Yet another 14th August. The streets, markets and even social networking sites went ‘green’. 14th August is that time of the year again when patriotism is at its peak in the hearts of all the Pakistanis all over the world. The day was marked with the set pattern of flag hoisting ceremonies, children singing national songs on Quaid’s mausoleum, “Azadi” lounges everywhere on the TV channels, text messaging wars, over-enthusiastic boys wheeling their bikes the entire day, tired dads looking forward to a holiday, and all those celebrations we have been experiencing ever since childhood.
But wait a minute. You need to sit back and reflect on two basic questions. What did I celebrate for? And how is it to be celebrated?
As for the former question, right now I sit in my lounge, devastated to hear the news about the death of eleven boys who gave up their life during an insane sport, which will leave their homes shattered forever; I sit demoralized as I wait in acute discomfort due to load shedding; my heart bleeds for the sons of the soil who are fighting a war against their own countrymen, their sacrifices going completely unnoticed and their families forgotten completely; I feel enraged at the minorities being burnt alive in Gojra in exactly the same manner we Muslims were burnt in United India. How can we neglect that one-fourth white portion in our own national flag. Are we celebrating all this and more? Are we celebrating the mess we have created of our homeland?
And if your answer to my first question is “Independence”, ask this question from Major Masood’s daughter whose father is “missing” since five years. If we were independent we wouldn’t have hundreds of people who simply vanish in broad daylight, we wouldn’t have countries appointing special representatives to deal with us and we wouldn’t have drones hovering over OUR homeland to perish our people like insecticide being sprayed on mosquitoes.
How can I say “Pakistan Zindabad”?
Amidst celebrations where it is hard to forget how much we have fallen, it is a reminder of how much needs to be done. Nobody else will come to put things right for us unless we ourselves are aware of the fact. And having talked about all that’s going wrong in Pakistan, I still see a lot of zeal and zest in our youth to take things into their own hands and change the system. I still see light at the end of the tunnel.
One might wonder what a normal university going student or a government officer or a clerk can do for the homeland? No matter who you are and what you do, just do it with honesty and sincerity. Why go far, learn from our neighbor China. If everybody is dedicated to his/her little or big task and stands upright against all odds, trust me, things will change. Even a single individual can bring about a revolution in the entire surroundings.
Let us not forget it is we, Pakistanis, who have played a major role in making Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore for what they are today. Despite all odds, we are the only Muslim Nuclear State in the world .At one point in time we ruled the world in the sports arena. If a boy from D. I. Khan can make it to international headlines as Microsoft’s youngest IT expert, he is playing his part. What part are we playing, is a question we need to ask from ourself.
Every little bit counts in making nation. There is no other secret recipe to great nations.
Lets just not forget our usual exercise of neglecting our duties. Let this 14th August not be a pompous show of false pride, let it be the beginning to a remarkable change. Let it be a beginning to a change in you and me. Let us make the next 14th August worth celebrating “independence”.
Image courtesy: Ehsan.pk
How did the Pakiology team celebrated 14th August? What did they do on that day?
I hear they were in Lahore. Wasting some serious time with some seriously non serious bloggers.
u guyz make me proud alam
I get your point and have same feelings as you have about the situation of our dear country and people including ourselves. The thing is what to do and that is a massive change required by everyone. It can’t happen over night, and its started already. You are a change yourself, see. We can’t be demoralized no matter what the situation is and bad situation is good in this sense that the public will have to wake up. How can they still sleep when there is no power.
Great post. I totally agree with what your saying. Change is needed.