1.
The New Constitution
Saadat Hasan
Manto
Summary
The story
“The New Constitution” conveys the idea that a little knowledge is a dangerous
thing. It also tells the reader about the true feelings of the common people of
India for the British.
Ustad Mangu
is a tongawala and lives in Lahore. He is illiterate. He is in the habit of
overhearing his fares. Once he overhears from his fares about the communal
violence. He is worried and tells his friends about the reason of this communal
violence.
He hates the
English because of their arrogance and insulting behavior. Once a gora soldier
insults him and Ustad bears the insult silently. In rage, he abuses the
English.
Once he
overhears about the introduction of the new constitution. He is very happy. He
returns to the Tonga stand and tells his companions about the news. After that,
he overhears about the changes. He overhears that the Indians would be free. He
thought that the new constitution would force the English to go back to
England. The Indian would have elected assemblies. They would have equal
rights. He waits for the introduction of the new constitution very impatiently.
On 1 April,
he gets up early in the morning and comes on road to see the new constitution
in force. However, he is disappointed to see no change. He meets a Gora soldier
there and picks up a quarrel with him. He beats the Gora soldier. Two police
officers lock him up. They tell him that nothing has changed and it is the same
old constitution. (254)
What were
the expectations of Ustad Mangu (from India Act 1935)? Did these expectations
come true?
Ustad Mangu
was a tonga wala. He was illiterate and did not know what the new constitution
was. All his expectations were based on what he overheard from his fares. The
most striking point is that he believed in all those expectations. He was sure
that these expectations would come true.
He expected
that a lot would change. The Indians would be free. The new constitution was
going to be like boiling hot water, which would destroy the moneylenders. The
new constitution would force the English to go back to England and they would
not infest the earth anymore. The Indians would have elected assemblies and
people would get government jobs. Everyone would be able to lay his hand on
something.
He also
expected that Indians would have equal rights. Ustad Mangu beats the Gora
soldier under this illusion but it was surprising for Ustad Mangu that he was
locked up. Therefore, all these were the expectations of Ustad Mangu and none
of these came true. (166 words)
What were
the feelings of the people of common working class of India for the English? OR
Write about
the feelings of people like Ustad Mangu for the English. OR
The Indians
hated British Imperialism. Discuss.
People like
Ustad Mangu hated the British and their imperialistic system. Ustad Mangu was a
tongawala and belonged to a lower working class of India. People like him were
illiterate. They were unaware of the changes that were being made in India.
They hated the British because of their personal insults. The English used to abuse the Indians as if
they were some lower creation of God, even worse than a dog. The English were
proud too.
Under the
circumstances, the Indians hated the British and their imperialistic system.
Even after abusing them for hours, they used to feel enraged. They used to call
them lepers, something dead and rotting. They wanted to knock them all out.
They were sick of their arrogance. The English were just like human monkeys to
them.
The people
of lower working class felt that the English were ruling India against the will
of the Indians. For the Indians, the English were usurpers and they did not
have any right of ruling India. They wanted them to leave India and set the
Indians free. (179 words)
Why did
Ustad Mangu hate the British? OR
Justify
Ustad Mangu ‘s hatred for the British.
Ustad Mangu
was a tongawala. He lived in Lahore before the establishment of Pakistan. The
English were ruling India then. He hated the English because of a personal
reason. Once it happened that Ustad Mangu had a quarrel with a drunken Gora
soldier. The Gora soldier abused Ustad Mangu. Ustad had to bear the insult
silently. This made him depressed for days and he developed feelings of hatred
towards the English.
He used to
tell his friends that he hated the British because they were ruling Hindustan
against the will of the Indians. Besides, they missed no opportunities to
commit atrocities. However, the true reason was his personal insult.
This hatred
went on increasing because of the treatment of the English. They used to treat
him as if he were some lower creature of God.
Therefore,
we can conclude that the Gora soldier of the cantonment was responsible for
Ustad Mangu’s hatred. This hatred went on increasing. Later it changed into a
hatred for the British. (166)
What did
Ustad Mangu look forward to on 1 April? OR
What did
Ustad Mangu expect on 1 April? OR What were Ustad Mangu’s Expectations on 1st
April? OR
Ustad Mangu
looked forward too many things on the first April. Elaborate. OR
How was
Ustad Mangu disillusioned about “The New Constitution”?
