Toba Tek Sign was a short film by Sadat Hasan Manto that depicted the negative impacts of partition and proceeded to question the fundamental objective of the practice. Published in 1955, the narration captured Manto’s experiences and emotions following his migration to Pakistan in 1948, an outcome that contributed to his agonizing existence. Throughout the narration, he is plagued by memories because he failed to accept the reality of a new identity and nation. Furthermore, his increasing poverty and failing health led him to plunge into alcoholism to the extent that he almost got admitted to an asylum. In this regard, Manto set his story Toba Tek Sigh in a lunatic asylum, integrating the theme of identity and partition due to political absurdity, questioning why such momentous decisions could be taken without considering the detrimental consequences. Thus, the inherent problems caused by postcolonialism became apparent following the transfer of all Muslim inmates in lunatic asylums to Pakistan and all of the Hindu and Sikh inmates to India.
The theme of partition took centerstage in Toba Tek Sign as people were separated into distinct geographical blocs. In this case, the partition was calamitous since it altered the physical boundaries as well as people’s lives irrevocably. The outcome was unprecedented because it resulted in horror, madness, bestiality, looting, rape, arson, and violence among the people. In the wake of the political decision, the secure walls of shared culture, traditions, and peaceful coexistence all crumbled (Manto). Sadly, overnight, communities that lived in harmony, turned into enemies due to fear coupled with rage. Neighbors thirsted for each other’s blood because they belonged to different communities and religions, forgetting that in the recent past, they could they would have died for each other. A hypnotic obsession with violence coupled with communal frenzy was evident throughout Toba Tek Sigh, involving the people on both sides of the dividing line. Ironically, individuals of the same country who struggled together to subvert British subjugation, now turned against each other.
Toba Tek Sigh metaphorically depicted the condition of India and Pakistan using the imagery of an asylum. The narration was based in an asylum in Lahore and revolved around the perspectives of the inhabitants, depicting mad men talking, which seemed mysterious. Interestingly, the talks by these madmen seemed more sensible, contrary to what the entire population was made to believe. In addition, although the asylums and mad people were viewed differently, there were no differences between the mad inhabitants in the asylums termed Pakistan and India (Manto). Divisions in the name of peacekeeping held upon the leaders after independence contributed to the cultivation of individualistic perspectives among citizens of both nations. As such, the feeling attached to a sense of “home” was destroyed and replaced with subjective elements tied to a specific person, a building, or a piece of land. Ultimately, when a third party directs the feeling, the outcome is nothing short of violence and absolute insanity because the inhabitants of the asylum start to question the moving.
The film also connects the sense of identity and how a person becomes the place. Two elements that are critical to the formation of identity entail political viewpoints and religious standing. Religious standing supposes the need for oneness, which is always evident in the constant affirmation of one faith and practices. According to Nanak (16), “That One, the ever-true Sahib who is true, and whose name is true, is and ever will be; never will the creator of the creation not be.” This insight proves that religion can be the catalyst for violence and mayhem because of the beliefs in superiority and identity; perhaps, it was why the partition in India and Pakistan was effective. Toba Tek Sigh captured the events surrounding Bishan Sigh’s past and present, informing the audience of his predicaments, including how he found himself in the mental asylum. Unfortunately, he was brought to the asylum by family members, all tied up in chains, and then locked up in the madhouse. During his stay, he questions the identity of the people, particularly the formation of Pakistan and India (Manto). The imminent transfer of people from one to the other country made Bishan Sign uncertain of his identity, citing that at one moment, Sialkot could be in Pakistan, and the next instant, it could be shifted to Hindustan. In this view, it was impossible to describe where a place was since it could easily be transferred like a plastic block, a mere reflection of the actual conflict of identity in the larger world outside.
Overall, Sadat Hassan Manto successfully set the story and displayed the scenes with a strong suggestion that the asylum mirrored the outside world. He became an omniscient narrator by distancing himself from the scene, ensuring the film was objective. In addition, by sticking to the historical context of the geographical partition of India and Pakistan, Manto offered facts and a fictionalization of the same. It is also noted that the film had no classic literary language, which enabled it to capture the attention of the audience, guiding them through the storyline clearly. What stood out was the ability to alter narrations from the individual level to the political level, capturing the context, manifestations, and adverse effects of the partition. From a personal standpoint, I found the raw depictions of the entire scenario compelling because they did not feature unnecessary romanticizing or jargon but merely raw descriptions. In this regard, Toba Tek Sigh laid the seeds of existential crisis, prompting the questioning of the basis of identity and false pride attached to it.
Works Cited
Manto, Sadat H. “Toba Tek Singh.” YouTube, Bharat Tiwari, 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvHjM_C1oYg.
Nanak, Guru. Poems from the Sikh Sacred Tradition. Vol. 33. Harvard University Press, 2023.
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