Daily Times

September 6,
the Defence Day of Pakistan, has always been an important day for the populace of this country. It has been associated with paying tribute to the martyrs of the war that took place in 1965, those who sacrificed with their blood and lives rather than bowing down to the enemy. This year, the celebrations for Defence Day were of paramount glamour and scale on behalf of the government, armed forces, civil society and the media. However, a lot of ambiguity and criticism was also garnered towards the day regarding the credibility of historical facts regarding the victor of the war. It might not be the first time that such views have seen the light but it has surely been the first time it was given fuel in local newspapers and social media.
The very act of celebrating Defence Day is misconstrued by the various upper echelons in our society or the ‘liberals’ as a celebration of war. For some, it is merely a gruesome reminder of the blood spilled and casualties borne by this land, which is not a healthy reminder. However, the celebration is not for the suffering that consumed people on both sides of the border, rather a celebration of standing tall against all odds to defend the nation from the enemy. It is a festive way to honour those who died defending our motherland fiercely against an enemy that outnumbered us five to one. It is a day meant for us to pay tribute to the heroes of the battle and an opportunity to tell the families of the martyrs that we do own the brave and courageous acts of our heroes and feel indebted to them. It is a chance to give a strong and clear message to our enemies that we stand united against any foreign invasion and to boost the morale of our armed forces that are currently fighting a battle against foreign and local terrorists.
Moreover, I have several reservations on this questioning of the Pakistan army’s success in the 1965 war against India. Who decides victory in a war? There are seldom any clear indications for deducing any one country’s victory or loss, as a war inevitably brings losses to both sides. It is merely a hazy grey area that depends on how one perceives it. We might have lost the chance to claim the coveted land of Kashmir but, at the same time, we also prevented India from burning its fuel on our homeland. If signing the Tashkent Pact is construed as Pakistan’s defeat, then why is India’s coming to the table not considered theirs? Wars are not one sided and certainly the 1965 one was not one-sided either. The fact that Pakistan was able to fight off the Indian army, one that was not only overpowering but also outnumbered the Pakistan army, speaks volumes about the outcome of this war. I am at a dearth for words and deeply saddened by our liberals. However patriotic they might be in reality, their recent conduct is damaging to the cause of patriotism and reflects their nonchalance towards the very idea of patriotism.
The need of the hour is that our liberals and intellectuals take some time out for introspection. A reasonable person can easily deduce that movies like Phantom, Agent Vinod or even Ek Tha Tiger, which bring nothing but financial crisis to the industry, are made with an ulterior motive in mind. Five minutes into any of the aforementioned movies can easily unfold the motive behind its production.
Being a conservative and a pacifist at the same time are not mutually exclusive. Conservatives are not war mongering citizens who relish the thought of bloodshed. No matter how much we advocate against war, ignoring the war by compromising the dignity and self-respect of our nation is no solution in any case. A war, if imposed, should be fought with bravery, dignity and ultimate commitment. Let us not advocate the war but, at the same time, let us not allow our enemies to walk all over our principles and our homeland. As an example, let us not ignore the Modi government’s attitude and his past role in the Gujarat killings. Do not let his speech during his recent tour of Bangladesh slip our minds. Last but not least, let us not be forgetful of the fact that we have received dead bodies in exchange for mangoes. Some deliberation and debate might help us understand the implications of these historical incidents and take our cue from there.

The writer is a student at LUMS and freelance columnist