Sania Mir
I was sitting in a corner of my room and was going through the youtube videos, my favourite pass time. I had nothing else to do as the colleges are closed due to Covid and I don’t know till how long Corona will test our patience. I have had a really rough phase ever since this monster Corona surfaced in. While I was going through the videos, I happened to come across a video on independence day and I was suddenly taken back to the posters, wall writings asking for Azaadi (an Urdu translation of Independence). I sat for hours wondering about Azaadi, thinking of how does it feel like. I am a college student studying in a college based in Kupwara district and I have seen horror, terror and fear ever since I’ve realised what do they all mean. I’ve grown at a place where militants acts murder innocents and encounters of these militants by Army are so common. My family has always restricted my movement after dark hours, my sisters had hardly seen how our neighbouring villages look like, our minds had always been full of fear of uncertainty. I did my schooling from school that remained closed for most part of the year owing to calls for bandhs, bandhs that I’m yet to understand what good have they done for us. Then again the thought of those wall writings, paper posters demanding Azaadi struck me.
Azaadi? Who has denied us? Azaadi ? Who has prevented?schools from opening? Who has created these terrorists?Why are my family members always so much in fear? Are we not independent since 1947? My head was bombarded with all these questions and I started meditating for I wanted some calm and peace. I offered evening salah (Maghrib) and came back to the same place now much composed than earlier. I then moved outside, taking a stroll to pacify my mind and while I was doing so, I noticed very ordinary things but this time with a different mindset. Men and women were wandering free of any fear, giggling, talking, shops bustling with the chatter of people, vehicles going and coming from nowhere. This all seemed very normal, all seemed independent. I wondered as to why do people complain so much when they have all that takes to be independent. For all these years, I have been deprived of celebrating my Independence and the independence day. I as a child could never understand what relevance did this Independence day had when I was not independent even at my heart. I like many others have always been used as pawns by the politicians, powerful people and others who had mastered the art of playing us against our own brothers and sisters. I believe our forefathers did not fight against British, shed their blood and were called as freedom fighters for vain. They did fight to bring upon us the most desired feeling any man would want to have and that is of being Independent. Independence had always been there since 1947, it was never missing, it was never something that posters were required to be made for, it was very well here. What was missing though was the understanding and the realisation, the need to evict the powerful people, the money minded political class, the corrupt Bureaucrats, the militants and their supporters. We just need freedom from all these. The dawn for new era has begun, the silver lining at the end of the tunnel is very bright, the future is safe and the realisation is happening.
I believe that I have after all these years, achieved freedom from the wrong notions that I had been fed with since my childhood, I have freed my soul of all evils, I have freedom of movement, speech and a good life. My family feels free, my friends are free, my relatives are free and I believe my heart too is free to do what it wants. I vow to take a resolution that from this Independence day, I would refrain from doing any wrongdoings, I would refrain from being played at the hands of these corrupt politicians and people who misguide young naive boys towards the path of hell, I would do all that would take to bring about happiness and growth and I vow to be a great human being. After all if we all just do this much and vow to make such a resolution, would we really need to seek for Independence when it has always been there?? I hope you are wise enough.
So let’s just get out there and celebrate our Independence this Independence day, let’s just move out and write on walls that we are truly Independent, let’s just create an atmosphere of happiness and growth. Let’s just bring a smile and cheer on the face of our families, friends and relatives. Let’s just take pride in unfurling our national flag. Let’s just mark a new beginning on this Independence day. After all we will never be Independent until we feel it.
