چودہ August evening walk

What does Independence Day mean for the average Pakistani ? I think the significance of this day is largely translated into buying flags, driving around and waving them, yelling "Pakistan", and, beating your chest loudly about Kashmir. The TV transmissions today showed the typical official functions: stages full of children singing 'milli naghme' dressed in white and green, speeches about the martyrs in Kashmir and, the odd teleplay about a grandma getting misty about the day the Pakistan dream was realised. These telefilms always seem to show women sewing the national flag. 

When India removed Jammu and Kashmir's special status and revoked Article 370 last week, Pakistan declared it would mark its Independence Day in solidarity with Kashmiris in Indian-Occupied Kashmir. So, for days on end, all your hear is Pakistan state's passionate promises and speeches on how it will stand up for democracy, freedom and so on. I believe Imran Khan has even said that although it doesn't want war, it will fight back with so much power that the whole world will be witness to it. 

I saw a clip today where a reporter was interviewing folks enjoying Independence Day on Karachi's beach. He asked a fellow whether he was thinking about Kashmir while celebrating "Jashne Azadi." The guy, prepped for his 15 minutes of fame, answered the pointed question as properly as possible. In another clip, a family was being interviewed in 'Jinnah Bagh' in Lahore. The lower-middle-class children were wearing some cheap clothes with Pakistani flags and, parents were telling the reporter they were going to head over to Minar-e-Pakistan. The children were asked to sing a "milli naghma" and they sang Vital Signs' "Dil Dil Pakistan." 

Thinking about all this, I went about for my evening walk. I saw a few houses decorated with the Pakistani flag. Motorbikes and cars whizzed by, adorned with flags. 

For days now, you can buy Pakistani flags of all sizes and, cheap plastic horns and, very very cheap  green clothes. I even noticed that bakeries were selling Independence Day cakes. That a national or religious sentiment can be commodified makes its enforced celebration even more artificial and fake. 

When pollution and environmental degradation is at crisis-levels, consuming cheap plastic goods to celebrate a highly artificial construct seems like an insult on injury. 

Moreover, the idea that Pakistanis have been indoctrinated to beat their chests about the occupation of Kashmir but not taught about Pakistani state atrocities against peoples living within its own borders makes nationalism even more tragic. 

What makes things really frustrating is that if you criticise the Indian state, you thought of as an enemy of country by the Average Joe. In Pakistan, criticising the Army or the Pakistani state means you are an absolute ghaddar. How do you convey the idea and sentiment that you don't stand for any modern state and it's artificial border? 

What do you think about when you walk? It drizzled all day so the weather was cool but incredibly humid. I've started noticing snails on my walks, especially after it rains. It looks like they were devouring a fellow snail whose shell had been crushed. What do you think?