Featuring bumbling generals, assassination plots, and homosexual romance, Pakistani military satire A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif has finally been released in the country's official language Urdu - even as the army tightens its grip on freedom of expression.
The former fighter pilot turned journalist, novelist and librettist is best known for the 2008 novel which chronicles the final days of hardline dictator General Zia-ul-Haq's rule and the myriad conspiracies behind the plane crash that killed him in 1988.
Zia, a pious and far-right dictator in real life, is portrayed by Hanif as a paranoid buffoon backing the Afghan jihad against the Soviets while battling a case of rectal worms.
Although Mangoes is generously salted with heavy doses of humour, the book also unleashes harsh criticism at Pakistan's military establishment.
In the book, the military relies on torture, extrajudicial murder, and covertly supports a jihadist insurgency to pursue its goals -- accusations made by rights activists in real life, but which the military denies, and rarely allows to be repeated by the Pakistani press.
"I love the army. Some of my best friends have died in combat. I have nothing against the institution," explains the 55-year-old, whose own years in uniform provided much of the granular details of military life featured in the book.
"But if the military does something wrong, if they get involved in politics, if they disappear people, then I have to write about it," he adds.
While Mangoes was set in Zia's Pakistan, it was first released in English -- the language of Pakistan's small, educated elite -- during the violent rule of another military dictator, Pervez Musharraf.
- 'Backlash' -
It coincided with Hanif's return to Pakistan after spending nearly 12 years in London with the BBC.
"Some of my journalist friends were scared for me," he recalled.
"I was lucky because 2008 was a particularly bad year in Pakistan with a lot of bloodshed," including the onset of the Pakistani Taliban insurgency, which likely "distracted" potential censors, he says.
Internationally, the novel earned glowing reviews and was longlisted for the Booker Prize, with critics comparing Hanif to famous satire writers Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut.
Despite the widespread praise, more than a decade passed before the novel was translated into Urdu -- Pakistan's other official language, and more widely spoken by the masses.
Works written in English have a narrower, elite audience and so often have greater leeway, while Urdu content tends to be more carefully censored.
According to Hanif, a publisher "sat" on the Urdu translation of the book for years, citing potential repercussions.
But "the time for a backlash has passed", said the book's publisher Hoori Noorani.
"The book had been translated into all major languages of the world. Even though it is a satire and humour can be subversive, it depicts a dark part of our history."
Even so, the book's Urdu release last month comes as authorities have increasingly cracked down on all forms of dissent.
Journalists have complained of the worst censorship since Zia's time, while opposition leaders are rounded up in a controversial anti-corruption campaign.
- Censorship and fear -
As such, the Urdu edition of Mangoes is "very timely," says Harris Khalique, a poet and rights activist.
"Thirty years after the assassination of Zia, writers and journalists are experiencing similar pressures," he adds.
Noorani is hoping to sell a few thousand copies -- a decent number in a country with low literacy rates and an ongoing economic downturn that he says has forced some people to "choose between buying a book or food".
Since Mangoes success, Hanif has gone on to publish two more novels: Our Lady of Alice Bhatti -- the story of a nurse from the Christian minority fighting against patriarchy -- and last year's Red Birds, which focuses on war and refugees.
Hanif has also helped co-create a much anticipated opera about the late Pakistani prime minister Benzair Bhutto, all while pumping out regular op-eds for the New York Times.
As a columnist, Hanif has established himself as one of the premier voices on all things Pakistan -- from the gender politics of making roti to criticism of the army, which saw one of his columns replaced with a blank page in the Pakistani print edition of the paper in 2017.
He admits there are limits -- saying his 2013 book about human rights abuses in restive Balochistan province "would be difficult to write now".
Like most in Pakistani media, he admits to "self-censoring" mostly out of fear of putting his family at risk.
"I have pushed the boundaries," says Hanif. "But I'm now more careful than I've ever been in my life."
AN ASIAN writer has explained how his new book makes Britain’s imperial past “accessible, engaging and thought-provoking” for a younger audience.
