The recent arrests of critics of the ruling party added fuel to the fiery dialogue on free speech in India. But back when people didn't have the support of freethinking blogs and the Web, writer Saadat Hasan Manto fearlessly let his pen speak the truth, which led to him being arrested six times. And it's because of this very spirited writing that Manto continues to find an audience, decades after his death.

Nazia Erum