Celebrating another August 14

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AS predictable as night turning into day, August 14 is again arriving like clockwork this year. Equally predictable are the celebrations on this independence day, celebrations which have been pretty much routine year in and year out for umpteenth years.In Islamabad, the day begins with a 31-gun salute and then a sombre flag hoisting ceremony in front of Parliament House by the prime minister. In the evening, the president hosts a cultural show at the Presidency, in which the guest list is a virtual Who’s Who in Pakistan.For the general public, it is a holiday to be spent with family and friends, either at home watching August 14 programmes on television – including the live telecast of the cultural show at the Presidency – or out visiting one of the recreational spots like Daman-i-Koh, Rawal Lake Park, Shakarparian or Fatima Jinnah Park.In the evening, armed with the national flag many hit the road in their cars or Suzuki pickups or on their motorcycles to see the buildings annually illuminated for independence day. Many people also throng major markets like Jinnah Super Market and F-6 Super Market for drinks and snacks or just to mill around.With a dearth of any other form of entertainment or recreation on this special day, those who crave for greater excitement inevitably indulge in one or more of the following pursuits on the road: throwing lighted firecrackers at or under moving cars, sitting on the windows of their moving cars with their head, torso and hands outside and their legs inside, or pulling motorcycle wheelies and racing recklessly.Last August, some 190 motorcyclists were reported to have been fined for wheeling and speeding in Islamabad, while 40 motorbikers apparently landed up in hospitals in Rawalpindi on the eve of independence day and at least another 70 the next night, due to injuries sustained while wheeling.How can we curb such irresponsible merry-making on August 14, and at the same time make this important day more fun-filled yet meaningful for the general public?One way is to organise “one-stop shops” of government and private services for the people at major recreational spots and parks in Islamabad where people can avail of the various services offered by participating ministries, government agencies and private firms.At the booth of the Islamabad Traffic Police, for example, people can have their driving licences or vehicle registration licences renewed, while at the booth of Pims, Polyclinic or Shifa International Hospital, people can get free check-ups for blood pressure, eyesight, diabetes, bone density, etc.At the booths of CDA and the ministry of agriculture, people can obtain advice on indoor plantation and lawn landscaping and perhaps even free seeds and seedlings.The uniformed services like the police and fire departments, for example, can even launch recruitment drives through their stalls set up at such August 14 Melas.The Federal Directorate of Education can hold spelling and vocabulary competitions as well as independence day-related general knowledge quizzes for children at its booth, while the National Art Gallery can hold drawing and painting competitions for children at its stall.Private telecommunication companies can have booths offering free but limited time calls to people wanting to telephone their loved ones in other parts of Pakistan and abroad to wish them happy independence day.There can be countless other stalls from the private sector offering free hair cuts, free drinks, free balloons in the patriotic green and white colours, etc.Institutions for special children, orphanages, etc., could be encouraged to organise trips for their children to visit these independence day Melas.Ministers and other dignitaries can grace these one-stop shops with their presence and reach out to the masses in these difficult times, offering services to and providing relief for the people.Other events and activities could also be organised on or around August 14 to engage and entertain people in the twin cities, e.g., folk or Sufi music concerts at Lok Virsa open theatre, popular music concerts at Shakarparian and/or Fatima Jinnah Park, boat rowing contest or any other non-polluting water sport activity at Rawal Lake, a walking/hiking-up-the-Margalla Hills contest, etc., etc. To cap the day-long celebrations on August 14, a special fireworks display could be organised in front of Parliament House in the night for the enjoyment of the general public.The possibilities of meaningful enjoyment on independence day in Islamabad are endless, limited only by our imagination in drawing up the events and organising them for people to participate in.Once this becomes an established August 14 festival in Islamabad, it could well serve as a magnet for domestic tourism, drawing annual visitors from other parts of the country.With so much interesting things to do and activities to take part in on independence day, our youngsters might just automatically shun dangerous pursuits like motorcycle wheeling or playing with fire crackers.
Courtesy: The Dawn Lahore