiting heera mandi?
None of the characters had a good fate. Really? I am not saying that everything should be glorious and happy in a story, but is real world filled with no kind soul? Shit happens, left, right and center. All characters act terribly and meet with a terrible end.
This story is an amalgamation of EVERYTHING EVIL that can happen in the world. Rape (obviously), Laundebaazi (repeated theme throughout the story), theft (a norm with most characters), incest, exploiting in the name of religion, riots, shit behind politics and election, the awful lives of those in jail, extra-marital affairs, effects of bad company on women (cuz all women do is shop, watch movies, and waste money)
Why?
The story starts with greed and ends with death, for most of the characters.
By the way, I notice some similarities with other characters. Shoka in Ranjha Ranjha Kar Di, for instance, was totally based on Neyaz. Kashif Zubair's Raja (in Raja and Jaleel series) is loosely based on Shami, who gets beaten by his father every now and again.

[Komal Ehsan · Rating 5 out of 5]

''Khuda Ki Basti''(God's Colony), by Shaukat Siddiqui is a remarkable novel that has won many noble prizes by its popularity. ''Khuda Ki Basti'', got famous due to the credible writing style of the author. The novel also got fame and popularity due to the Post-Partition narrative used by the author. As it shows the difficult life of low-class people in Karachi slums..which indicates the critical situation of the whole of Pakistan. Karachi has been used as a metaphor for the whole country. In this case, the novel proves to be the greatest narrative in the post-partition scenario. In this novel, the difference in Accent between rich and poor, educated and uneducated is evaluated excellently. I think the seven deadly sins are overactive in the low cast and criminal-minded persons. Gluttony is one of them which is overactive in low-class criminals. They are lustful too. Aristocrats have pride, greed, envy, wrath, and sloth in them. Dishonest rich people are working as authorities in every field of life. The behavior of Aristocrats with the low class is highly menacing. They consider their birthright to exploit the low class and rule over them. In this novel, fragments of Real-life stories without any element of Fantasy have been portrayed by the author. Aristocrat like Khan Bahadur live their life in full luxury and die in the same way. Innocent people who belong to the low class like Raja, Nosha, Shami, Sultana, and Annu live their life just as puppets. They show their puppet play to those Rich people, who have to control them throughout their whole life. Efforts of some noble and kind-hearted Aristocrats are useless until they have a lot of power and heaps of wealth with corruption. Those Aristocrats who show their kindness and selfless behavior are few. The tragedy is that rich and dishonest people are becoming richer..poor is becoming poorer. This cycle is moving on for centuries without any hindrance...It will surely pass on for centuries without any restriction. That's the rule of the Universe. Rich and poor are satisfied in some way but those who belong to the middle class are gradually losing their intelligence by involving themselves in an unending fire of comparison with high strata of society. But it also shows that morality is just for the middle class. Both 'Highly Rich' and 'Too much Poor' are beyond so-called, ''morality'' and ''limitation'' of any kind. Instead of the fact, they are living unpredictable life. Even educated middle-class people have lost their purpose in life. They have forgotten How can they prove themselves as true Muslims? How they can fight with their meaningless prejudices and fears? How they can get rid of these fears and become free?
The author rightly played the role of the mouthpiece to his characters. That's why it is a Realistic novel as it bluntly provides every detail about the true circumstances & happenings of that era in a profound manner.
(Komal Ehsan..)

[Sualeha · Rating 5 out of 5]