Award-winning author and journalist Sathnam Sanghera’s new book, Journeys of Empire, explores empire through 10 journeys he described as being “extraordinary”. Sanghera said his book, published last month by Puffin UK, is “a way of helping children understand how Britain’s biggest story still shapes the world today.”
“We’re not taught this history very well,” he told Eastern Eye.
“The empire is morally complex – sometimes we were good, sometimes bad – so, how do you even begin talking about it? It’s also contentious. There are millions of us whose families were colonised, and millions whose families were the colonisers.”
Teachers cannot teach what they themselves were never taught, Sanghera pointed out.
“There are multiple layers to why British people are so bad at talking about this history. It touches on race, misogyny and geopolitics. It’s easier just not to talk about it.”
And , the cover of his book
Following the success of his bestselling children’s title Stolen History, Sanghera’s this latest work continues Sanghera’s mission to write for readers aged nine and above. With a focus on human experiences, Sanghera said he wanted show that history is not just a list of dates or conquests – it’s a tapestry of stories that connect people.
Born in Wolverhampton to Punjabi immigrant parents, he began school unable to speak English. Later he graduated with first-class honours in English language and literature from Christ’s College, Cambridge.
He has since built a career as a writer and journalist.
His memoir, The Boy with the Topknot, and his novel, Marriage Material, were both shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards. Empireland, Sanghera’s exploration of Britain’s colonial legacy, was longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non- Fiction, named a Book of the Year at the 2022 National Book Awards, and inspired the Channel 4 documentary series Empire State of Mind.
His first children’s book, Stolen History, introduced young readers to the complex and often overlooked realities of empire. With Journeys of Empire, Sanghera aims to go further. “When I finally learned about the British empire, it changed how I saw myself, how I saw Britain, and how I saw India,” he said.
“It seemed obvious that you’d want to give this gift to young people – because your 40s is a bit late to be learning all this.”
Sanghera said the 10 journeys in the book take readers across continents and centuries, revealing both the ambition and the brutality of empire.
“The British empire covered a quarter of the world’s surface and a large portion of its population. It was seven times the size of the Roman empire,” he said.
Aiming to ensure diversity in both perspective and geography, Sanghera said he chose stories from various countries and different phases of the 400-year history.
Alongside India and Mahatma Gandhi, readers will learn about Guyana’s indentured labour system, Gertrude Bell’s adventures in Iraq, and the British invasion of Tibet led by Francis Younghusband.
“I wanted to highlight areas often left out of mainstream narratives,” the writer said. The stories are written with an accessible and honest tone, and with humour.
“Violence is a tricky area,” Sanghera said. “You can’t go into graphic detail, but you also shouldn’t whitewash it. The violence and racism of colonialism were intrinsic. “I tried to strike a balance - acknowledging the brutality without overwhelming young readers.”
Writing for children isn’t much different from writing for adults, Sanghera said.
“You still need engaging stories and to hold attention. The main thing is to avoid big words that might put them off.”
He pointed out how storytelling can counter the allure of digital screens.
“Kids are addicted to screens, and reading rates are falling globally. That’s disastrous for mental health, intellectual development, and politics,” he said.
“When you get news from screens, you’re in an echo chamber – you’re not being challenged or taught to think in a nuanced way.”
Sanghera’s hope is that stories of Journeys of Empire – from pirates to princes and explorers to rebels – will draw in young readers to a world of curiosity and reflection. He said, “The British empire is a complex story. Even the ‘good guys’ had flaws. That’s what makes it worth understanding.”
At the heart of his book is a message about complexity and contradiction. “The empire involved slavery and the abolition of slavery. It caused environmental destruction and inspired environmentalism. We live in a world that struggles with nuance, but that’s what makes us human,” Sanghera said.
“My hope is that readers – kids and adults – learn that opposite things can be true at the same time.”
After six years of writing about empire, Sanghera said he’s ready for a change. His next book will focus on the late pop star George Michael, due out in June next year.
“I thought George Michael would be a nice break from empire. But then I learned that his father came from Cyprus - which was under British rule. The reason he left Cyprus was because of the British. So, even George Michael’s story connects back to empire. You can’t escape it, wherever you go.”
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