Brought up by patriotic parents, it is only natural for me to celebrate August 14th enthusiastically and I do every year.
Brought up by patriotic parents, it is only natural for me to celebrate August 14th enthusiastically and I do every year. And of course, the flag is the most important thing for this day - other days the flag is important is when the Pakistani and Indian cricket teams are competing.
On these occasions thousands of people not only buy a green and white flag, but go the extra mile and get their faces painted in the national colours in the crescent and star. Others also get shirts and clothes made especially for this occasion.
Similarly, Independence Day has special products out in the market to mark the day - yes I know this is commercialism but it is a special day. And the marketers know exactly how to reel in people like me and it works. Weeks before the day arrives I start buying stuff - the appropriate badges, caps, banners, buntings, especially Tees. I dress my children in the national colours - have been doing since they were toddlers. And get their faces painted in the national colours - of course I also get the national colours painted on my face as well. But my main focus is always the flags - I get all the available ones. For the house, for the car, buntings for the ceilings, flag shaped badges. You get the picture, right? But buying the flag is a big ordeal every year. Arrrgghh.
ME: “Flags please.”
Vendor: “Which one.”
ME glaring at him: “What do you mean which one?”
Vendor dives into his box of flags: “These are popular, your kids will love them. I have blue, red, pink and pinkish ugly yellowish. I also have this with a mouse, cat, Super Heroes.”
He takes me for the ordinary buyers who will take whatever new is on the market - yeah I would too if I was in his place, but flags are an integral part of the day’s celebrations.
ME: “Baba and baby are not from Disney Land, they are from Pakistan. The mouse, cat or any of these super men are not even Pakistanis.”
He looks at me, sensing that I am trying to cut a deal with him. “Baji, these are the newest designs in the market. People want colour and these colours are in demand. Which coloured flag should I give you?”
WHAT? People want colours? Was this man mad? Or were those buying these multi-coloured flags mad?
ME: “What do you mean what colour do I want my flag in? Why would I want to buy different colours on August 14? I want to buy Pakistan’s flag - which is green and white with the crescent and a star.” I try to reason.
Vendor: “Baji the customers want variety - I will give you a reasonable deal. These will make your room look so bright.”
ME: “Are you mad? Why are you selling the national flag in other colours? What are you doing? Pakistan’s national flag is green and white, with the crescent and star. These are symbols that reveal a lot about our history and how this country came into being.”
Vendor: “Baba and baby will love this yellow one with this big footed dopey bird. It is so cute, I will give it to you in Rs 50.”
ME: “Are you nuts, this bird has nothing to do anything with Pakistan. If anything, you should have the Shaheen (falcon) - the national bird of Pakistan.”
Vendor: “The national bird of Pakistan isn’t the falcon but Chukar.”
ME: “So why don’t you have the Chukar on the flag then - if you have to have an animal? If you can replace the chukar with a mouse, a super hero that isn’t even from this part of the region, why don’t you replace the crescent and star with the planet Mars or Jupiter?”
Vendor: “Baji you aren’t making sense to me. But why not buy a badge or a cap.”
ME: “Seriously, you have conical caps with cartoon characters printed on them. Independence Day is not a joke - do you have any idea how many people had to sacrifice their lives.”
Vendor: “No Baji, I don’t. I am not educated. Never been to school - could never afford it. Even today I don’t have money to send my children to school - I am just trying to earn a living for my kids. Ok, maybe you will like this - this badge is the newest thing. It has a small cell that is connected to the bulb which blinks. If you press this button you get green and if you press it twice you will get different colours....”
ME: “Yeah I know blue, red, pink and pinkish ugly yellowish.”
Vendor smiling broadly: “Yes. But there are variations in the blinkers - by adding this piece the lights can blink at different speeds.”
ME: “No I don’t want any blinkers or any colours. Just show me something in green and white - please I don’t want any other colour. I want a Pakistani flag. Not any other colour. DO you even know what colour the Pakistani flag is?”
He looked at me as if trying to place me on his customer chart and then as if a light lit up in his mind. He dived deeper into the box.
ME: “You can’t just think about money and try to profit by distorting history and our love for the country. You should be charged with felony. How dare you and... He came out with flags with sparkle and glitter in green and silver complete with crescent and star.
ME: “Ohhhh shiny... five stacks please.”
And I came home happy with the shiny stack and decorated my house and workplace with the green and white flags - the colours that are our identity.