مجھے لگتا تھا کہ انسانوں کی درندگی کے قصے سن، دیکھ اور پڑھ کر اب دل کافی مضبوط ہو گیا ہے لیکن شوکت صدیقی کے ناول، خدا کی بستی نے یہ گمان غلط ثابت کردیا. کتاب ختم کر لینے کے بعد بھی کتنی دیر میں نوشہ، سلطانہ، راجہ، شامی اور انو کے بارے میں سوچتی رہی. آنکھوں کی گرفت سے کس وقت کون سا آنسو کس کے لئے چھوٹ رہا تھا نہیں معلوم، اس کتاب کے دل و دماغ پر نشان اب ابدی ہیں.
بیس سے زائد زبانوں میں ترجمہ ہونے والا یہ شاہکار کوئی ناول تو نہیں ہے. یہ استحصال کی روداد ہے. یہ خود غرض امیر کے دیمک لگے معاشی نظام کے خلاف بغاوت کا ایک روندھا ہوا نعرہ ہے. یہ معاشرے کی اپنے آپ کو ایک بے داغ سفاک آئینے میں دیکھ کر ایک کربناک چیخ ہے. یہ نوحہ ہے عوام کا جو پستے چلے جاتے ہیں، استعمال ہوئے چلے جاتے ہیں، خواب دیکھتے چلے جاتے ہیں اور اب خوابوں کا جنازہ نکلتے دیکھتے جاتے ہیں.
مجھے اس کتاب میں کچھ مقامات پر تفصیلی بیان زیادہ لگا لیکن اس کا مقصد بھی سمجھ آ گیا. یہ کتاب ناول نہیں ہے. یہ ایک مقدمہ ہے جہاں ملزم، مجرم، گواہ، وکیل، تماشبین، فیصلہ کرنے والا جج اور سزا دینے والا جلاد خود یہ معاشرہ ہے اور مقدمے میں کیس کی نوعیت کو بھانپنے کے لئے سب باریکیاں سمجھنا ضروری ہے.
اس کتاب میں کون زیادہ مظلوم لگا اس کا فیصلہ کرنا مشکل ہے. کبھی سلطانہ کی اندھیرے میں سسکی سنائی دیتی ہے تو کلیجہ پھٹ جاتا ہے، کبھی کسی درخت کے نیچے بیٹھے کوڑھ زدہ راجہ کا تصور حول دیتا ہے، کبھی کسی کونے میں گیلی پلکوں لیے انو تنہا بیٹھا دیکھ کر دل پسیج جاتا ہے، تو کبھی نوشہ کسی استاد سے پٹتا سنائی دیتا ہے اور دل رک سا جاتا ہے.
خدا کی بستی میں موقع سب کو ملتا ہے، سنبھلنے کا، بہتر ہونے کا لیکن اکثر اس کے باسی یہ موقع ایسے چھینتے ہیں جیسے کسی وقت مرگ شخص کے منہ کے قریب آب شفا لے جائی جائے اور پھر اس کی آنکھوں کے سامنے بے دردی سے پیالہ ہی چٹخ دیا جائے.
اس کتاب نے دل بوجھل کر دیا، ذہن غمزدہ کردیا.

[MI Abbas · Rating 5 out of 5]

دماغ کو گھن چکر بنا کر بوجھل کردینے والی کہانیوں سے تو ہم کسی طور نکل ہی آتے ہیں، لیکن دل کو بوجھل کر دینے والی کہانیوں کا اثر دائمی ہوتا ہے۔

یہ حقیقت نگاری کے جادوگر ادیب، اس قدر سفاک انداز میں کہانیاں لکھتے ہیں کہ ہم جیسے، بھیانک انجام کے متمنی، لوگ بھی کسی اچھے انجام کی آرزو کرنے لگ جاتے ہیں۔ لیکن بات یوں ہے کہ اگر انجام لرزا دینے والا نہ ہو تو وہ حقیقت سے قریب تر کیسے ہو، اور پھر وہ ادب کیسے ہو؟ ادب حقیقت ہی کو تو ایک مختلف شکل میں بیان کرتا ہے، ایک ایسی شکل میں جسے ہم امر واقعہ کے طور پر تو رد کردیتے ہیں لیکن کہانی کے طور پر قبول کر لیتے ہیں۔

شوکت صدیقی کا مشہور زمانہ ناول "خدا کی بستی" بھی کہانی کے رنگ میں لکھی ایک ایسی ہی تلخ حقیقت ہے جس میں طاقتور طبقہ اشرف المخلوقات اور غریب محض حشرات الارض ہیں۔ یہ ہمارے وطن کی المناک داستان ہے جسے خدا کے نام پر حاصل کر کے اس ہی کے نام پر پامال کیا جاتا رہا ہے۔ اس ناول میں نہ کوئی گاڑھا فلسفہ ہے نہ ہی مشکل ادبی اصطلاحات ہیں۔ بس کہانی ہے، ایسی کہانی جو جکڑ کر جھنجھوڑ کر رکھ دیتی ہے اور اختتام تک آتے آتے اتنے کچوکے لگاتی ہے کہ دل بوجھل ہوجاتا ہے۔

