It’s been 73 years since India became an independent nation. Every year we celebrate freedom, paying homage to the people who fought long and hard to make it happen for us, honouring those who kept the honour of Mother India inviolate. We do this through parades and flag hoisting ceremonies, marchpasts by school children and soldiers, feeding the poor tending the disadvantaged, saluting the martyrs and garlanding statues. But long after the flowers have faded and the dust has been polished off the shoes of parading jawans, the music echoes on. From our national anthem Jana gana mana to the new song for Pulwama starring Bollywood biggies, the celebration of what we have that makes us who we are is best heard rather than seen. Music is eternal, it speaks every language and will always announce loud and clear how happy we are to be Indian.

Here are 3 songs that are unusual, or unusually presented, but embody the spirit of independence, of freedom…
 

• Song: Watan
  Singer: Javed Ali
  Music: Dushyant
  Lyrics: Alok Shrivastav

Song: Sandese aate hain
Singer: ITBP Constable Lovely Singh (who dedicates this to his colleages)
Music: Anu Malik
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar

Song: Vande Mataram
Courtesy: Brothers Incorporated
Music: AR Rahman
Lyrics: Mehboob

What does Independence mean to you? How would you describe the sounds of freedom? Do tell us!