Depressed on Independence Day

This post might seem awkward, coming from me. It’s not my typical happy post. Apologies if I may have hurt you or made you raise your eyebrows, but I’d love to hear your thoughts.  All of us are so busy on facebook, there’s almost a pattern that you can see. For instance, I know, for a fact, everyone wishes each other a good friendship day, or which ones are going to get tagged in a forward, with 47 others. Yesterday was no different. There were blaring posts wishing every Pakistani a very Happy Independence Day, and many tags. Most people changed their pictures to white and green. It was a very warm feeling for sure, but the day is over. Here’s wishing everyone a Happy Independence day…Remember, today is not just updating FB status or hosting our national flag on bikes and shouting “Pakistan zindabad” just for one day. It’s about every bit that you can do for your country…. We can start by paying our taxes honestly and selecting good, honest, responsible EDUCATED leaders to run our beautiful country. A proud Pakistani… This one got me thinking, and I completely agree! All of us went around wishing each other a very Happy Independence Day! We celebrated, and told the world we are proud Pakistanis. We celebrated the freedom that people gave us. We celebrated the fact that under the strong leadership of certain “freedom fighters”, Pakistan  emerged.  Pakistan came out strongly, broke away from the shackles of being governed by someone, who decided that we were inferior. The freedom fighters fought, violently and otherwise, and gave their future generations, a bright future to look forward to. They had dreams that shone brilliant, which we get to read about in numerous articles, books and documentation from the 1940s and 50s. We’ve been a free country for 68 years now, and have progressed on many fronts. Science, medicine, finance, industries, technology, and many other arenas have brilliant  Pakistanis  holding up a torch, waiting for others to follow. I take a bow, and fold my hands to honor and thank everyone for keeping the flag flying high. Yesterday left me as depressed as proud. I thought about the sorry state of affairs that we see in some areas today. I do not feel truly “Independent”. I feel there is so much that one can do, and does not. For instance, many incidents that lay fresh in my memory, totally stealing women of their rights, are the incidents in our country. There were tyrants and demons, shielded under the name of  “moral police”, who grabbed at these women, publicly, and no one did anything. I don’t blame the on lookers, because no one could. Anyone who would help, may not have been assured protection by the police. Fear, lies in everyone’s mind, and fear kept them away from controversy. This only is not enough to push our country into darkness but also poverty, sectarianism, terrorism, street crime, corruption, bank looting, electricity crisis, unemployment, industries crisis, food problems, lawlessness, narcotics, bribery, injustice, suicide bombing, frauds, robbery, agriculture, street bagging, illiteracy, inflation, water crises, rising of price loadshading, lack of resources, personalized, economic, blackmailing, police injustice, drone attacks, these are some major incidents that are clicking in everyone mind every time… but the controlling power are quite, I hear we don’t have the independence to choose where to live in this country either. I do not want to quote names of the states which want to turn away people from other states. I claim to belong to a country, and a specific culture. So, where could I live? I would love to live in an estate-house on a tea plantation or build a house on the foothills of the Himalayas if I could. Whose permission should I be seeking to follow up on such decisions, exactly? Barring these incidents, I can quote many more incidents, where scams, scandals, “breaking” news items, left one staring at blaring holes in the system. As a common citizen of this country, I cannot do much about these things. I’m not powerful enough. This country is “run” by the powerful. People who can throw their weight around, and announce their fathers and uncles are big people in the society, are automatically given a “influential” status. The country runs on influence and bribe. There’re so many things wrong with the system, that some one like me, can make a  meek attempt at fighting the system, and end up falling flat on my face. I’m weak, non-influential, and cannot fight strongly for what is right. There are millions like me in Pakistan today. My thoughts went haywire, and I realized I did not wish anyone a Happy Independence Day today. I was unnaturally depressed, with all the patriotic and lengthy speeches by the politicians, and shows that were showcased on television too. I would actually very innocently pose a question to you, reader, as to why I should wish you a happy independence day, with all of my heart. I would wish you, if one day, you make a difference. No matter how small, I would, if you just contributed. Monetary contribution, physical help or basic methods which make you a good citizen. Independence would be complete if one could make an impression on someone. It would be complete, if one helped wipe out illiteracy in someone’s life. It would mean something, if one were able to help humans and animals alike, who have earned the right to live peacefully too. It would be humongous, if one could support someone who needed help. It would be meaningful, if one would take some time off their busy schedule, to ensure they are doing something for the society. It would even be fantastic, if one would think about preserving the earth for the future generations. It would be generous, if one decided to help, by extending monetary help, which could be less than 1 % of their hefty pay packages. It would make one realize the meaning of Independence, and wish another heartily. Imagine, if one were to contribute, and influence another to do the same, in their own small way. I don’t claim to have done one, or more of the things I’ve mentioned. All I know is, today, I have the ability to help someone, and I will. I know I will have contributed and done my small part to make the country better, in some way or the other, in my lifetime. I only urge you, and try to influence you to make a small contribution. In the years to come, I hope our contribution will pay off  ]]>