The beginning of July is always a special period for Rwandans. They mark two national days – Independence Day on July 1 and Liberation Day on July 4. The first was incomplete and distorted, you might say, and did not mean what its name suggests. The second came to accomplish what the other had failed to do, put right what had gone wrong by wilful action or lack of capacity, and to return the country to the right path. Rwandans celebrate a rebirth, resurrection and redirection all at once. As usually happens with celebrations of this kind, it was joy all around. Gratitude, too. Plenty of that. Pride as well. Also a deep sense of responsibility to carry on, consolidate and protect gains made in the last 29 years. Many of these – the economic gains - we can see and touch and know they are real. There is evidence for it in the livelihoods of Rwandans. Others, such as patriotism, agaciro, national spirit, and so on are less tangible. We feel them inside, although they find expression on the outside. All this appears normal today and a person not familiar with the history of this country could be excused for thinking it was always like this. It was not. These tangible and intangible gains have been earned, first with the blood and sacrifice of many, and now with the continued commitment, hard work and focus of others. Which is why the older generation do not take it for granted. They lived through a difficult, often traumatic, past. They saw and were victims of bad politics, the uprooting of some Rwandans and their being hounded out of the country into exile, and making them stateless. They lived through periodic pogroms and finally the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. Many of them, however, rejected this state of affairs, organised to change it and took up arms to do so. The rest is what we are enjoying today. Which is why these elders use every opportunity to remind Rwandans, especially the young, about this part of the history of the country lest some forget it, take the present for granted and fall into complacency and then lose everything. The majority of those that are celebrating liberation with unbounded joy are young people, many of them born after liberation. It is a joy to see them go about their business looking healthy and confident, proud citizens of their country, beneficiary of the heroism of their elders, and heirs to today’s achievements. It is not only in appearance, but in deed as well. They are some of the country’s most committed warriors on social media. Woe betide anyone who slights Rwanda or its leaders. They will feel the full force of their wrath and will not cherish the experience. The source of inspiration are the heroes of liberation and today’s Rwanda. They worship those heroes. You should see them listening to stories of that period, especially told by those who participated in making them, or retelling them. Such rapt attention and pride! For them, this is all normal, and that is how it should be. To use a phrase from the past, they are enjoying the fruits of liberation (they used to say uhuru). Rightly so as they are indeed the children of liberation. Given the history of this country, liberation day is not a time for celebration only. It is also a moment for reflection. That comes easily and naturally to the older folks. Which is why they also have a duty to make sure such reflection happens. I am not sure the young people are similarly given to reflection. It is not really in their nature. They tend to look forward more than back, live in the moment and are more action-oriented. They want to savour the moment without any distraction or dilution. Which is all very well. However, they should never lose sight of the past, especially in our circumstances. Of course, they can and must build a future different from our past, but first, they must know what this past was like. There is always the risk of developing a romantic view of the heroes of liberation and the liberation itself and delinking them from the past. It is important to remember that their heroes are a product of that period. They rose in response to an unacceptable part of it. They must recognise that it was a necessity imposed on them by historical circumstances. Above all, they must be able to answer the call when it comes and defend the liberation whose fruits they are now enjoying. Of course, many of them are already doing this and others must surely have heard and taken heed of President Paul Kagame’s statement that the liberation of this country is written in blood and cannot be erased. Still, caution and a reminder do none harm.
