As India celebrated its 79th Independence day on August 15, the entire country was in the patriotic mode and many celebrities also shared wishes on the occasion. Like many others, Javed Akhtar also took to his social media to express gratitude for the country’s independence and also reminded people to be thankful to those who played a role in it. The veteran screenwriter wrote, “Happy Independence Day to all my Indian sisters and brothers. Let’s not forget this independence was not given to us on a platter . Today we must remember and salute those who went to jails and those went to gallows for getting us Azaadi. Let’s see that we never lose this precious gift.”
In reply, a troll commented, “Aapka happy independence to 14th August hai.” Unfazed, Akhtar hit back strongly and said, “Beta jab tumhare baap dada angrez ke joote chaat rahe thay mere buzurg desh ki aazadi ke liye kaala pani mein mar rahe thay. Apni auqat mein raho (Son, while your forefathers were licking the boots of the British, my ancestors were dying in Kala Pani for the country’s freedom. Know your place).”For those not in the know, “Kaala pani” refers to the infamous Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands, where many freedom fighters were brutally imprisoned by the British. Javed Akhtar’s great-grandfather, Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi (1797–1861), was a renowned scholar, poet, and freedom fighter who actively supported the 1857 rebellion. His resistance led to his exile to the Andamans, where he passed away. Javed’s grandfather, Muztar Khairabadi, and father, Jan Nisar Akhtar, also carried forward the legacy of poetry rooted in freedom, resistance, and social justice.
