::: Star Campus :::

Spotlight

“Celebrating” Independence Day

“What do you know about our Independence day?" , was the question I once asked to one of my students while teaching as a part-timer in a school, and his abrupt answer was - "Independence day is on 26th of March, it is another holiday when everything remains closed, people go out and celebrate, and watch "mukti-juddho" natoks at night." Well, I could not really blame the kid,that is how WE portrayed the image of "Independence day" amongst the baby-boomer minds. Seriously, in what ways is it different from the series of other festive holidays we have? It’s just another day when people all of a sudden become patriotic and start giving sermons. On the day TV shows adopt this "Theme" and air their special programmes accordingly- all for this one day, exclusively. March 26 passes, so does our sense of patriotism and ethnocentrism.

I surely won't be writing this article stressing on the historical events of 1971, nor would I recite some memorized verses meant for the Independence Day. What really bugs me is, how much do we really care? Thirty-seven glorious years of earning sovereignty, coupled with sacrifice of millions, do we really realize the depth? To what extent? How do we express it? By giving full-length advertisements? Perhaps by seeing TV shows based on the theme and lamenting for a few minutes? Or by doing a family picnic at Rayerbazar or Savar thinking we have paid great respect to the martyrs and thus performed our duty? What have we done to minimize the sufferings of people related to the martyrs? The ones who sacrificed their lives for the birth of this country, the ones who readily responded to the call of saving the motherland- their very families now spend their days in utmost distress. Who will take their responsibility? Here goes a little plea, to all those corporate tycoons who spend a lot to "publicize" the "Shadhinota Dibosher Shuveccha" , instead of “celebrating” Independence day, could you give that amount to the kith and kin of our respectable martyrs family, to help them live a better life?

As for me, I wont be singing a "Deshattobodhok" song on the Independence day, neither would I do public speaking on the realms of it, nor would I shed some tears watching “muktijuddho” dramas or movies. I do not need to be reminded of the event that is the cause of my very existence-of OUR very existence, it doesn't necessarily need to be rekindled either. I salute the ones for whose sacrifice we got an Independence Day, we got a sovereign Bangladesh- Peoples Republic Of Bangladesh. I salute thee...