by Komal Dawani
I live in an apartment in the area which is no longer popular but yet a decent area. Nowadays, the “in” areas are of Clifton and Defence as we are still living in the demarcations of boundaries based on our social class. However, I am talking about the early 90’s when apartments were the place where one had a completely different lifestyle; one did not need to get out of their apartment building to socialize as it is today. Clubs and Cafes were limited and were only restricted to family outings; friends, sports, gossip and not forgetting the short little love blings that we these days find in schools were found there only. The entire apartment building use to behave like one happy family where every occasion was celebrated like a grand evening even 14th August.
Preparations use to start days before as if it’s someone’s wedding or perhaps a luxurious bash. The volunteers of the Apartment board use to go from house to house collecting donations to conduct a booming evening and believe it or not, people use to empty their pockets quite generously. The volunteers after this cumbersome yet satisfying job use to go for purchasing of the decorations. The décor consisted of “Jhandiyan” of different colors as I remember fighting with mom to get me the greens, pinks and even blues to display in the balcony of the our very own apartment. These Jhandiyan coming in long strings use to be hung from one block to another diagonally and vertically both, pasted on the different blocks till the time the entire apartment was draped in these colorful little papers. All this was so exciting to us that we all kids use to be standing, waiting that we might be needed for help to do this exciting job, complaining to one another that why aren’t we old enough to do this. Apart from these long strings of jhandiyan, a gigantic Pakistani flag was to be dangled between the blocks which we loved seeing when we entered the apartment after getting done from school.
Moving on from the apartment bit to our very own schools. Here, we use to have Independence Day celebrations in the picture of a school function. Arrangements were not started days before but weeks. Every class was told to perform a skit, a dance or a debate for the upcoming splendid day. Teachers had set up schedules for rehearsals; children would give up their lunch timings for the debate auditions as this all was an honor to act upon the stage on the Independence Day celebration. Children would not stop talking about their acts, choreographing dances on the songs of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Vital Signs, Haroon, Fakhir. Songs like Aye Jawan Aye Jawan, Dil Dil Pakistan, Teri Zameen were the top charts and were on the lips of every individual despite of the age barriers.
By 13th August, the apartments would appear like a striking Greenland with not only the big blocks having the pasted jhandiyan but individual households decked up in these papers. I can’t overlook the untold competition amongst our friends of whose balcony looked more ornamented. We employed the use of a “paste” for sticking these jhandiyan on to the ramparts of the balcony. The paste was made up of flour and water. Gosh! How creative were we, not even depending on the invention by the finest people, yes, I am talking about the great UHU. Dance practices, debates, skits were accomplished and everyone would be eagerly waiting for the big day.
Finally the day comes, where the Flag hosting ceremony at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam occurs and which is the one and possibly the only thing consistent in these 62 years. All of us would wake up for school and would see the ritual on the television which planned to air a special transmission full of debates, parody, talk shows to commemorate the day and epoch of independence. The talk shows emphasized on the passion of Quaid to make an independent homeland for Muslims and his vision and focus for a country where Muslims can exercise their right of freedom. No matter how late we were getting for school, we never forgot our jewels which were not made of gold but simple metal badges and flag which had to act as pompons as we watch the function. Stimulated by the patriotic energy running from the school gates till the assembly ground, full with different Pakistan brooches and having all sizes of flags and wearing caps is the first inspection of any stranger walking in which were in this case use to be some of the Principal’s friends or some other school who wanted to celebrate this day with us and also act like an audience.
As the marathon get over, all the students would line up for the assembly, now all of us would start to show off our very own colorful badges that we got at night. As we do more of these illustrations, we would hear our teacher saying that we shall be quiet. After the tilawat tradition, we would have the national anthem which was certainly be sung more loudly on this day as patriotism is overflowing. After these two customs and the mind-numbing Principal speech, our function would take the attention-grabbing turn starting with a dance where the entire audience would sway their flags; sing the national song in bursting voice. Everyone would take part in the singing not caring even if they had a bathroom voice, including me. All we were concerned was to guzzle the pumped adrenaline. After the entire planned function and some display of passion and love for the country, we would be looking forward for the apartment gathering.
As the sun sets, children, teenagers and middle aged men would be gathered at the water tank which acted like a stage for us. In the middle of the stage, there was a huge table consisting of snacks, sweets and a big cake. The cake cutting tradition had to mark the birth of Pakistan which is certainly not what we see today.
A new millennium brings in new light for any country but for Pakistan it brought deterioration of the patriotism. We are in 2010, and Independence Day is just hours away. What have we done?? Except for that one flag displayed on our terraces. I asked my brother, are you excited for your school function. He replied, with a very gloomy face, our function is only for an hour and has a march pass. At least, this was there, when asked from two other children in my street as to what’s there plan for the 14th August, he said nothing it’s just a holiday that we will spend sleeping since 13th night we can be up till late. Well, guess what the children cannot be blamed for this, as our own surrounding is full of lifeless unpatriotic people.
We have forgotten to thank Pakistan for what it has given us, a land so that we can build our house, and even though I am a minority I can still say, a freedom to exercise my own religion, have education, pave my path to a meaningful life. The media talk shows today does not focus on the making of Pakistan instead they are fighting over who is going to put up what breaking news first, is Pakistan the same as Quaid put it as or in fact get banned over covering the King being insulted in the Queen’s land. Our perceptions, have changed as we have moved to this part of the city, we align patriotism with cheapness as we see some men in their motorcycles going towards sea view, forgetting the fact that at least they show that they love the country despite of its odds, but we sit in our homes complain that why should we go out between these cheap men.
Today the best exhibit of patriotism is not on 14th August but on a match of India and Pakistan, else Patriotism has been dead for years!