In dependence?

Independence Day wishes to all my Indian friends.

Tomorrow the celebrations all over will be low key due to the swine flu outbreak (and mainly the panic). Independence Day always makes me think of patriotic songs. My mother loves almost every patriotic song I know of, and she even cries while listening to them. As for me, I never felt a sense of pride or a feeling of Indian-ness just by listening to the songs, except for two. One is the national anthem, when played after a victory (not in a theatre before a movie). The sportsperson standing on a podium, sporting the national colours, draped in the national flag. Awesome! It must be such a great feeling and a proud moment to stand on that podium and listen to the national anthem in the midst of people from all nationalities. The second song is actually a poem by the revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil. It was adapted as a song in the movie Rang De Basanti. Maybe the movie sequence/situation is the reason the song is so inspiring, but I absolutely love the lyrics. I am sharing a part of the actual poem here.

Hai liye hathiyaar dushman taak mein baitha udhar,

Aur hum taiyyaar hain seena liye apna idhar

Khoon se khelenge holi gar vatan muskhil mein hai,

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai

Haath jin mein ho junoon katt te nahi talvaar se,

Sar jo uth jaate hain woh jhukte nahi lalkaar se

Aur bhadkega jo shola-sa hamare dil mein hai,

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai

Hum toh ghar se nikle hi the baandhkar sar pe kafan,

Jaan hatheli par liye lo badh chale hain ye kadam

Zindagi to apni mehmaan maut ki mehfil mein hai,

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai

Dil mein tufaanon ki toli aur nason mein inquilaab,

Hosh dushman ke udaa denge humein roko na aaj

Duur reh paaye jo humse dam kahaan manzil mein hai,

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai

Dekhna hai zor kitna baazuay qaatil mein hai

I have not checked the news yet so I hope the ID celebrations in Pakistan went off well today. Hoping no untoward incident occurs tomorrow. Let peace prevail. Happy weekend everyone.