Happy 64th Independence to all!
I had intended to write a short and sweet `jashn e azadi` note but the `sohni dharti Allah rkhay qadam qadam aabad tujhay …` blaring from the neighbours` stereo got me all `senti` ( is that even a word ) and here I am turning my short and sweet note to a lambi kahani ,though still trying to keep the sweet element intact. And here go my rants:
Sixty four years…phew…the journey has been a long one, though not a very glorious one ( God ! I am turning off the handle again , why can`t I keep the bitter element out of my conversation…must be the DSMS) so, as I was saying that the journey has not been real `golden` ( let me finish ,guys) but it has been one with its share of some amazing moments and victories and assets.
As we all know that India with the connivance of the British started to create problems for the newly born state since its day of inception and it is evident from the many ventures which they took, that they had believed that succumbing to the hurdles created by them , Pakistan would ultimately join the Indian Federation , the goal of a `United India` would be achieved and that Pakistan would be a transient phase (courtesy : my Pakistan Studies books ). But by the Grace of Allah that never happened and let us have a belief that it never will , Inshaa Allah. Pakistan dealt with the pressure gloriously and survived ,all because of the sheer determination ,unity ,amazing leadership and the force of character of its people.
Today, the threats Pakistan faces are the same as the day of its creation ( the tactics have changed over the years but the forces ,the intentions and motivations behind them remain the same ). But those are the external threats , the real threats which have mounted over the years are more internal in nature, arising from within the walls of the country.
The foremost being provincialism ( the sweet element is evaporating, God! Can’t I just keep out of talking about the problems …??? it seems of late, I am suffering from a DSMS ( read Dr.Shahid Masood can`t help-being a –pain- in -the ass ,syndrome) that said I cannot stop discussing the problems,after all I am an average Pakistani who just knows to discuss the problems at length so, you will just have to put up with me and no, you cannot leave the page , it has an exit control list for those of you who do not read it through) So ,as you cannot leave the page let us talk about provincialism(talk about cheap tactics).It is high time we realize the fact that our self-created cheaply -sentimental provincialism is eating at the roots of our national structure. Let us stop categorizing ourselves as Punjabis ,Balochis, Sindhis,Pathans ( and for my family and friends, Kashmiris). All of us are first Muslims and then Pakistanis –that’s all there is to it ! Let us all vow to be Pakistanis !
People, bringing a change is in our hands, we just have to be united and get out of our limbos .I doubt most of you have heard `ab khud kuch krna pare ga ` song by Atif Aslam and Strings, no, I guess I am mistaken there , most of you have heard practically everything AA sings its just that you did not contemplate on this one because it did not involve the emotions of `doorie` from your loved one… (Man ! I have to control my hands to stop typing everything that comes to my mind ). So, the thing is that these writers and singer logs talk of `js ma tm nahi shaamil wo nizam badlo bhi` umeed e sehar, `fizaaun ma lehraye ga surkh parcham` and `ab khud kuch karna pare ga ` not just because they like to croon. See ? We try to get away with blaming the leadership for practically everything( even for the way Misbah ul Haq played). It is us who elect them .Guys, we have had enough , let us realize the damage we all have done in our respective capacities. Let us all vote for change this time,Come on, let us all give Khan a chance. We should not be afraid of taking chances, we have tried them all (shamefully, we even tried that `evident fraud` ogre of a `bhaaie` as well… ). Let us all try Khan for this once,if anything else he is not a corrupt politician (at least he has got a nice smile… God ! I had wanted it to be a subtle write-up )..
Pray for the Pakistan ,in this Holy month. Pray that it rises above all difficulties.Pray for its survival and integirity .
As we usher into the sixty fifth year of our independence, let us make resolutions ( yes, the thing can be made apart from the new year ), small ones to begin with and let us promise ourselves that we will remain loyal to our `Strengthen Pakistan` resolutions :
- Let us all try in our respective capacities and our lives to keep the true spirit of the religion on which Pakistan was made ,alive and intact . We will oppose any `enlightened` fashion which is deteriorating the roots of the religion.
- Keep the `Pak` in `Pak`-is-tan intact . Keep the land clean !. Guys, we would all be avoiding to throw litter on the public places and roads and will inspire others to do the same . ( Stop crooning to pak pak Pakistan,saaaf saaf Pakistan and read ahead)
- We will all try to curb the menace of provincialism . To begin with the Punjabis won`t be taunting the Pakhtuns or the Sindhis and vice versa.. People, the thing called provincialism is being inculcating into our society through seemingly harmless fun ( beruuni taaqaten are behind all this… Man! I so sound like `the braadran` when I say this )- stop making fun of the pathans in your jokes. Tell you what , the pathans occupy the most competitive positions in our medical ,engineering and army and they are anything but dumb. We foster the sentiments of hatred and fragmentize the nation by this and similar`all good fun` of ours.
