Papraudi village keeps Manto’s legacy alive

Samrala: Residents of Papraudi village in Samrala, birthplace of renowned writer Saadat Hasan Manto, prize the library built in his memory. For them, it is part of the identity of the village.

Although there have been differing claims about Manto’s birthplace, residents firmly believe he belonged to their village. Each year, on his birth anniversary, they proudly celebrate the legacy of the iconic writer as one of their own.

Former sarpanch of the village, Manjeet Singh, said the library was constructed on panchayat land and former Union sports minister Manohar Singh Gill financed the project.

He added that since the inauguration of the library, panchayats have been contributing to its maintenance and upkeep. Listing repair and renovation works during his tenure between 2018 and 2024, he said the panchayat contributed a solar inverter for the library, got tiles laid and had the walls painted.

The villagers asserted that, to them, there was no doubt that Papraudi is indeed Manto’s birthplace.

Panch of the village, Ranjit Singh, who is in-charge of the library, said that they were proud to be associated with such a great writer.

Village residents said people from across the country visit the library.

“We receive visitors from Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and other places. Around 20 days ago, a Manto admirer from Delhi visited the library and spent some time here,” said the village panch.

However, he acknowledged that the numbers were low.

“There are several reasons for it. We are unable to keep the library open round the clock as we do not have anyone to staff it for extended hours. While the library houses around 1,000 books, including works by Manto, the general decline in reading habits has also affected the number of visitors,” he said.

Elders in the village said they had certain demands from the state govt.

Kesar Singh, 82, said villagers wanted funds to construct a gate in Manto’s memory and naming of the village road from Papraudi to Saunspur village after him. He added that the govt should provide a staff member so that the library could be opened for long hours.