When one writes about a verdict of the Courts, one has to be
very careful not to offend them as nowadays everything seems to be 'contempt of court'. There is a lot of
consternation over the way courts react to criticism; even opinion. Hence in
the midst of this all, having an opinion on the newest judgement on the
National Anthem makes me like a cat on the wall - not knowing where to jump -
whether I should say something or not. But being the argumentative and
opinionated Indian that I am, I finally felt like saying something and hence this.
The Supreme Court some time back ruled that the National Anthem
has to be played before every movie screening. Some states follow this even
today and some movie goers time their entry in such a way that they are in the
cinema only after the National Anthem is over. Just that with the verdict and
ours being a democratic country, this becomes law.
The respect for the National Anthem is not meant to be a
symbolic gesture. It is something from the heart. Just imagine a night show
that starts at 11 pm. Playing the National Anthem at 11 before the show smacks
of absurdity. It is like a prayer and being compelled to play it at an
unearthly hour is disconcerting, I believe.
Why is it that only cinema halls should play the national
anthem? What about playing it every day before a 5 day test match? Or before
every inning?
In a democratic society celebrating freedom, mandating and
shoving patriotism down my throat does not gel with me. I am patriotic and need
not stand up every time before a movie to parade my patriotism before the
entire world. I guess I don't need anyone to certify that.
With the plethora of cases piling up before the Courts, it
is perhaps well intended if they are concentrated on instead of these stupid
PILs. Recently, a court in madras mandated that jeans should not be worn in
temples. Seriously! One cannot blame the courts fully, though. In India, a PIL
can be filed on almost anything because 'public interest' is such a loose word. Courts even rule on issues like wearing jeans to temples!
The way India treats its national symbols like anthem, flag
etc is very different from most countries because of the cultural legacy we
have here. For example, in the US or UK, I can even wear a vest or brief in the
colours of the national flag, which would be considered a sacrilege in India.
Fair enough. The sensibilities are different. We are anyway
an emotional nation and we wear our heart on our sleeve. But, I believe we would be
better served without all the fetters as we go forward into the millennia.
Let us not be pressurized to wear patriotism on our sleeves
please!