- The most important of all is to promise ourselves never to get used to the circumstances and keep the fire of hope, passion and change burning . We should try (no matter hard it is) to see the glass of the country`s situation as half full rather than half empty. The day we extinguish that flame of hope ,is the day we will begin to die as a nation
mauj barhay ya andhi aye diya jalaye rakhna ha ghar ki khaatir sso dukh jhelen ghar tau akhir apna ha..
- Whenever the pessimism looms over , think of Ali Moeen Nawazish, Laal, Abdul Sattar Edhi, Imran Khan ,Kamran Shahid , all the revolutionary young writers , volunteers of the country … the hope of a better tomorrow ! trust me people it works.
- We will try to save up our resources. We will turn off electicity if not needed to ensure that all of us get the electric supply.
- Those of us who are students, should always have a yearning and spirit to pay back to the land through our education.We should have the passion that instead of sharing my expertise abroad I will help the land which made my identity , make its name .
- Be honest to your dealings ,to your profession .
- We will always be proud being Pakistanis . Remember, a true patriot always stands beside his flag with his head raised ,no matter how crises-stricken land that flag represents and takes pride in that piece of land for he knows that it is because of this land that he is able to breathe freely , is a man of his own will( courtesy : a foh-wurd text).
To all who have just given up , I would say that crises and adversities strike almost every other nation . Some succumb to it others rise out of the difficulties a stronger nation. Let us be the latter one. Come on, let us Play our part!
That was all , I wanted to talk about ( thank you for putting up with me ) . You might find the resolutions clichéd but believe me let us just try out bit by bit and experience the change for ourselves. Let us all play our little parts and become a part of the great movement- of strengthening Pakistan !
Here go the lyrics of the beautiful national song `khayal rakhna` by the maestro Jahangir . The following lines are what I actually intended to be the message on this independence day . I know you are making that face which clearly reads `tau ye ooper wala sb kya tha` ,well people ,it was supposed to be the foreword. ( No pun intended!) . Here go the amazing lyrics;
naey dinon ki musaafaton ko ujaalna hai
wafa se aasooda saaton ko sambhaalna hai
ummeed-e-subh-e-jamaal rakhna, khayal rakhna
khayaal rakhna, khayaal rakhna, khayaal rakhna
yeh dhoop is ki, yeh chaaon is ki, hamaari daulat
yeh khaak-e-paak is ki apni izzat hai apni azmat
naey dinon ki musaafaton ko ujaalna hai
wafa se aasooda saaton ko sambhaalna hai
ummeed-e-subh-e-jamaal rakhna, khayal rakhna
khayaal rakhna, khayaal rakhna, khayaal rakhna
waqaar is ka kabhi na kam ho, kabhi na kam ho
yeh sabz parcham tamaam aalam mein mohtaram ho
naey dinon ki musaafaton ko ujaalna hai
wafa se aasooda saaton ko sambhaalna hai
ummeed-e-subh-e-jamaal rakhna, khayal rakhna
khayaal rakhna, khayaal rakhna, khayaal rakhna
watan se ham hain, watan hai ham se, khayaal rakhna
chalo mila kar qadam qadam se, khayaal rakhna
naey dinon ki musaafaton ko ujaalna hai
wafa se aasooda saaton ko sambhaalna hai
ummeed-e-subh-e-jamaal rakhna, khayal rakhna
khayaal rakhna, khayaal rakhna, khayaal rakhna
`Attitudes are self-created ,we can choose to be victimized by the people and circumstances or we can look at life with an open attitude and be victorius.Your perspective and choice of attitude give you the power to be in control.That is the essence of true freedom`.
`Khuda kray meri arz e pak p utray wo fasl e gul jisay andesha e zawaal na ho… Khuda kray meray ik bhi hm watan k lye hayaat jurm na ho , zindagi wabaal na ho.`
Long live the land of our dreams!
Pakistan Zindabad !
By: Madiha Ghous.
), the whole point of the literary work was to make us think,to justify the ways of God to men,be critical of our philosophical beliefs so on and so forth.But my point is ;can`t we just take the thing as it is for a while and let ourselves enjoy the surface beauty of the thing. (Man,its just a piece of literature why going berserk over the discussions.Remember something called `art for life`s sake`?) We should be talking about the philosophical aspect of the thing obviously ,but that should be to a certain extent ,I believe. The problem I encountered was that we (both the students and the lecturers) become a bit too much engrossed in the implicit and didactic aspect of the things that we fail to realize the explicit beauty of the work;the diction,the imagery and the construction .And in doing that we lose an essence of the thing and fail to appreciate the real appeal and worth of the work as a whole .
. Cheers, one down!