ناامیدی، اداسی اور مایوسی کے درمیان اس ناول میں نوجوانوں کی ایک ایسی تنظیم بھی متحرک نظر آتی ہے جس کا مقصد معاشرے میں سماجی اور اقتصادی عدم توازن کو سیاسی جدوجہد کے ذریعے دور کر کے مساوات قائم کرنا ہے۔

یہ نوجوان امید کے ٹمٹماتے دیے کو اپنے عزم و ہمت سے جلائے رکھنے کی سعی میں تمام تر مخالفتوں، رکاوٹوں، اور طاقتور طبقے کے بے جا ظلم و تشدد کو برداشت کرتے ہوئے اس یقین کے ساتھ آگے بڑھتے نظر آتے ہیں کہ بالآخر علم و آگہی کی روشنی جہل کے اندھیرے کو ختم کر کے سارے جہان کو منور کر ہی دے گی۔

~ کہیں تو جا کے رکے گا سفینہ غم دل

اس تنطیم کا ہر فرد علامہ اقبال کے اس شعر پر پورا اترتا محسوس ہوتا ہے:

نگہ بلند سخن دل نواز جاں پرسوز
یہی ہے رخت سفر میر کارواں کے لیے

ایک مکمل کہانی کیا ہوتی ہے اس ناول کو پڑھ کر بخوبی اندازہ لگایا جا سکتا ہے۔ کمزور کا استحصال، انسانیت کی تزلیل، محبت کا در در کی ٹھوکریں کھانا، طاقتور کی درندگی، نوجوانوں کی بہادری، ان کا جزبہ ایثار، سب ہی کچھ اس میں نظر آتا ہے۔ منظر نگاری جہاں کہیں موجود ہے وہاں بڑے ہی نفیس انداز میں کی گئی ہے۔ ناول سے ایک سطر ملاحظہ کیجئے:

’بڑی سہانی رات تھی۔ آسمان پر ستارے بکھرے ہوئے تھے۔ شیشم کے پتے آہستہ آہستہ تالیاں بجا رہے تھے۔ ہوا نرم اور سبک تھی۔‘
۔۔

[Hassan Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

خدا کی بستی

فکشن لکھنے والے ہر لکھاری کا ایک خاص انداز ہوتا ہے جس کو پڑھنے والا محسوس کرتا ہے۔ شوکت صدیقی کی تحریروں کے انداز نے مجھے ہمیشہ اپنی جانب کھینچا اور اس قدر کھینچا کہ میں نے پہلے صفحے سے لے کر آخری صفحے تک خود کو ان کے سحر میں گرفتار پایا۔ یہ کتاب بھی ان چند کتابوں میں سے ایک ہے جس کو بوجہ پسندیدگی میں نے چند دنوں میں پڑھا، روز و شب پڑھا۔

شوکت صدیقی کی اوجِ کمال تک پہنچی ہوئی کردارنگاری، کرداروں کے مابین مکالمے، وقائع نگاری یا منظر نگاری میں ایک ماہر کہانی کار کی تخلیقی ندرت اور کمالِ فن نے بلاشبہ اردو ادب کو "خدا کی بستی" کی صورت ایک بہترین ناول عطا کیا۔

ناول کا ہر کردار منفرد، اچھوتا اور کہانی اور سیچوئیشن کے ساتھ صد فیصد انصاف کرتا ہے۔
راجہ، نوشا، شامی، سلمان اور سلطانہ کے کردار لازوال ہیں۔ ہر کردار ایک نئی جہت ایک نیا زاویہ ہے جو پڑھنے والے کی ادبی و فکری تشنگی کی تسکین کرتا ہے۔

بستی کے سارے کردار آج بھی ہمارے گرد و پیش میں بہرطور موجود ہیں بالکل اسی طرح جیسے اس وقت تھے۔ اس کی ایک وجہ تو ناول نگار کا انسانی نفسیات اور جبلت کا عمیق مشاہدہ ہے۔ دوسری وجہ شاید یہ ہے کہ اتنے برسوں بعد بھی ہم اپنی سمت کا تعین کرنے میں ناکام و نامراد رہے ہیں۔ اگر کبھی وقت میسر ہو تو "خدا کی بستی" کا مطالعہ کیجیۓ اور سوچئے کہ کیا یہ سب کردار آج بھی ہمارے گرد و پیش میں موجود ہیں؟ کیا ہم بھی تو ان کرداروں ہی میں سے ایک کردار تو نہیں ہیں؟

