Ayesha's post

Sahib-e-Karamat stood out for me especially because of how Manto is representing the secular through his portrayal of religion. When we think of this story in light of Said’s essay, and his conception of the secular, we see that Manto’s use of religion is such that it points out how exclusive and inaccessible it can be. Though Maujoo had a basic understanding of its core tenets, he was still on the periphery because compared to the Maulvi, he didn’t possess what (in his own mind) he himself associated with being religious. Maujoo’s character is portrayed very interestingly because there is almost an escape of all rationality when he is faced by the religious figure of the Maulvi. And the maulvi then uses this to his advantage and as a tool of domination. When religion becomes this obscure kind of concept which the common man cannot fully grasp, is when it becomes problematic from Said’s point of view. The simple societal setting and the fact that the villagers would ask Maujoo to speak at funerals because of his eloquence is telling- I read it almost as a plea to go back to some kind of past in which religion was not so estranging.