The novel:

In the very first lecture, we discussed Said’s critique of the novel as a genre, in which he argues that one of the problems is that the novel corroborates with culture. The short story, on the other hand, by its very nature does just the opposite. It is usually deeply ambiguous and often unresolved. It has the ability to locate itself in a particular disposition, a kind of homelessness even, making it a secular genre itself. We saw this in all the short stories we read which usually presented this idea through the figure of the woman, who is a deeply secular individual. Intezar Hussein’s Basti still manages to provide a secular critique through its various themes. Though it does tend to keep with cultural norms, I thought that it still managed to provide an effective exploration of the concept of the secular, given that its protagonist was deeply embroiled in a kind of ambiguity through his feeling of exile.  Also, there is the idea that the notion of a Basti turns out to be almost counter-intuitive because it doesn't imply a settlement in the geographical sense but rather is more of an abstract notion linked to one’s identity. This novel ends with no clear resolution for Zakir and that in itself says something about what this novel achieves in the realm of the secular.

The generation gap:

The relationship between the fathers and sons in Basti is symbolic of the larger looming issues of displacement and exile. After the partition, the tumult and disorder of their displacement serves to wedge a greater gap between them ideologically. It’s almost like they are on completely separate planes, neither understands or even hears the other. The fathers are stuck in an idyllic past, completely incapable of coming to terms with the new state of affairs. Where they had previously been active patriarchs, they now acquire very passive identities within the domestic sphere. There is a marked decrease in the extent of the authority that they are able to exert. Zakir’s father, in particular, loses all agency and resorts to religion as a means of solace. His constant references from the Quran, which are quite esoteric in a sense, only serve to alienate him further away from Zakir. At the same time, Zakir begins to regard his father (and his sayings) dismissively. In this way, their entire relationship loses the kind of essence it had before. Intezar Hussein seems to be pointing at the fact that just as their physical inhabited space loses significance after they move away from Roopnagar, so do their relationships.