ناول میں تقسیم کے بعد کے کراچی کی واضح جھلک ہے۔
تقسیم ہند کے بعد پاکستان میں تشکیل پانے والی شہری سوسائٹی جو نیم سرمایہ دارانہ اور نیم جاگیردارانہ معاشرت کی ترجمان ہے اس کے باطنی حقائق کو نہایت جرات کے ساتھ اجاگر کیا گیا ہے۔

شوکت صدیقی نے اپنے اس ناول میں انسانی اغراض پر وجود میں آنے والے معاشرے کی تصویر کشی فکشن کے خطوط پر ضرور کی ہے لیکن سماجی اور انسانی نفسیات کا تجزیہ اتنا فنی انداز میں کیا ہے کہ کہانی کو حقیقی زندگی کے بالکل قریب کر دیا ہے۔

خدا کی بستی" کے 46 ایڈیشن شائع ہوئے اور یہ اردو کا واحد ناول ہے جس کا 42 دیگر زبانوں میں ترجمہ بھی ہوا۔

اس ناول کو ڈرامائی تشکیل بھی دی گئی اور پاکستان ٹیلی وژن سے پانچ مرتبہ نشر ہوا۔ ناول کو 1960ء میں آدم جی ادبی انعام ملا۔

[Rizwan Mehmood · Rating 5 out of 5]

‎ خدا کی بستی صرف ایک کہانی نہیں، بلکہ ایک سماج کی اجتماعی بدنصیبی اور ظلم کی تصویر ہے، جہاں غریب کا مقدر صرف استحصال ہے اور طاقتور ہر قیمت پر اپنی اجارہ داری قائم رکھنا چاہتا ہے۔

‎شوکت صدیقی کا یہ ناول 1957 میں لکھا گیا، لیکن آج بھی ہمارے گرد و پیش کی حقیقت معلوم ہوتا ہے۔ کردار جیسے نوشا، سلطانہ، راجہ اور شامی صرف کہانی کے کردار نہیں، بلکہ ایسے چہرے ہیں جو آج بھی ہمارے معاشرے میں دکھائی دیتے ہیں۔

‎ناول میں نہ کوئی پیچیدہ فلسفہ ہے، نہ ہی ثقیل
‎زبان، بس سادہ لیکن تلخ حقیقت نگاری ہے جو قاری کو جھنجھوڑ کر رکھ دیتی ہے۔ کراچی کے پس منظر میں لکھی گئی یہ کہانی غربت، ناانصافی، اور طاقت کے بے رحم کھیل کو عیاں کرتی ہے۔ ایک طرف معصوم خواب ہیں جو کچلے جاتے ہیں، دوسری طرف ظلم کے وہ پہاڑ ہیں جو بلند بھی ہیں اور بے حساب بھی۔ اس مایوسی کے اندھیرے میں ایک تنظیم امید کا چراغ بن کر ابھرتی ہے، جو سماجی اور اقتصادی ناانصافی کے خلاف جدوجہد کرتی ہے اس یقین کے ساتھ، کہ علم و شعور کی روشنی، جہالت کو ایک دن ضرور مٹا دے گی۔

‎یہ ناول نہ صرف ادبی لحاظ سے شاندار ہے بلکہ یہ
‎ایک آئینہ بھی ہے جو ہمیں اپنے معاشرے کی وہ تصویر دکھاتا ہے جس سے ہم کتراتے ہیں۔ ایک لازوال تخلیق۔

[Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable portrayal of the Pakistani society after partition. The major themes were oppression, violence, exploitation and poverty. The lives of all the characters revolved around those themes.

On both sides of the sub-continent, the Bourgeois got power after the British. Ordinary men and women had hoped that repression and exploitation will subside after they were independent of their colonial masters. That unfortunately didn't happen. Power merely changed hands while creating the illusion that the public had power. But whenever an ordinary man or an ordinary group of men ventured to access and use that power in a legal way, they were harassed by illegal means to cut them down to their size.

A group of individuals who felt that they had a duty to serve their nation by ending poverty and making people more aware and educated start out an organization. Slowly they feel that unless they have power, they won't be able to propagate that cause in a better way. So they decide to use the legal way to access that power which in a 'free' country is elections. But somewhere around the corner, there always are people who seek power for the power's sake, not for the sake of welfare. The success of those people in post-partition era is the tragedy of the sub-continent. They use jingoism,religion and culture to blind the people and to vote for them. And unfortunately,people do that. And when they do come to power, they make sure to paralyze those who once opposed them. The abuse of the process of gaining power and then the power itself is the major theme of this novel and it is brilliantly captured by the author.

