I want my patriotism back!

Patriotism does not mean we pick up swords against India or the US, it means taking a stand for anything Pakistani.

When was the last time you sang the national anthem — school, or college maybe? Do you even remember the words, when was the last time you attended a Defence Day parade?

Times like Defence Day, Pakistan Day and Independence Day are all but dates in our calendars — just another holiday.  In the past, coming from an Air Force background, I remember attending parades on March 23 and even as an eight-year-old, I remember welling up each time we would all stand together and sing the national anthem, loud and proud. The sound of each attendee singing those words of freedom resonates vividly in my memory even today.

But what came next was what made me proud — the military parade. Each airplane that would cut through the sky made my stomach plunge with excitement and my heart swell with pride. Those were the days when looking at a submarine crossing the parade was the most fascinating thing you could see and that is, without a doubt, a feeling that cannot ever be replaced. No ride in Disney World, no car show and no resort can ever replace the feeling of absolute pleasure and patriotism that a person feels when he or she witnesses the country assemble as one and take pride in the accomplishments of its military. No form of unity replaces the one felt at that moment (fine, cricket maybe, but that’s about it).

At the end of the day, we need to remember and start believing that no matter where life takes us, or what we end up doing, we are Pakistanis; by birth or by descent and in either case, the country that we will ever feel that sense of patriotism or belonging with, is Pakistan. This does not mean that we pick up swords against India or the US to show the level of patriotism each of us possesses. The idea is to take ownership in anything that is Pakistani and stand by it, for better or for worse.

It can’t all be up to the media; the people, the government have to realise the dearth of patriotism and take a stand. We shouldn’t just talk about those ‘golden years’ or the past, we should fight for our right to be Pakistani again. Fight for our right to be proud of our country again. Nothing comes easy, not even pride, but it is definitely worth the struggle.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2013.