Salamat: 'Mai Haraam'zaada hon'.
Woh mera baap nahee hai - Salamat cheekh para.
Phir kis ka baap hai? Afzal nay masoomiyat say poocha
Mujhay pata nahee magar yeh kay woh mera baap nahee hai, mai haraam'zaada hon- is nay pooray zor say daant kachkachatay huay kaha. (pg 81)
A recurrent theme in 'Basti' is this antagonistic relation between the fathers and the sons. Salamat epitomizes this for his views strongly clash with those of Khawaja Sahib. Particularly, in this passage where he refers to himself as a 'bastard' demonstrates the failure of fatherhood and the absolute denial of any association with the father on the sons part. The exilic conditions, the homelessness and coupled with that the loss of identity prompt Salamat to bring upon himself this term 'haraamzaada' which has a very negative connotation attached to it in a normal setting but because Khawaja keeps referring to salamat as the spoiled one, as the disobedient one and more importantly as the 'haraamzaada' - this word has left a mark.
This state of rebellion against the fathers is not limited to Salamat. In my opinion, it is a common feeling prevalent in all those from salamats generation. The four different young male figures in this setting as well - zakir, salamat, ajmal and afzaal all unanimously agree to the idea that their fathers have been 'zaalims' and look at them as an ignorant (jahil) generation altogether. The single-most important reason for this could be the fact that it is particularly aba jaan and khawaja sahibs generation that has failed the youth and put them in such a chaotic and displaced scenario of partition. We can term it as the 'clash of generations' which is reiterated from the other side as well when Khawaja Sahib complains to Aba ji about Salamats involvement in the protests and his will to 'change the system'. Both Khawaja and Aba make a reference to 'aik laakh chobees hazaar' messengers failing to change the system (nizaam) and hence these 'boys' would not be able to do so either. Both fear that these 'sons' are going to bring bad times upon them. Intizaar Hussain writes,
'Maulana, aik baat arz kar doon.Ab kay humain in larkon kay hathon bura waqt dekhna paray ga.Mainay Salamat ko samjhaya, naaray laga laga kion apna gala phaar rahay ho, agay woh kia jawab deta hai kay hum nizaam badlein gay!'
'Khawaja sahib, iss duniya mai aik laakh chobis hazaar pegambar aye, kia woh is duniya ko badal sakay? Tou yeh larkay kia nizaam ko badlain gay?'
Woh mera baap nahee hai - Salamat cheekh para.
Phir kis ka baap hai? Afzal nay masoomiyat say poocha
Mujhay pata nahee magar yeh kay woh mera baap nahee hai, mai haraam'zaada hon- is nay pooray zor say daant kachkachatay huay kaha. (pg 81)
A recurrent theme in 'Basti' is this antagonistic relation between the fathers and the sons. Salamat epitomizes this for his views strongly clash with those of Khawaja Sahib. Particularly, in this passage where he refers to himself as a 'bastard' demonstrates the failure of fatherhood and the absolute denial of any association with the father on the sons part. The exilic conditions, the homelessness and coupled with that the loss of identity prompt Salamat to bring upon himself this term 'haraamzaada' which has a very negative connotation attached to it in a normal setting but because Khawaja keeps referring to salamat as the spoiled one, as the disobedient one and more importantly as the 'haraamzaada' - this word has left a mark.
This state of rebellion against the fathers is not limited to Salamat. In my opinion, it is a common feeling prevalent in all those from salamats generation. The four different young male figures in this setting as well - zakir, salamat, ajmal and afzaal all unanimously agree to the idea that their fathers have been 'zaalims' and look at them as an ignorant (jahil) generation altogether. The single-most important reason for this could be the fact that it is particularly aba jaan and khawaja sahibs generation that has failed the youth and put them in such a chaotic and displaced scenario of partition. We can term it as the 'clash of generations' which is reiterated from the other side as well when Khawaja Sahib complains to Aba ji about Salamats involvement in the protests and his will to 'change the system'. Both Khawaja and Aba make a reference to 'aik laakh chobees hazaar' messengers failing to change the system (nizaam) and hence these 'boys' would not be able to do so either. Both fear that these 'sons' are going to bring bad times upon them. Intizaar Hussain writes,
'Maulana, aik baat arz kar doon.Ab kay humain in larkon kay hathon bura waqt dekhna paray ga.Mainay Salamat ko samjhaya, naaray laga laga kion apna gala phaar rahay ho, agay woh kia jawab deta hai kay hum nizaam badlein gay!'
'Khawaja sahib, iss duniya mai aik laakh chobis hazaar pegambar aye, kia woh is duniya ko badal sakay? Tou yeh larkay kia nizaam ko badlain gay?'
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