Sabirah – the true ‘hero’ of Basti

Zakir, the character who is initially apparent as the main character of Basti, later seems to fail to fill the shoes of the ‘hero’ of the novel in a multitude of ways. His biggest flaw as a protagonist is his inability to struggle adequately to gain his beloved, Sabirah. Zakir’s memories and encounters with her pervade the text, illustrating the passion and emotions he possesses for her. However, he fails to undertake the necessary steps to actually acquire her, exhibiting Intizar Hussain’s clever technique of focusing on Sabirah as the real ‘heroine’ despite keeping her in the background as the manifestation of Zakir’s hopes in the despair that surrounds Partition.

Sabirah exhibits a strange and wonderful combination of strength and simplicity. She is described as beautiful even when she dons a plain white Indian dress and fashions her hair into a schoolgirl-like plait. Her bravery in standing up to her family and her boldness in defying social norms is remarkable, especially for a girl in her situation and time. Her encounter with a man called Surrinder is illustrative of how defined she is about the direction of her life. When he shows his judgmental side by questioning her about her intentions to get married and advises her to show him hospitality, she is sure of herself and her values when she replies:

“Dekhiye aap ne ghalat ilakey mein qadam rakh dia hay.”

She firmly stands for what she believes in other instances as well. She refuses to shift out of Delhi and pursues the search for the job as a radio announcer (something she wants to do) despite being looked down upon and subjected to disproval by her family. She does not appear very often in the novel but is able to create an extensive impact on the reader through the positive impression she makes in her few appearances.

Her superiority as a character to Zakir is highly evident especially in the scene when Zakir refuses to build her a grave like his own. She is rendered alone in this this task but emerges as an independent individual when she is successful in digging a grave that is better than his. The scene of the grave may actually be seen as the essence or manifestation of the relationship between Sabirah and Zakir as well, with Sabirah emerging as the one truly deserving the title of Basti’s protagonist.