Baqar HussainThe Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) released another poignant musical tribute to commemorate the over 130 children slain in the horrific Army Public School (APS) attack last year.
The song targets the perpetrators of the attack with its unique ‘revenge-tactic’. With a young child’s voice lending melody to the lyrics, the song conveys a message from children to extremists.
The proposed revenge tactic is moving; a child tells his mother that he will seek avenge the attack by educating the children of the misguided terrorists.
The main verse of the song carries the message:
Mujhay Maan Ussay Badla Lainay Jaana Hai… Mujhay Dushman Kay Bachon Ko Parhana Hai
Mother, I have to take revenge from him (the enemy)…I have to educate the enemy’s children.
Aside from remembering the young lives lost, the song also pays tribute to the parents of students, who are mourning the loss of their children.
Wo Jis Ko Soch Kay Soti Nahi Maa, Kitaben Dekh Kay Roti Rahi Maa, Hain Kis Ki Wapsi Ki Raah Taktay, Ye Darwaza Khula Baba Kyyun Rakhte
The one whose thought does not let the mother sleep; the sight of books which make her cry, Why does the father keeps the door open; whose arrival does he look for?
The song is a sequel to ‘Bara dushman bana phirta hai jo bachon se larta hai’, another ISPR song, released about a month after the APS massacre.
While the previous song carried a message of conviction and resilience in the face of terrorism, the new video has a broader message — the message of peace and love. The message of killing the flames of radicalism with knowledge and education for the greater good.
The attack on Peshawar’s Army Public School resulted in widespread condemnation from national and international quarters with the government quickly scrambling into action. A National Action Plan (NAP) was then developed in order to tackle the growing problem of terrorism, resulting in a significant decrease in attacks.
Syed Zaki Hussain
