It’s that time of year again — 14th August! A time for celebration, reflection and a lot of that awesome green shade from our flag!
While the creation of Pakistan is certainly enough cause for celebration, I think this independence day also brings with it a warning — a note of caution, if you will. We as a nation need to rethink some things, and quickly.
Our country is under threat from many different angles, internal and external. There is no doubt that we would be nothing without our country, and as cliche as it sounds, we are part of Pakistan, and Pakistan is part of us. Each and every Pakistani owes sincere gratitude to the Quaid-e-Azam and all other people who worked with him to gain independence.
But let’s forget the red jhandis and the Mickey Mouse flags for a second. Where is the country headed? Where are we, as a nation, headed? Do we really — I mean, really — realize the importance of Pakistan?
The slogan Pakistan zindabad, (translation: long live Pakistan) has been transformed into Pakistan se zinda bhaag (translation: get out of Pakistan alive). I’ve got nothing to say to that mainly because, I think, that this sentiment has its roots in lost hope. There is no national sense anymore; if you ask someone for help, the first thought is (generally) “What can I get out of this?” We’ve lost hope – we don’t believe in anything anymore. That needs to be fixed, and in my opinion, the best place to start is with yourself, don’t you think?
So please; Sing the national anthem at school, stand up when it’s played at the movies. Respect the flag; respect the people who made independence possible – and for God’s sake, please don’t make dirty jokes about the founding fathers of our country. Listen to the stories of people who migrated from India; think about the people who helped them. Don’t be ashamed of our culture or our language. Urdu is our language (our mother tongue) and there is absolutely no reason to be ashamed of using it.
I’ll leave you with a quote that can perhaps sum up what I’m trying to say.
Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.
– John F. Kennedy (1917 – 1963)
Happy independence day, everyone! Long live Pakistan!
Maaz