The other theme of this novel is how women were sexually marginalized and exploited if they had no guardian. This is something that was portrayed by Manto in some really gruesome and realistic ways in his short stories such as Khol Du. The depiction here was not as blunt as Manto but the author did try to portray the helplessness and vulnerability of a general female in a society which had witnessed violent disintegration at Partition. Perhaps their morality also disintegrated along the way.

The criticism on the role of state of being responsible for the situation of all those individuals was missing and that I feel is something very criminal. While ordinary individuals are responsible, those who misuse power at the highest level or those who grab that power without a mandate such as Army Generals or Dictators should also be held accountable by those writing about the post colonial period. While common place greediness, violence and exploitation by individuals is despicable, we should also go beyond that and discover that which entity, despite having the power to stop them is not blocking their way and which in fact, is becoming the role model for them.

[Haider Hussain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in 1957, Shaukat Siddiqui's Khuda ki Basti (God's Land) is considered one of the greatest novels in Urdu literature. It was amongst the very first attempts to highlight slum-dwellers' struggles in the new-born Pakistan. Central idea of the Story is strongly pro-socialist: capitalism is mostly evil and money is the root-cause of perversion in the society. Plot is all about slum-dwellers' miseries; the desperate measures they have to take to get by; and their exploitation by the hands of affluent people. Story also touches a couple of sensitive issues including incest and use of religion to gain financial favors.

Although the characterization is not very strong, the prose is lucid and Siddiqui's use of that time's slang is quite vivid (don't know whether English translation does justice with that). Siddiqui also quite accurately depicted the everyday lives of slumdwellers.

All in all, reading Khuda ki Basti turned out to be a good experience.

[Naveed Masih · Rating 5 out of 5]

جب سے کتاب اور خصوصاً ناول پڑھنے کا شوق پروان چڑھا ہے تب ہی سے بستی از انتظار حسین اور خدا کی بستی از شوکت صدیقی کو پڑھنے کی خواہش تھی۔
گزشتہ برس بستی کو آڈیو فارمیٹ میں سنا جس کی پڑھت تصنیف حیدر نے کی ہے اور جو یوٹیوب پر دستیاب ہے۔ ناول سنا تو ضرور پر کچھ خاص تشفی نہ ہو سکی۔
شاید میری جنریشن کو ڈیجیٹل ریڈنگ یا لسننگ سے مکمل ہم آہنگ ہونے میں ابھی کچھ وقت لگے۔ کبھی فرصت میسر آئی تو بستی کا مطالعہ ضرور کروں گا۔
خدا کی بستی کے ساتھ بھی کم و بیش یہی معاملہ رہا۔ متعدد بار آغاز کیا اور چند صفحات سے آگے نہ بڑھ سکا۔ ایک مرتبہ تو پرنٹنگ کی خستہ حالی نے ہی ارادہ ترک کرنے پر مجبور کر دیا۔
لیکن اب جب خدا کی بستی کو مکمل کر لیا ہے تو ایک عجیب سی گہری اداسی طاری ہے۔
ناول کو لکھے ہوئے لگ بھگ ستر برس ہونے کو آئے مگر اس کی تازگی اور معنویت آج بھی ویسے ہی قائم ہے۔ کہانی کا کوئی کردار غیر حقیقی محسوس نہیں ہوتا۔ ہر چہرہ، ہر جذبہ اور ہر واقعہ جیسے ہمارے اردگرد کا ہی عکس ہو۔
افسوس کہ اس اعلیٰ ناول کو پڑھنے میں اتنی دیر لگا دی۔

[Dil Nawaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

مجھے یہ ناول پڑھ کر لگا جیسے مشہور ڈرامہ سیریل میرے پاس تم ہو کی کہانی اس ناول سے لی گئی ہو اس ناول میں سلمان اور رکشندا کی کہانی کچھ ایسی لگی-

ویسے تو اس ناول کے کئی کردار اور کئی کہانیاں ہیں جو ایک ساتھ شروع ہوتی ہیں اور آخر میں جاکر کہیں نہ کہیں مل جاتی ہیں-

لاہور کی غریب بستیوں سے شروع ہونے والی کہانی آپکو ۱۹۴۷ کے بعد کا کراچی بھی دکھاتی ہے-

