Independence Day: Have We Reduced It to A Mere Celebration?!
We have just lived through another 14 August a few days ago. Green and white painted every corner of Pakistan from Peshawar to Karachi, the national flag was seen everywhere from the streets to carts to restaurants, proving that each and everyone was brimming with joy on the 78th year of independence. It was a day to reflect, take pride and celebrate the achievement of our forefathers by the will of Allah SWT. However, somewhere along the way, celebrations get mistaken for a competition of who does the most over-the-top (OTT) spending, and unfortunately the winners are the real losers.
Alternate Ways to Celebrate
Honoring the Language and History:
It’s natural to express our love for Pakistan loudly and proudly, but the better option is to express it responsibly. This beloved, sovereign and treasured homeland is not just a boundary; it is the hard work of blood and sweat by our forefathers. It is a result of Bedari, Shaoor, Haq-e-Khud-Iradi, Khud Shanasi and Inqilaab, and we all, as the children and the inheritors of this homeland, should sustain and preserve all these Urdu words because these are not just mere words these are the causes of what we celebrate as Azaadi.
Celebrating Without Harming Others:
Speaking of celebrating Azaadi, how can we forget the eye-ronic baajas? Yes, Azaadi deserves celebration but please our eardrums too have the right to celebrate rather than bursting and visiting an ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist. Plus, patriotism isn’t measured in decibels. We apparentaly might run away from our country but we all know whenever our watan ki matti calls out we will be there with our wealth and lives on stake as Parveen Shakir quoted:”Watan ki khushboo le kar aati hain hawayein,
Watan se door reh kar bhi, watan yaad aata hai.”
Our Responsibilities as Proud Pakistanis:
Somewhere along the way, we forgot that celebrating Pakistan and the independence we have can entail more than just one day of painting everything green and white. It also places a level of responsibility upon us to become socially aware citizens. This can take many shapes:
- Planting plants
- Keep our streets and public spaces clean.
- Avoid reckless driving and dangerous stunts.
- Celebrate in ways that unite, not disturb.
- Honour our flag, our people, and our environment.
Read More: Celebrating Independence: Between Hope and Despair
Continuing The Celebrations All Year Round:
This year was unlike other independence days. This year, we celebrated the ICONIC javelin throw by Arshad Nadeem, the Tekken winner Arsalan Ash, our netball team, our music and our dramas. But why limit it to just one day? It’s time to value our own culture – that sip of chai, the hand pottery, the designing of chatapatti, gota work, the absolute chill Kolhapuri chappal, the Urdu shayari, ghazlein, and nazmein. Let’s take pride in these masterpieces as sovereign Pakistanis and not let a mere trend of coolness make our precious culture and soon our identity shrink.
The Real Azaadi:
After all, Azaadi is different for everyone, however there is one point common to all – to breathe, feel, and have the freedom of liberty. Even as we move past Youm-e-Azaadi, let’s vow to make every Pakistani and our treasured guests feel seen, heard, and safe. Where women can travel freely, where the human miniatures have no fear, where peace and tranquillity are present, where the air we inhale is pollution-free, and the roads we travel on are litter-free. Let’s not play the blame game for the destruction of our beloved homeland let’s take our own role and fulfil our responsibility.
So, all my beloved readers and scroll-through-ers — Azaadi Mubarak!