On the first
April, he was very happy because he was going to see the coming of the new
constitution with his own eyes. He wanted to see colour and light. He expected
that everything would change. The shop signs, the lampposts, and even people
would change. He wanted to see something colourful and dramatic.
His most
important expectation was that the Indians would have equal rights. Ustad Mangu
beat the Gora soldier under the illusion that he had equal rights after the
enforcement of the new constitution.
He also
expected that the new constitution was going to be like boiling hot water. It
would destroy the moneylenders who sucked the blood of the poor. The new
constitution would force the English to go back to England. They would not
infest the earth any more. Everyone would be able to lay hands on something.
The present system of allotting Tonga number plates would change. All his hopes
and expectations went to walls when he learnt that there was no new
constitution. It was much disillusioned. (175 words)
Discuss that
a little knowledge is a dangerous thing in the context of the story “The New
Constitution”
At the start
of the story, the writer talks about the knowledge of Ustad Mangu very
ironically. According to the writer, “He had never seen the inside of a school,
and in strictly academic terms was no more than a cipher, but there was nothing
under the sun he did not know something about.”
We find that
Ustad Mangu had a little knowledge about things. We see that he was in the
habit of overhearing his fares. The most important thing was that he believed
in all what he used to overhear from his fares. He was illiterate so he did not
know exactly what was going on around him.
It is his
little knowledge that he expects the new constitution would change everything.
He would have equal rights after the enforcement of the new constitution.
Nevertheless, the new constitution was not just that. Ustad had a little
knowledge about that too. Because of this little knowledge, he did a very
dangerous thing. He beat the Gora soldier and he was locked up. It was all due
to his little knowledge. (181 words)
What kind of
man is Ustad Mangu? Discuss his ideas.
Ustad Mangu
is the central character of the story “The New Constitution”. He is a middle-aged
person and is illiterate. He is a tongawala. He lives in Lahore. He is in the
habit of overhearing his fares. That is why he knows something about
everything. He shares these things with his friends.
Ustad has
many friends and cuts jokes with them. In normal circumstances, he is a
humorous fellow.
Ustad Mangu
hates the English. He does not like their arrogance. Once, a Gora soldier
abuses him. From that point onward, he also starts abusing them. He remains
depressed for hours. He wants to get rid of the English. He wants equal rights.
For this reason, he greets the new constitution warmly.
He believes
that the communal violence is because of some holy man’s curse. He also
believes that a king rules every country. He is interested in communist system.
He is
simple. He hates the English and wants India free. He believes that he will get
equal rights because of the new constitution. (173 words)
Describe the
quarrel of Ustad Mangu with the Gora soldier.
On 1 April,
the situation was different for Ustad. He thought that the new constitution was
in force and now he had equal rights. Now if the Gora soldier could beat him so
could he. Therefore, under the wrong impression he picked up a quarrel with the
Gora soldier. Ustad wanted to take a revenge of his previous insult. He
demanded five rupees from the Gora soldier as fare. The Gora soldier could not
believe it. He came close to Ustad Mangu. He also recognized Ustad Mangu. He
decided to beat Ustad Mangu with his stick.
Ustad Mangu
was a strong and well-built man. He started beating the Gora soldier with his
powerful blows. He was in rage. The Gora soldier tried to save himself but
could not. He could not believe that Ustad Mangu was beating him. In
desperation, he began to shout for help. A crowd had gathered.
Two
policemen appeared from somewhere. They rescued the Gora soldier from Ustad
with great difficulty. Ustad Mangu was very angry and was shouting, “New
constitution, new constitution!” but the two policemen told him that it was the
same old constitution. He was locked up. (194)
What did
Ustad Mangu overhear about political changes in India? OR
What did
Ustad Mangu overhear from his fares?
Once, Ustad
Mangu picked up to moneylenders. They started discussion about government of
India Act 1935. Ustad Mangu gathered from their discussion that this Act would
be introduced on the 1 April and because of this Act, many things would change.
The moneylenders were not sure about interest and they wanted to ask a lawyer
about it.
After some
days, he picked up to barristers. They were arguing about the new constitution.
As their discussion was going on in English, Ustad could not follow it.
However, it was his idea that they were against the new constitution. He did
not like them.
Three days
later, he picked up three students. They were discussing about the new
constitution. They said many good things about the Act. They said that because
of the Act, things were going to open up. The Indian would have elected
assemblies. They would get government jobs. (149 words)
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