Enthusiasm goes high for celebrations

[LahoreEstate]

With 63rd Independence Day fast nearing the enthusiasm among the people especially children and youngsters in the twin cities to celebrate this auspicious occasion with traditional patriotic fervour is touching new heights.

An increasing rush at the temporary stalls set up in almost all the main areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi show the morale of the people, who are taking great interest in buying national flags, stickers, buntings, cards, paper-crown, badges and other items.

These stalls have been set up in all the markets and commercial centres of the twin cities including Super Market, Aabpara Market, Jinnah Super Market, G-9 Markaz (Karachi Company), Sitara Market and other small markets in Islamabad and Commercial Centre, Banni Market, Saddar Market, Awan Market, Urdu Bazaar and Fawara Chowk in Rawalpindi.

The number of national flags fluttering atop houses in the residential areas is also increasing day by day, but the most encouraging signs can be witnessed in the slum areas where dwellers are equally engaged in placing flags on their mud houses and even at nearby trees.

“I have vivid memories of celebrating Independence Day in my childhood. On every 14th August, I along with my cousins used to buy loads of buntings and flags and would watch live the flag hoisting ceremony on the television,” said Munir Mughal, a father of four children who works in a private organisation.

“Now I think we need the same enthusiasm and spirit in the face of numerous political, economic and security challenges because we must come forward and show the entire world that we are quite capable to walk with the international world in every sphere of life,” he said.

Young joy riders are seen riding on the roads these days with small flags fluttering on their motor vehicles and bikes but sometimes their enthusiasm become cause of inconvenience for motorists when they start racing in groups on various locations especially on spacious roads.

“Though it feels quite nice to have a ride on carpeted roads with national flags fluttering on the vehicles, we all must keep in mind that this is not the true spirit to celebrate our Independence Day because if we want to show our spirit than we must play our due role in more positive way that can help embark the country on the road of progress and prosperity,” said Essar Rana, an educationist.

Children are the most ‘active souls’ when it comes to celebrate the Independence Day because they are consistently proving themselves as potential buyers of memorabilia and their presence on each and every stall selling items such as badges, stickers and national flags is a common scene every where in the twin cities.

“We can easily say that children play prominent role in purchase of memorabilia because they feel a lot of attraction in items like flags, badges and buntings. Sometimes parents hesitate to visit the stalls but they bow down before the wishes of their children who want to get every thing present on the stalls,” said Rahim Baba, who sells memorabilia on his old bicycle in Satellite Town.

The owners of the printing presses especially in Urdu Bazaar where work is being done day and night to prepare memorabilia are not happy with rampant power outages that have been adversely affecting their printing activities.

“The concerned authorities must ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity at least in the areas where printing activities are under way because all our work is directly related to celebrations of the Independence Day that is considered as one of the auspicious days in the calendar year,” said Tariq Mansoor, in-charge of a printing press in Urdu Bazaar.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=192388