The New Constitution

The New Constitution by 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)

1. What were the expectations of Ustad Mangu? Did these expectations come true?

Ustad Mangu was a tongawala. 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 Russian king was bound to show them his paces. The things were going to open up.

The Indians would have elected assemblies and people would get government jobs. Everyone would be able to lay his hand on something. The number of thousands of unemployed graduates would reduce. The present system of allotting Tonga number plates would change.

He also expected that Indians would have equal rights. Ustad Mangu beat the Gora soldier under this illusion. According to Ustad Mangu now, it was the new constitution and he had the same rights as the Gora soldier had. If he could beat Ustad Mangu, so could Ustad. However, 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. (231)

2. What were the feelings of the people of common working class of India for the English?

Write about the feelings of people like Ustad Mangu for the English.

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 English treated the Indians as if the Indians were their father’s slaves.

The people of lower working class felt that the English were ruling India against the will of the Indians. According to Ustad Mangu, “Came to the house to fetch a candle and before you knew, they had taken it over.” 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. They were so sick of the English that they used to experience near nausea when they met them.

These were the real feelings of the people of common working class of India against the English. (248)

3. Why did Ustad Mangu hate 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, even worse than a dog. They were very proud. They ordered him as if he was their father’s slave.

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. (185)

4. What did Ustad Mangu look forward to on 1 April?

What did Ustad Mangu expect on 1 April?

Ustad Mangu looked forward to many things on the first April.

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. He wanted to see the new constitution as clearly as he could see his horse. He wanted to see the new constitution brought out with razzle-dazzle.

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. The Russian king would show them his paces. The things were going to open up. The Indians would have elected assemblies. The unemployed graduates would get government jobs. Everyone would be able to lay hands on something. The present system of allotting Tonga number plates would change.

Therefore, Ustad Mangu was looking forward to these changes on 1 April. The most important thing was that he thought that the Indians would be free. They would have equal rights and everything would change. (254)

5. What was Ustad Mangu’s reaction to communal violence between the Hindus and the Muslims?

Ustad Mangu looked disturbed on communal violence between the Hindus and the Muslims.

Actually, Ustad Mangu was not an educated person. He did not know exactly what was going on in India. All his knowledge of things depended on what he overheard from his fares. His fares were just like newspapers to him. The most interesting point is that he believed in all what he overheard. That was why he was looking disturbed after overhearing from his fares about the communal violence.

He sat down with his friends. He took a long drag on the Hookah. He removed his khaki turban and gave his own reason of the communal violence. He believed that the communal violence acts were the result of a holy man’s curse. Then he told the whole story to his friends. According to him, once Akbar Badshah showed disrespect to a saint. That saint cursed him. He said that his Hindustan would always be troubled by riots and disorder.

Therefore, we conclude that Ustad Mangu was worried about communal violence. He believed that they were the result of a holy man’s curse. (185)

6. How was Ustad Mangu disillusioned about “The New Constitution”?

How did Ustad Mangu come to know that he was wrong about the New Constitution?

How was Ustad Mangu disappointed about the New Constitution?

Disillusion means disappointed in somebody or something that one had admired and believed in.

When we go through the story “The New Constitution”, we find that Ustad Mangu had many wrong expectations about the new constitution. He was illiterate and did not know exactly what the new constitution was. All his wrong expectations were based on what he overheard from his fares. The most interesting point is that he believed that all these expectations would come true.

His first wrong expectation was that the Indians would have equal rights. He English would not be able to infest the earth any more. Ustad Mangu beat the Gora soldier under the illusion that he had equal right after the enforcement of the new constitution. The same Gora soldier had abused Ustad Mangu. Ustad Mangu had to bear the insult. However, this time he thought that it was now the new constitution in force and he had the same right as the Gora soldier had. If Gora soldier could beat Ustad Mangu, so could he; but he was disillusioned. He was locked up. He was told that it was the same old constitution.

Therefore, that was how he was disillusioned of his false belief of equal rights. He also had the false belief that everything would change, but he was disillusioned of that too. He came to know that nothing had changed. Even it was the same old constitution. (236)

7. Discuss that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing in the context of the story “The New Constitution”.

When we read the story “The New Constitution” carefully, we conclude that it is a fact that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

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. His fares were just like newspapers to him. 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.

Firstly, he believed that communal violence between the Muslims and the Hindus was because of some holy man’s curse. It was just lack of knowledge. Secondly, he believed that every country was ruled over by a king. The new constitution was being introduced because of the Russian king.

Thirdly, he wrongly expected that because of the new constitution everything would change. 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.

Therefore, we can conclude that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. (264)

8. 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 knows very little about what is going on around him in India. 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.

Therefore, we can say that Mangu is a good character. He is simple. He hates the English and wants India free. He believes that he will get equal rights because of the new constitution. (196)

9. Describe Ustad Mangu’s observations on 1 April.

On 1 April, Ustad Mangu got up early in the morning. He set up his Tonga and took to road. He wanted to see the introduction of the new constitution with his own eyes.

He was disappointed to see that nothing had changed. Everything had the same old and worn-out look. He wanted to see colour and light. However, there was nothing. Even the lampposts looked the same. The shop signs had not changed. People were moving here and there as if nothing new had happened. Then he thought that was no change because it was very early in the morning. Most of the shops were closed.

In front of the Government College, he saw many students. They were nicely dressed but it appeared to him that they were wearing dirty clothes. Ustad Mangu wanted to see something colourful and dramatic. He reached Anarkali but he saw nothing new. He saw shopkeepers busy with their customers as usual. He wanted to see the new constitution as clearly as he could see his horse. He also wanted to see it brought out with razzle-dazzle.

He picked up a fare and started towards the cantonment. He was hopeful that he might learn something about the new constitution there. However, he was disillusioned and did not see anything that could prove that the new constitution had been introduced. (225)

10. Describe the quarrel of Ustad Mangu with the Gora soldier.

Ustad Mangu was a tongawala. He lived in Lahore. The English were ruling India then. The English were very arrogantly and treated the Indians as if they were their father’s slaves. The Indians did not like their attitude.

Once, a Gora soldier abused Ustad Mangu without any excuse. Ustad Mangu bore the insult because he knew that he would not get any justice from an English judge.

On 1 April, he was in the cantonment when he saw the Gora soldier. The Gora soldier asked to take him somewhere. Ustad Mangu recognized him. The same Gora soldier had abused him one year ago. He again talked to Ustad Mangu in the same arrogant manner.

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 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. (304)

11. What did Ustad Mangu overhear about political changes in India?

What did Ustad Mangu overhear from his fares?

No doubt, Ustad Mangu was illiterate and just a tongawala, but he was greatly interested in political changes in India. He had his own views about everything. He was in the habit of overhearing his fares. The most important was that he believed in what he used to overhear from his fares. They were just like newspapers to him. Sometimes his fares discussed things in English, but even then, he tried to make something out of it.

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. Ustad was very excited on listening to this discussion. He thought that the Russian king had forced the English to introduce this Act.

After some days, he picked up to barristers. They were arguing about the new constitution. One of them was saying that he could not understand section 2 of the Act. He said that it related to the freedom of India. No such federation existed, so it would be a disaster from a political angle. 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. Everybody would be able to get something. Unemployed graduates would get jobs. After that, he heard many things about changes. Some fares talked in favour and some talked against them. (318)