اس کہانی میں دکھایا گیا ہے کس طرح غریب لڑکے اور لڑکیوں کا خوب استحصال کیا جاتا ہے اُن کی غربت کو کچھ پیسے اور لالچ کے عوض خرید لیا جاتا ہے-

غربت کس طرح جرائم کا باعث بنتی ہے اس ناول میں بڑی باریکی سے دکھایا گیا ہے-

اِس ناول کی کہانی کچھ ایسی ہے کہ آپکو رُولا دے- وڈیرے کیا شروع سے ظلم کرتے آئے ہیں؟ حالاںکہ ناول شہر کی منظر کشی کرتاہے پر وڈیرے تو پھر وڈیرے صحیح جنکی بادشاہی زندگی دیہاتوں میں اور سیاسی زندگی شہروں میں-

حیرت اس بات پر ہوتی ہے یہ ناول ۱۹۵۷ میں لکھا گیا تھا اور ستر سال بعد بھی وہی منظر آپکو آس پاس دیکھنے کو ملے گا-

رانا دل نواز
کراچی، پاکستان-

[Imran Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant novel!

Despite the many characters, the author brings them together seamlessly. The reader also has little problem remembering the many characters.

The novel, though first published in 1959, is a scathing indictment of Pakistani society. Unfortunately, even after six decades much of the author's criticism remains valid.

Nonetheless, Shaukat Siddiqui's novel, is first and foremost an entertaining story about a diverse cast of characters in a recently independent Pakistan. It's a timeless tale about the human condition.

A masterpiece!

[M. Ahsan · Rating 4 out of 5]

واقعی ایک شاہکار. سن٥٠ کی دہائی کا یہ ناول پڑھ کے ایسا محسوس ہوا جیسے یہ آج کے ہی دور میں لکھا گیا ہو. یہ ناول آج کے دور کے بابوں کے منہ پر بھی ایک چماٹ ہے جو اپنے زمانے کی تعریف اور آج کے وقت کی برائی کرتے نہیں تھکتے. مصنف کا ہمارے معاشرہ پر انتہائی گہرا مشائدہ.غور کرنے پر یہ سب کردار ہمیں اپنے ارد گرد نظر آئیں گے اور شاید ہم بھی ان میں سے کوئی اک کردار ہوں.

[Zubair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic.

[W]

This became a TV series during the early days of PTV.Didn't find it to my liking.

[Saad · Rating 4 out of 5]

کاش انو کا انجام اچھا ہوتا، دل دکھ گیا ۔۔۔۔,

[Kulsoom · Rating 5 out of 5]

ادب یا تو تلخ حقیقتوں کی عکاسی کرتا ہے، یا اس سے راہِ فرار فراہم کرتا ہے۔ معیاری
ادب نا صرف قاری کی ذات کو کرداروں کی شخصیتوں سے بہت بالاتر انکی انسانیت سے
آگاہ کرتا ہے بلکہ انکی بقا کا خواہاں بنا کر اسکا دل کر چیاں بنا کر کرداروں کے ٹوٹے خواب
قاری کے سینے میں چبھوتا ہے۔ ایسی ہی چبھن میرے دل پر پڑاؤ ڈال چکی ہے کیونکہ "خدا
کی بستی" تلخ حقائق سے لبریز ناول ہے۔ اسکے باوجود یا شاید اسی صفت کی بدولت اس
ناول کو مقبولیت حاصل ہے اور کیوں نہ ہو جبکہ یہ نہایت ارزاں، توڑ پھوڑ کا شکار
معاشرے اور اسمیں رائج عدم مساوات کی عکاسی کامل اور بھرپور، دل دہلا دینے اور ذہن
منتشر کرنے والے انداز میں کرتا ہے۔
مشہور و معروف مقولہ کے عین مطابق اس کتاب میں آرٹ اپنی برتر شکل میں موجود
ہے۔ یہ کہانی ستائے ہؤوں کو سکوں دینے اور پر سکونوں کو ستانے کا ہنر اپنے ہر موڑ میں
پنہاں رکھتی ہے۔ جس میں اسے جھیلنے کا حوصلہ ہوگا وہ اسکا قدردان ٹھہرے گا!

[Saad Tariq · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You search for life sitting in closed rooms and reading books, and I have seen life in the brothel. I have seen life in small huts and narrow, dark alleyways... Look at life with the naked eye, and see the extent to which it has become a victim.”

