Lost spirit?
Mayesha Tasnim Priya, On e-mail
It only happened a week ago on what was just a regular day for Aboni, Aroni, Joyeeta and me. Tired from the schoolwork, we were returning home. Deciding to stop for a drink in the Baily Road's we were pondering where to go when something caught our attention. A poster, vividly red and black one, advertising a disco night. THE BIGGEST HIP HOP INDIAN NIGHT!
R U READY FOR THE 26TH MARCH Disc-o-mix?" We all stood stony-faced, it was as if no words were needed to comment on this as we wordlessly entered the fast food shop sporting the poster. I never felt my blood boiling any hotter than it did right at that moment. We all demanded the manager to get the poster out at any cost, but they wouldn't give it to us. After an hour of reasoning, threatening and coaxing, we were able to get the poster out. Even as we had the poster we knew this was not going to end there. And then we four started our own little war, protesting against a threat to our own existence. Now, the ones who're reading this might think "What's a stupid disco night on Independence Day to all the other million problems we're having?" I wouldn't blame them. For it's the truth. But then again, my question to them would be, when our country is dying right in front of our eyes, is there really nothing we can do? Are we that ungrateful and selfish? Are we that weak? I don't think so. Because 35 years ago this same country and its people stood up in an unbelievable war for independence. And that is the same exact day as today. 26th March. We stood up, we united, and we won. I know we couldn't hold on to our independence, but that was our own fault and we cannot just let our country and our existence die for that. Three million people died one day so that we could have independence, so that we could breathe in the air of an independent country. Can we even imagine how huge a debt that is? Yet today, at this period, every moment we're disgracing the sacrifice that was made by countless martyrs. So today would be a good day to start. Thirty-five years ago, our ancestors sacrificed their lives against a threat to their existence. The same threat is rising now, only in the changed form of outer aggression. So today would be a good day to stop that. I have faith in my country and its people. United, I think anything is possible. We knew that the protest of four 15 year olds wouldn't make much of a difference, but we still tried, for we believe in our culture and in our heritage. Independence Day is a day we're supposed to be discovering our heritage and respecting it and taking new pledges, not go dancing to the songs that aren't even near our culture. So we protest. And we're asking you to do the same.
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