ational days are usually occasions for song-and-dance programmes to be staged without apology.

This Independence Day was marked in the shadow of a four-day skirmish with India about two and a half months ago. Since the withdrawal of the colonial world order, independence days have come to be seen as the moment when nations – as defined under the nation-state paradigm – became free to take charge of their destiny.

Yet it is difficult to reconcile this celebration with the onslaught of violence and mass killings, particularly when independence was won through democratic struggle. Coupled with the debacle of East Pakistan, it seems that we remain grateful that we did not lose the entire country – largely, it must be said, because of our own actions.

Music with a purpose is not only legitimate but often celebrated, as we are reminded that musicians have long accompanied armies into battle to boost morale. Even when the British took control, marches and movements were externally directed by military bands, drums and melodic instruments such as the Scottish bagpipes. These musicians, formally trained in schools established during the colonial period, played martial tunes as accompaniment.

It is now rare for compositions to be remembered and hummed by ordinary men and women in the street as the earlier ones once were.

As the armed forces became increasingly nativised, these compositions were replaced by popular pieces that gained prominence during various wars with India, particularly those composed in 1965. Some of these tunes were originally written for films on the theme of defending the homeland, but over the years – perhaps even centuries – their popularity led them to be lifted out of their original context and used simply as marching tunes.

It must be acknowledged that the stronger compositions emerged during the build-up to, and aftermath of, the 1965 war, while those created during the 1971 war were of lesser quality. Since then, the standard has continued to decline. It is now rare for compositions to be remembered and hummed by ordinary men and women in the street as the earlier ones once were.

During the 1965 war, kheyal vocalists such as Ustad Amanat Ali and Fateh Ali sang very little, as the preferred format at the time was the song, and kheyalias did not favour the song form, considering it only a minor part of their repertoire. Those who did sing in the song format – whether ghazals or other pieces – were often looked down upon for making a compromise. Nevertheless, Amanat Ali Khan shifted to the song format with his ghazals and other patriotic numbers during the 1971 war, a practice he continued until his death.

The writer is a Lahore-based culture critic.