Shaukat Siddiqui, God's Own Land

God's Own Land is the translated version of Shaukat Siddiqui's landmark novel Khuda Ki Basti. I hooked up with this book through its audio version but later started reading it cause my curiosity was more intense than the playback speed of the voice over artist.

Consisting of several characters knitted together subtly in a grand kind of story, the book can be called as a mini saga of human hypocrisy, poverty, love, and filth. Yes filth, the filth in which humans of this society breathe. The ooze in which the insect type humans from the lowest bench of economic pyramid crawl, and crawl slowly. Then he talks about hopes, hopes blooming in that atmosphere and then also beautifully shows the demise of those hopes. The reader is just left with a bitter smile in the end, just that.. I think that's how it is.

I'd describe this novel as real, raw, and brutally truthful. The era of 40s and 50s portrayed in this book feels like the descriptions of today's society. I felt at times, we have not changed. We are just there, same. Siddiqui is a genius.

I would also mention in my review that this can be called as one of Urdu's best psychological novels. Perhaps, some readers wont feel.. and ignore this but the way in which the author covers this story, one can feel that he is fully enlightened with the diagnosis of this society's problems, those complexities, and also the characters that he made part of his plot. Imo, this is the key ingredient to become an author of a masterpiece!

I hereby add this to my favorite list.

#khudakibasti #godsownland #shaukatsiddiqui

[Dhanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read the English translation (by David J Matthews) of this Urdu novel. The novel is set in Pakistan few years after its formation. It deals with the life of commoners and the problem faced by them - poverty, unemployment, exploitation. There is also the longing of the youth for a better life and their working towards it. Though the novel is mostly concentrated on one Pakistani family the story remains the same in the slum.

The novel is one of that sort which prompts to you whisper or yell at the characters, "Please don't do that, you will be in trouble". Mostly you feel sorry for the state of life and that the end of story is going to be very tragic. There is a gloomy aura throughout but there every now and then the reader feels that there is still a ray of hope.

[Muhammad Waqas · Rating 3 out of 5]

شوکت صدیقی صاحب کے خدا کی بستی کا شمار اردو کے چند بڑے ناولوں میں ہوتا ہے۔ جس کی کہانی تقسیم کے بعد کے پاکستان کے بنتے بگڑتے معاشرے خاص کر بڑھتی طبقاتی تقسیم کا احاطہ کرتی ہے۔ کہانی کئی کرداروں پر مشتمل ہے جن کی اپنی کئی چھوٹی کہانیاں دکھائی گئی ہیں۔ بالعموم یہ ناول پڑھنے سے تعلق رکھتا ہے۔ کئی جگہ پر مگر مصنف جلدی میں نظر آئے جہاں کہانی مزید گھرائی کی متقاضی تھی۔ سب سے بنیادی نقطہ اس پوری کہانی کا مذہبی منافقت ہے جو آج کے تناظر میں بھی پورا اترتی ہے۔

[Saqui · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in 1957, the story revolves around the wretched conditions of the poorest of the poor living in the slums of Lahore and Karachi.
Has the condition improved a bit for these unfortunates in the Subcontinent after 70+ years?
In many cases, it went further down.
It's good that the writer didn't force a happy ending, squeezing some feel-good sentiment to the bleak backdrop.
There was no redemption here, just like in reality.

[Javaeria Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel disturbed me a lot. The story of this novel is traumatic but the more horrible it feels when you relate it with your life and surroundings. It's 4 AM and I'm unable to sleep as I just ended it and now I'm thinking about my life and uncertainties. By the way, it's amusing to see how every piece of literature back from the 50s, 60s, and 70s is heavily influenced by socialism.

[Naveed Nawaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Shaukat Siddiqi classic. Beautifully written. A compelling story. The way Shaukat Siddiqi tells a story is always unique and powerful. No wonder the PTV Drama based on this novel was one of the best dramas of the classic PTV era.

[Arafat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant novel. must be read by everyone!

[KNShaikh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Average write up but stil relevant till today. Considering it is written in 1957 and discussing still discussing topics relevant I a. giving it 4 star

[Nauman Akhtar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of bitter truth
Depressing

[Anila Mirza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way Shaukat Siddiqui writes all those bits and pieces which remain in your heart and mind forever. This is one of the best we can get from him. Thankyou for writing this.