Saying her father's freedoms as a citizen had been curtailed, nine-year-old Mehnaz called for love and unity in the country.
Mehnaz Kappan delivering the Independence Day speech at her school. (Supplied)
As India marked its independence with pomp and vigour, a nine-year-old girl from Kerala used her Independence Day speech in a government school in Kerala to remind the audience — and people in general — what freedom truly means. Her speech, brimming with patriotism, has received admiration on the internet.
In a video posted on social media, Mehnaz Kappan — the daughter of jailed journalist Siddique Kappan — touched upon topics like freedom of speech, expression, and choice.
The Malayali journalist, based in New Delhi, was booked under sedition law and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) on 5 October, 2020, by the Uttar Pradesh Police — and has been in prison since then.
Kappan was arrested when he was travelling to report the gang rape of a Dalit girl near Hathras in Uttar Pradesh. The cops alleged that he had affiliations with the Popular Front of India (PFI).
A video of Mehnaz’s speech was shared on Facebook by Sreeja Neyyatinkara, a social activist who is part of the Kozhikode-based group Citizens for Democracy.
Here’s the video:
A note with the video talks about how Kappan’s wife Raihanath Kappan spoke at an event on 14 August about helping Mehnaz prepare a speech to deliver at the school’s Independence Day programme.
According to the note, Mehnaz told Raihanath: “Umma (mom), I won’t give my Independence Day speech without mentioning Uppachi (dad).”
Mehnaz’s speech began with customary Independence Day greetings, and then she said in a firm voice: “I am Mehnaz Kappan, the daughter of the journalist Siddique Kappan, who was jailed in the dark after all his freedoms as a citizen were curtailed.”
As India steps into its 76th year of Independence, said Mehnaz, she would like to chant “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and remind her peers and teachers that freedom was the result of the struggles of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhagat Singh, and numerous others who devoted their lives to India’s independence.
She said every citizen of India had a right to choose their religion, what food to eat, and to free speech.
“Each one of us Indians has the right to oppose those who ask us to leave our beloved country. The resurrected India that got its independence on 15 August never pawned its pride to anyone,” she said.
The spirited speech did not gloss over the unrest prevailing in the country. “…Even today, there is unrest prevailing in the country. The evidence for this are the crimes that occur because of religion, race, and politics. We have to uproot these with love and unity,” she stated.
The speech also urged the gathering to take India forward and help it scale new heights.
“By remembering all the patriots who fought for Indian independence, I want to say that the freedom of even ordinary citizens should not be curtailed. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!”
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